Shadow Complex Remastered Reviews
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.
[T]his is still Shadow Complex, well loved, and definitely a decent time. Just a decent time from six years ago and looking and feeling like it.
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 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.
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.
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 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.
While we're still itching for Shadow Complex 2 to be confirmed, Remastered will swimmingly make proper use of your time. Its action is still addictive and well structured, the visuals look great, and the extra Master Challenges and Achievements will take some time to clean up. More could've easily been added, but this is still Chair at its best – and that's well worth partaking.
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
Epic Games' cult classic comes to PC in this thrilling remaster. A fresh take on the Metroidvania genre, Shadow Complex combines shoot-'em-up elements and brisk melee action to deliver an enjoyable platform-adventure title.
Shadow Complex Remastered remains a fun title. The gameplay remains faithful to the Metroidvania formula, warts and all, while the addition of partial 3-D fighting makes it feel fresh compared to its contemporaries. It comes in at a good length and has some nice time trial challenges to give it more legs once the various campaign endings have been exhausted. It could've used some more improvements in the presentation section, but genre fans will enjoy this title while holding out hope that someday, Chair will finally develop a sequel.
'Shadow Complex Remastered' looks better than ever, but doesn't add much in terms of content. That's fine, though, as the core game holds up as one of the best Metroidvania adventures ever made, and doesn't feel dated at all. First-timers are in for something truly special, while returning players can look forward to experiencing it all again. Just don't expect it to feel new.
If you're in the market for a solid Metroidvania title then Shadow Complex Remastered will meet (and possibly surpass) your expectations.
If you enjoyed it the first time but didn’t see yourself playing through it again for speed-runs or leisure, then you’ll want to opt out of this release. However, if you found replaying the main adventure a worthwhile endeavor and like plotting out different ways to complete the game or tackling its challenge mode, it earns the $15.00 it asks for admission. Now, if you’ve never played the game before but enjoy this style of gameplay, I can safely say, trying it out is hardly a complex decision.
Before their mobile fame from the Infinity Blade franchise, Chair Entertainment produced in 2009 a game called Shadow Complex on Xbox 360 through the Xbox Live Arcade program. The game was very highly praised, and even received many nominations into the “Game of the Year” category. So the release of a remastered game 6-7 years after the original, on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 is considered good news. I didn’t own an Xbox 360 console back then, but now have the chance to discover this gem from the past on my PS4.
Despite the proliferation of games broadly inspired by Super Metroid in recent years, Shadow Complex remains quite distinct thanks to its integration of Gears of War-style cover shooting and loopy political plot. Playing it again evokes memories of similar games that have since followed, such as Castlevania: Mirror of Fate and Strider, none of which have done the 2.5D metroidvania thing nearly as well as Chair did back in 2009. The one letdown here is the questionable quality of the port, which sputters and skips much more than you'd expect for a last-gen game revamped for Xbox One.
Even with seven-year-old graphics, Shadow Complex looks and runs great, with fluid animations and sprawling levels that any metroidvania game dreams of. This is an essential game for every metroidvania fan.