Cyber Shadow

A conflicting array of design elements and annoying difficulty spikes Cyber Shadow is a game that I wanted to enjoy, but I found the more I played, the more annoyed I was at how the game was designed. I LOVE metroidvania style games. The ability progression, along with the fun way you can unlock upgrades by smartly backtracking and noting areas/items you can't interact with yet is something I find very cathartic. Cyber Shadow attempts to integrate a few of these elements, but it does so in a manner that failed to capitalize on them. In any good metroidvania, you NEED to have a map. Even if your map isn't great, having a way to navigate the world without memorizing where everything is around you is very important. Cyber Shadow doesn't have a map, at least not a map that allows you to navigate the world. On top of that, you really can't backtrack until very near the end of the game. This is because your final upgrade is needed to unlock almost all the areas you couldn't reach previously. So, rather than getting upgrades periodically through the game as you go back to unlock new areas, you mostly just have to wait until the very end, and then go back through all the leve…

There are quite a few games paying homage to the 8-bits era of Ninja Gaiden nowadays. Cyber Shadow is one of the better ones. With its tight gameplay, beautiful pixel art and cut-scenes, and a brilliant chiptune soundtrack that's actually pleasant to listen to, it offers a rewarding experience for players who enjoy retro aesthetics, intense platforming and tight combat. The game is structured in chapters that one can revisit to find more secrets after unlocking new powers, adding a slight metroidvania component to the game. Relatively linear, it can still be completed within 6-8 hours on a first playthrough, what is a decent length for this kind of games, but might be hard sell for some given its initial retail price of ~€20. The one aspect of this game that warrants a fair warning though would be that, just like its source of inspiration, Cyber Shadows can be quite challenging. While the beginning of the game is fairly accessible, the introduction of one-shot mechanics around the middle turns certain sequences into situations where you have to die and retry repeatedly but, thanks to the generous placement of checkpoints —with the next one never very far from the previous …

The movement felt great. The combat was excellent. The music is memorable. This is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for more retro-style platformers.

Somehow, I've never heard of this game until a friend of mine talked about it. It feels awesome to clear a room quickly when the timing is right and thankfully, if I'm not wrong, there's zero input lag. So you can either be badass or fail miserably as it's pretty easy to die. But you don't want to stop where you lost. When you die, you want to get right back to it until you succeed. Not many games have that kind of difficulty these days, so this is truly a hidden gem to me.

I'll be honest, I've tried to start Shovel Knight multiple times and I always end up falling asleep. Cyber ​​Shadow has such meticulously crafted level design, perfectly tailored to mess with you in the most classic ways possible. Enemies that block the edges of cliffs, flying enemies attacking when you try to cross platforms, stunning you and throwing you into electrified water. Dodging lasers and chainsaws while trying to hit a weak point that constantly fires bullets. Luckily, you have more modern mechanics; you can parry, but it's similar to Metal Gear Rising, where the action is a limited window where you move the stick towards the projectile and then have to hit it to send it back. A dash that isn't just a matter of pressing a button; you have to get a running start first. When you get the double jump, all your abilities are boosted, and although it seems like you become super overpowered, the challenge also increases. When you get the hang of the controls, you feel like a super ninja slicing robots in half, and it's incredible.

boring