![]() New Game+, boss rush and a soundtrack player would be excellent additions to appreciate the game’s best qualities if any updates happen – after a well-deserved rest, of course. If a game’s biggest issue is players wanting more of it, the developer has done something right. Hopefully, a patch can fix this glitch, but it didn’t detract from Martin’s memorable compositions.īesides difficulty spikes and minor bugs, the only real flaw is absence of extra features, but that speaks to how strong the replay value is. Unfortunately, there’s a repeated issue causing songs to loop improperly ingame. Complimenting the pulse-pounding chiptune music one would expect from a retro-inspired game with NES influences, some of the best tracks set themselves apart with instruments from the SNES and Genesis era. The soundtrack by Enrique Martin is consistently one of the game’s best aspects. An illustration of Shadow from the new video game “Cyber Shadow.” Contributed photo by Yacht Club Games and Mechanical Head Studios. As mentioned earlier, there are some visually busy sections that make the gameplay harder to focus on, but they’re infrequent enough that it isn’t a major issue. The color palette and shading look like they’re straight out of a gritty comic book, perhaps best demonstrated by the story cutscenes. Mekacity is brought to life by striking visuals, with well-animated sprites and detailed backgrounds that cover a variety of Progen’s facilities. ![]() Additionally, certain segments between checkpoints felt excessively long, which slowed the pacing on occasion. ![]() This is an interesting approach to checkpoints, but there wasn’t much need to buy all three upgrades for one checkpoint unless it came before a difficult boss. When Shadow reaches a checkpoint, it can be upgraded with currency to restore health, special energy or provide temporary power-ups like blade extensions and blaster drones. Likewise, a couple of bosses were so visually busy that it was hard to focus on their attacks, leading to rare, but annoying difficulty spikes. Certain areas throw barrages of enemies at players before they can react or require leaps of faith, neither of which is a compelling or reasonable obstacle to overcome. If the best levels test strategy and skill through fair challenges, the worst levels don’t do this. Boss battles are consistently fun and challenging, from the multiple duels with Shadow’s rival, Apparitor, to the formidable and enigmatic Subject Alpha. Not every scenario is easily solved by rushing in aggressively, so players must overcome challenges and enemies with strategic forethought to exploit weaknesses. Level design in “Cyber Shadow” is at its best when testing these abilities, with most of Shadow’s arsenal used creatively in combat and puzzle solving. Contributed photo by Yacht Club Games and Mechanical Head Studios A screenshot from the game “Cyber Shadow.” This ninja action game is Aarne Hunziker’s debut into the gaming industry. This shows in the final upgrade, a versatile charge attack that can be released with any ability’s button input for a stronger version of that move. When Shadow reaches full power halfway through the story, the difference between his simple starting abilities and his true potential are staggering. The abilities themselves are satisfying to use, with the highlight being a sprint that can combo into an afterimage dash attack. As they’re finally able to pass on, they give Shadow the last of their strength. There’s an interesting, tragic twist on the trope of gaining bosses’ abilities popularized by the Mega Man series Synthetics are powered by draining the essence of ninjas, who are kept alive within an inch of death until bosses are destroyed. Shadow starts without his full strength, but regains his abilities by defeating Progen’s Synthetic underlings. As the last of the ninja clan who protected that balance, Shadow awakens from stasis to seek his Master, hoping she can reverse the damage Progen caused before both worlds are lost. Progen’s life-extending experiments have upset the balance between Earth and the spirit realm, corrupting both. Progen, a grief-consumed scientist who powers his Synthetic army with life essence. Thankfully for Aarne “MekaSkull” Hunziker, the creator running Mechanical Head Studios, he stuck the landing with his debut ninja action game, “Cyber Shadow.”Ĭitizens of Mekacity are hunted and eradicated by Dr. ![]() Aarne “MekaSkull” Hunziker’s debut game, “Cyber Shadow,” makes a great first impression with fast-paced ninja action, fresh presentation, and a unique blend of old and new.įirst impressions are everything, especially when it comes to new game developers.
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