down the hole and back again
When I downloaded Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade demo of Shadow Complex I didn’t expect to fall in love. Shadow Complex is set in the world of Empire, a novel by Orson Scott Card. This game invokes so much nostalgia, since the game play is base on Super Metroid for the Super Nintendo.
This is developer Chair’s second game that was published. They used the Unreal Engine to provide luscious graphics, depth and perspective. Yet it works so well in this amazing game. It was written by one of the best known comic book artist today, Peter David with writing credits from comic books like The Incredible Hulk, Supergirl, Spiderman, and Wolverine. The plot is set in author Oren Scott Card’s novel Empire.
The game starts off with the Vice President being assassinated, in which a radical left-wing militia which is plotting to overthrow the US government. The next scene opens up with the main character, Jason Flemming, on a date in the woods. Jason’s date is kidnapped and so players seek to save her. Armed with only a flashlight the players explore some caverns nearby finding a backpack with climbing gear and a pistol belong to the girl. As you catch up to the people who kidnapped the girl, you see armed men escorting her into an underground bunker. Without hesitating you follow to find out what’s going on. The complex in its self is massive; there is a map within the game that helps you know where to go next. Without the map I found myself wondering around the massive complex lost.
As you progress through the game you receive more weapons and abilities to help you traverse through the large complex. Later in the game you get a jet pack that allows you to do a double jump, and then even further in the game you get an upgrade to do a triple jump. The game takes direct aspects from Super Metroid with you must have certain weapons to destroy doors. For example you need to have the grenade launcher to open blue colored doors, or a missile launcher to open red colored doors. Throughout the game there are hidden power ups you can get to aid you through easier, like more ammo for your weapons and armor strengthens.
About midway in the game you acquire a powered armor suit that makes you stronger and faster. There are five major power ups you can find for the powered armor suit that makes you jump even higher, and even get an even stronger weapon. In order to get the last piece of the suit you need to find ten hidden key cards throughout the complex. In order to get many of the key cards you need to solve small puzzles to reach them, or get majority of the other power ups.
Shadow Complex brings all the memories I had when I was young playing Super Metroid. It brings lots of older concepts of game play and modernizes them for today’s generation of gamers. The demographic for this game is very broad since it reaches out to the older gamers and the new. Most gamers can complete this game around ten hours, and has great replay to play through a second or even third time to find all the hidden things in the game. For fifteen dollars I strongly recommend this game. It’s only available to download on the Xbox Live Marketplace.
