Cyber Shadow Reviews

Cyber Shadow is ranked in the 86th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
10 / 10.0
Jan 26, 2021

Cyber Shadow by Mechanical Head Games is an 8-Bit masterpiece entangled in a beautiful, dystopian world of ninjas action and deadly automatons.

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10 / 10.0
Feb 4, 2021

Cyber Shadow is the quintessential 2D retro-style ninja platformer. Aarne Hunziker has absolutely outdone himself with this title in every sense of the word. I genuinely don’t have anything negative to say about it, and even the one thing I did have a slight problem with I wouldn’t change (that being checkpoint frequency). The difficulty can feel frustrating at times, but it is in no way insurmountable, and honestly just gives it more of a retro vibe. Cyber Shadow excels in every way through its beautiful presentation, a soundtrack that slaps harder with each new song, a touching story, and absolutely thrilling gameplay. This is an absolute must play for any fans of 2D platformers.

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9.5 / 10.0
Jan 25, 2021

With perfect control, epic boss fights and a banging soundtrack, Cyber Shadow is a superb action platformer that you don't want to miss.

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10 / 10
Jan 25, 2021

Cyber Shadow is a truly wonderful game. It's brutal, uncompromising, and insanely enjoyable to a degree that I don't often see. Between its lovingly crafted visuals, pitch-perfect gameplay, and maddeningly difficult, yet expertly designed levels, it's a must-play for anyone who enjoys side-scrolling action games.

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9.5 / 10.0
Jan 25, 2021
Cyber Shadow Review | Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Gamepass, PC video thumbnail
9.5 / 10.0
Feb 6, 2021

Cyber Shadow isn’t merely a nostalgia inducing adventure, but a triumph of modern game design. It’s demanding, it’s challenging, and despite a few exaggerated difficulty spikes, it grabs us with its rewarding easy to understand but hard to master gameplay. It’s a visual and auditory delight from beginning until end, and a game to which we will keep coming back in the future. Cyber Shadow is a game of undeniable quality, and one of this year’s first mandatory experiences.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

9.5 / 10.0
May 12, 2021

It is easy to enjoy Cyber Shadow, as well as to realize that it is the fruit of a lot of love and hard work. The title is undoubtedly one of the most striking releases of 2021 and an indie that deserves to be remembered (and played) for a long time, especially on the Switch. This is a refined game as a whole, which knows how to respect nostalgia without fear of taking certain liberties and fully addresses the issue of the highest difficulty. Be sure to give Cyber Shadow a chance.

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9.3 / 10.0
Jan 26, 2021

Cyber Shadow packs a lot of quality into a small six-hour package. If you love indie platformers and have a soft spot in your heart for games like Ninja Gaiden and Shatterhand then you won't want to pass this one up.

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Jan 25, 2021

Cyber Shadow will be remembered for quite some time and only adds to Yacht Club Games' growing library of retro-inspired indie games.

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90 / 100
Feb 1, 2021

Tough, beautiful retro games might seem like they’re everywhere these days. You might be losing track of them all in the midst of this recent deluge. I promise Cyber Shadow is one of the good ones. A delicate balance is struck between challenge and accessibility, leaving you bloodied and eager for more. The art and the music is among the best you’ll see all year long. Finally, the mechanical guts of this game are perfectly tuned. While some players will be rebuked by certain NES-era sensibilities (like the knockback effect), the overall experience is practically sublime. If you’re looking for a Ninja Gaiden send-up that’s been dragged into the 21st century, look no further than Cyber Shadow.

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9 / 10
Jan 26, 2021

If you consider yourself a fan of retro action platformers, you owe it to yourself to pick up Cyber Shadow whenever possible. It's clear in virtually every facet of Cyber Shadow's design that this project was a labour of love and that its designer is intimately familiar with what makes the stalwarts of this beloved genre so great. Well-built levels, authentic presentation, tight controls and a high difficulty all combine to make this a supreme and focused experience, and one that we can easily say is well worth your time. Mechanical Head Studios has set a high bar with its inaugural debut, and we can't wait to see more from this developer.

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9 / 10.0
Jan 25, 2021

A glorious love letter to retro ninja action, Cyber Shadow is a must for fans of high-speed fun and delicious 1990s cheesy camp.

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9 / 10.0
Jan 30, 2021

Seamlessly blending the feeling of an NES platformer with a surprisingly engaging story helps Cyber Shadow cement its place as one of the best retro-inspired titles on the market. Cyber Shadow is the newest title developed by Mechanical Head Studios and published by Yacht Club Games.

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9 / 10.0
Jan 25, 2021

undefined.Through it all, Cyber Shadow knows why people have fond memories of NES-era action platformers, whether it's the thoughtful level layouts, unforgettable boss battles, or eye-catching visual embellishments. This is not a game for the faint of heart, but more for the persistent. I came away from this retro romp satisfied, primarily because it harkens back to the classics while still carving out a distinctive game that rightfully deserves to enter the pantheon of stellar 2D ninja games that includes the likes of Ninja Gaiden and The Messenger.

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9 / 10.0
Feb 4, 2021

Cyber Shadow is a challenging ninja game that features unlimited lives, tons of checkpoints and no game overs to deal with. Has a great 8-bit visual style and soundtrack that will please any retro game lover!

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9 / 10
Jan 25, 2021

It’s absolutely nails to begin with, but stick with Cyber Shadow and it will be your new favourite platformer. There will be tantrums and swearwords, but when a game looks this cool you can’t stay mad at it.

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9 / 10.0
Jan 25, 2021

Most fall short of this lofty goal, but every so often a game like Cyber Shadow manages to capture that special feeling of 8-bit gaming so perfectly. Made by a single developer, Aarne Hunziker, and with the help of a publisher who also managed to capture the NES magic in a bottle in Yacht Club Games, Cyber Shadow is just as enjoyable as any of the legendary titles in two-button gaming.

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9 / 10.0
Jan 25, 2021

Cyber Shadow is a beautifully crafted retro action experience complete with formidable enemies and crushing precision platforming. Abilities like the bullet deflect and dash strike provides the classic ninja experience without overloading on reused mechanics. On top of that, the length and replayability options give players a healthy serving of content tosing more time into refining their skills.

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9 / 10.0
Jan 25, 2021

Cyber Shadow thrills with its fast-paced and accurate action in a modern adventure inspired by classics. It's quite fun to control a cyber ninja through stages full of diverse situations that require mastery of his various abilities, on a journey full of surprises. The challenge is frequent and there is not much room for error, but the generous presence of checkpoints mitigates the frustration of being defeated. Even so, it is important to be prepared to face irritating peaks of difficulty. The retro atmosphere captivates with the elaborate 8-bit pixel art visual style, the music that mixes chiptune and real instruments and the well-built world. In the end, Cyber Shadow is an exceptional action game.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Jan 25, 2021

Cyber Shadow is just a tremendous joy to experience as a Shadow of the Ninja addict, but has a lot of merit that makes the game far exceed the inspirations that birthed it. The beautiful lack of lives, training the player to better themselves and master the game’s mechanics without causing pointless frustrations, the godlike music, containing a soundtrack you absolutely must buy the moment it becomes available, and the fun powerups, offering enough to make Shadow feel like a true evolving warrior.

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