Shu Reviews
I loved my time with the game for my Shu review. It’s a very polished, colorful and fun platformer with plenty of replay value and a Platinum trophy to boot, so there’s definitely something in this one for all to enjoy. If you want to 100% the game, you’ll need to be patient and learn from your mistakes so that you can find all collectibles and complete every level with all miscellaneous requirements. But in the end, it will be worth the effort.
Shu is a simple, pretty game that presents a tough challenge for even the most seasoned gamers. Its design is built for running and thinking on the fly, while at the same time asking the gamers to keep an active eye out for some collectible goodies. It’s definitely more than it seems on the surface.
A little platformer that offers new mechanics in a graduated, character-centric fashion.
Shu is a memorable and charming little 2D adventure that features varied gameplay and plenty of replay value.
Shu is an elegant, attractive and thoughtful 2D platformer that strips away a lot of the excess of its genre rivals. It's still not ripping up any rulebooks or reinventing the wheel, and it's far from the best platformer on the eShop. If you're after a more sedate alternative to Sonic Mania and company, however, it's an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.
While it never really shakes up the genre, it ticks all the boxes that platformer fans enjoy. Shu's main campaign doesn't last very long, just a handful of hours, but it's designed so that players will want to continue playing to find every collectible and improve their timing. If you're the kind of player that likes that sort of challenge, Shu may just be for you.
Ultimately Shu is a bit of a strange beast; it’s probably not difficult or substantial enough to appeal to the Super Meat Boy crowd, but also perhaps a little too frustrating to rope in those craving a purely relaxing experience. The near-total lack of a story certainly does it no favours, but on the flip side, when this game really hits its stride, it can be ludicrously entertaining.
In conclusion, Shu is an earnest little platformer that tries its best to mimic the big boys and almost does so with it’s very solid gameplay and ability switching mechanics. It’s only a brief experience with not too much incentive to go back but at least it doesn’t outstay its welcome. It’s got solid presentation too and stands above other rivals at the same price point or higher. It’s not a game I will remember for years to come or anything, but it was a pleasant experience I’m happy to have had and, aside from a couple of frustrating parts, I’m sure you will too.
Shu is a fun yet unremarkable 2.5D platformer. Its focus on pretty art and music over reliable mechanics and tight level design comes as a serious detriment to the game's overall playability.
Shu is not exactly a memorable experience, mostly because of its non-existent difficulty and derivative gameplay. Nonetheless, the game from Coatsink is perfect for touch and go moments, has a peculiar style and art, and a peaceful soundtrack.
Review in Italian | Read full review
All said Shu is an absolutely gorgeous game that can likely be enjoyed by gamers of all skill levels as long as they’re ready to challenge themselves. The darkness phases can all be beaten if you’re patient and work out how to cut corners to save time, so even if you feel a little overwhelmed at first some commitment should get you through in the end. I do wish the challenge were more evenly distributed and there were tangible rewards for bothering to collect everything but overall Shu is a solid platforming experience.
Shu is a charming and elegant little platformer that surprised me with its fast, but also calming, gameplay
"Doesn't meet general quality standards to be called an enjoyable platformer."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
The game may not do too much more than tick the boxes of what one expects of a platformer, and stumbles a few times on level design and coherence, but the wrapping of the game is a masterfully neat bow that will really help to draw in an audience.
I mentioned at the beginning of the review that short length doesn’t mean a game fails to leave a lasting impact, and I left Shu pleased with my time. Even though I was able to beat the main game in less than an hour, and the DLC in about 20 minutes, I enjoyed every minute of my time with Shu. It’s charming, creative and accessible to all levels of gamer. While some may be discouraged by how quickly I beat the game, I would venture my speed is a bit unusual, as the devs confirmed most players beat the game in 3-4 hours. Regardless, Shu is a wonderful game and a delight on the Nintendo Switch. If you enjoy fun platformers or are just looking for something new on your console, I would recommend it strongly for only $9.99. I just hope it’s not the last we’ve seen of this vibrant game world.
Shu is a short but magnificent game, one which grabs the player from the beginning all the way to its marvelous final level. A platfomer with a steep but fair difficulty curve that never suffers from a boring moment, Shu also features an exquisite audiovisual environment and is more than certain to appeal to a wide variety of players. Truly a work to discover.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Heavily influenced by Michel Ancel's work, Shu is an adorable platformer that is worth your time. With a simple gameplay that manages to become challenging as you get near the end of the story, this title has more than enough content to keep you playing for a while.
Shu will long be remembered for its wondrous art direction and hand-drawn characters, but also for the game’s many shortcomings. It’s bittersweet to reach the game’s conclusion, a moment that comes far too soon and leaves the player without enough of a compelling reason to sink more time into it. There’s charm to be found in the experience, but, as I soon discovered, it doesn’t take long to outrun a storm.
Shu is still a beautiful, poetic platformer that celebrates the best things about the genre as opposed to the worst.
The actions of the characters are stiff but somehow the developer still created smooth and flowing gameplay. The platforming itself is complaint free and, once again, the score and level design are beautiful. The key word for this review is relaxing. Shu didn't blow me away as a platformer but it's still a really solid and enjoyable game.