Code Shifter Reviews

Code Shifter is ranked in the 14th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
6.5 / 10.0
Jan 29, 2020

With an overall story setup that is similar to my beloved TRON Code Shifter got off to a good start for me, featuring a young programmer who has written a security routine named Sera who you'll play as to actively destroy bugs and viruses in the system...

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5 / 10.0
Feb 3, 2020

Code Shifter is unfortunately, a big bag of missed potential. On one side, you have some of the best chiptune remixes to grace any video game, and it’s clear Arc gave it their all to represent each character in their own special way, nailing the crossover aspect in that regard. But on the other hand, the majority of the game sports this absolutely dull art style that honestly feels as if it belonged to another game before Arc characters were thrown in at the later stages of development. Combine that with some confusing design decisions such as the lack of D-Pad support, character themes getting interrupted by bosses, to even the 8-bit minigame lacking so much as stage, music, or CPU select options, and you have a mess of a crossover that barely feels like one, and isn’t even as fully realized as it easily could have been.

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6.3 / 10.0
Feb 5, 2020

Code Shifter boasts a fantastic premise along with a commendable collection of classic characters. It's too bad that its gameplay is executed in a fashion that's substantially below Arc System Works' generally high bar.

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3 / 5.0
Feb 8, 2020

Code Shifter is an overall decent platformer, but I was expecting much more. Maybe it was the constant shifting between characters that made it too cumbersome, or maybe it was Stella’s awkward controls while walking around the office. There is a reason to go back to Code Shifter after the story is finished, but this is only to go through the same levels with a higher difficulty, which I didn’t find too exciting. If you’re a big fan of Arc System Works you’ll find a lot to love in Code Shifter. If you’re not familiar with the characters, you’re better off finding a different action platformer to dive into.

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5 / 10
Feb 11, 2020

Code Shifter is basically a playable version of an unenthusiastic sigh. There is platforming. There is fighting. There is a story. Each of these things is there, but all of them feel underdeveloped or underutilized in their own way, and never really come together all that well.

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60 / 100
Feb 11, 2020

Code Shifter is a simple action genre which has some cameo appearance from other ArcSystem Works characters. If you're not sure of the original source of the game, it will take some time to absord all the insider quotes. Prepare for some utter confusion if you play this without much preparation.

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5 / 10.0
Feb 12, 2020

If the shrug emoticon were a video game, it would be Code Shifter. It's just a tepid experience from top to bottom, one that doesn't do anything to make me hate it but certainly doesn't do anything to garner a recommendation.

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8.3 / 10.0
Feb 12, 2020

Overall, Code Shifters, while short, is a fun platformer with plenty of replayability with the difficulty options and a whole other game inside of it. Touching on the issue of crunch time with its narrative while also giving us plenty to see and do within the different coded aspects of the game was a fun approach to why would need to cross some rather extreme terrains. Adding in that upgrades are only granted to doing your absolute best, and there’s more than enough to test those that excel at the style.

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5 / 10.0
Feb 13, 2020

Code Shifter looked cool to me when I saw it but after playing it I walked away feeling pretty disappointed.

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Feb 18, 2020

Code Shifter as it is now is a flawed but charming game.

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5 / 10.0
Feb 19, 2020

Code Shifter is a game that had me extremely excited when I saw it but managed to not only dash my expectations but bury them six feet underground. Inconsistent hitbox placement, a lack of movement options, and a lackluster story made for a game with a whole lot of missed potential.

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8 / 10.0
Feb 29, 2020

With an enjoyable story, the novelty of changing between a large cast of characters, and a fun extra game mode, Code Shifter makes up for its shortcomings with many ideas successfully carried out. Bright, colorful, and energetic, Code Shifter is worth a buy for studio fans.

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Ken McKown
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Apr 7, 2020

Code Shifter is a neat idea that simply does not do itself any favors. The game play is fine, just uninspired. I wish it was more fleshed out with more variety in combat and design.

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6 / 10.0
Apr 13, 2020

Code Shifter is a solid enough action platformer for fans of Arc System Works' properties but doesn't deliver much in the way of original content.

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Jun 10, 2020

Code Shifters isn’t a bad game. It’s not a great game either, its just kind of there.

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