Shu Reviews
"Doesn't meet general quality standards to be called an enjoyable platformer."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
A basic platformer with the same old clichéd mobility tools and a pretty underwhelming world to be a part of just isn't enough to make its mark these days, making Shu feel a little played out. It's by no means a bad game, but hardly a good one too; it falls quite neatly into the comfortable, average middle-ground.
Shu is a game plagued by its own potential. With tight platforming and shifting abilities, this bite sized game could have been a real treat. Instead, you find yourself constantly bogged down in small frustrations and game breaking crashes. I like the game Shu is trying to be, but not the game it is.
The average time to play through the story of Shu is roughly four hours with additional hours if players are yearning for 100% completion. Shu is an attractive platformer game with straightforward goals but tedious chases. Players who are looking to pick up something quick between other games may want to catch a ride with Shu.
Shu is a bit of a mixed-bag of a game, with its slow moving platforming elements - involving the collecting and uncovering of a myriad of secrets within each level - hampered by its haphazard camera. Conversely when the game is moving at speed, being able to stretch its wings as you speed run through its beautiful visuals, Shu fully comes alive with a rhythm brought about by games like the more recent Rayman Legends. If you’re a fan of the genre, and enjoy a beautiful platforming game with some challenge then Shu is definitely worth a look, but don’t go in expecting more than that.
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.
I still don’t understand why the storm has teeth.
Recommended 2d-Platformer that offers something unique
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shu has pretty and nice visuals, and a solid gameplay, which mixes classic dynamics with original features, and shows a good level design. The game is suggested, even if it lasts only a few hours and it does not present such strong incentives to play it again.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Despite the goodwill that Coatsink may have gathered with the release of Gang Beasts, Shu is still likely to have a hard time making itself heard not only among its own genre, but among games in general, considering the crowded time period it has been released in.
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.
Yoshi's Island this is not, but it's a honest and cute (albeit very short) platform, with a handful of good ideas but a strange difficulty curve. If only it didn't play that safe, it could have been a first choice for Switch owners.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Shu is great in its presentation, but flalters with its raw mechanics. It provides a solid, albeit simple platforming experience.
Shu is a no frills approach to the classic 2D platformer. With a beautiful artstyle, fine-tuned controls, and a brisk difficulty, Shu is a short but sweet experience. However, even with collectibles and time modes, some players will likely be turned off by the simple controls and lack of innovation.
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.