Shadow Complex Remastered
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Shadow Complex Remastered
The thing about Saturday morning cartoons is that they’re packed into thirty minute segments. Yes, they’re often shallow subplots, but luckily they resolve before overstaying their welcome. Shadow Complex doesn’t do that. It draws out a weak narrative and rarely rewards the player for continuing on. From a gameplay perspective the bosses speak for themselves; they’re bland and muddled. Looking back there is fun to be had sprinkled throughout, but the finale is so sour that it’s hard to see those moments.
Shadow Complex is a game that demands experiencing at least once. While those who played through multiple times and unlocked every secret the first go-round might not be especially compelled to do it again with such bare-bones revisions, it's a perfect vehicle for first-timers. If you haven't played Shadow Complex before, it's absolutely worth armoring up now.
As a remaster this is rather shoddy work, but the underlying game is still one of the best homages to Super Metroid from the last generation.
Shadow Complex was great in 2009, and for the most part, it still is to this day. You won't find many new elements in this remaster apart from standard graphical upgrades, but if it has been a few years since you've played the original version, it's worth going through the journey again.
Those fans are better off utilizing the Xbox One’s backwards compatibility to go back and play again. Those curious about what the fuss was all about back in the day will get something more out of it. Gameplay is where it counts, and regardless of its bland design and extensive hodge-podging from other properties, Shadow Complex Remastered is a fun game that will reward your time spent with it.
Shadow Complex Remastered is, in many ways, a perfect gateway drug for the Metroidvania genre. It's accessible and straightforward, and the story features just the right mix of swashbuckling heroics and moustache twirling pantomime villainy. It's perhaps too easy for seasoned veterans of the genre, and some aiming issues and questionably designed boss encounters sour the package a little, but if you've got a few hours to kill and you're waiting for another proper Metroid game, then you could do a lot worse than Shadow Complex.
Despite its few shortcomings, Shadow Complex: Remastered is an extremely fun game to play. The upgraded visuals look great and the controls are on point. Enemies and backtracking to become a bit redundant, but the platforming elements and exploration make up for it. There is a reason the original broke sales records on Xbox Live Arcade. If you have already purchased the game, the upgraded visuals might make it worth your while. However, since this review is based on the PlayStation 4 version, people who have not played it should certainly give it a shot.
Shadow Complex needed a lifting. The remastered edition improves some post-processing effects, add some new textures, and in the end remains the great metroidvania that Chair developed few years ago. The uninteresting story is the biggest letdown of the game, that stands out when it comes to gameplay and level design.
Review in Italian | Read full review
