Shadow Complex

Platforms

• Xbox 360

  Aug 19, 2009

  ---

  8.8

  playscore

  9.0

  18 Critics

  9.0

  101K Players

18 critic reviews · 4 community reviews across all platforms

Critic Reviews

• 

  Games Radar+

  9.0

  A straightforward run through can be completed in under five hours, but you’ll want to take your time to fully explore every brilliant nook and cranny to extend the fun. The already high replay value is bolstered by challenge missions that can be tackled at your leisure. Chair Entertainment has substantially raised the bar for downloadable games to come and helped us rediscover a long lost love in the process.

  Reviewed on X360

  Read full review
• 

  Destructoid

  9.5

  In its slick production, Shadow Complex sets a new and extremely high bar for Xbox LIVE Arcade games. Visually, the game rocks it with Unreal Engine 3.0 visuals that only show small signs of faltering during cut scenes. The game also features a superb soundtrack, from a heart-pounding action score to some haunting classical pieces that offset the mood in beautifully stunning ways.

  Reviewed on X360

  Read full review
• 

  Game Zone

  9.0

  Shadow Complex ends the Summer of Arcade on an unbelievable high note, delivering a retro-inspired romp that will thrill any gamer with a pulse. Does it have any flaws? Sure, as some of the elements might feel a bit too familiar to long time side-scrolling fanatics and the absence of cooperative play really stings the trigger fingers. But at only $15, Shadow Complex is an absolute must-buy, offering an experience that exceeds the quality found in most disk-based 360 releases.

  Reviewed on X360

  Read full review
• 

  Game Trailers

  8.8

  At 15 dollars, Shadow Complex is simply a tremendous value, especially in the doldrums of summer. The lackluster story, superfluous 3D forays, and routine combat amount to mere nitpicks. The urge to scour and uncover that fuels the game makes it hard to put it down once you've started. It may not be remarkable in the grand scheme, but it's well executed, and easily worth exploring.

  Reviewed on X360
• 

  GameSpot

  8.5

  By focusing on the core themes of exploration and high-intensity combat while treating you to lush graphics and multiplane complexity, Shadow Complex is an excellent current-generation take on a classic gaming genre. There are enough secrets hidden in the Progressive Restoration's massive underground facility to keep you going for hours on your first play-through, but with the four difficulty settings, competitive leaderboards, challenge rooms, clever achievements and bonus objectives, you won't want to leave it at that.

  Reviewed on X360

  Read full review
• 

  Hardcore Gamer

  9.0

  Shadow Complex is an incredibly solid game that could fetch $30-40 as a retail copy. While it isn’t the longest game out there (you should be able to complete the game in under 8 hours), the fact that it’s a mere $15 makes the game a must-buy for any 360 owner. With titles like Shadow Complex and Braid, XBLA has been quickly shifting from a place for retro ports to a showcase for some of the best indie and labor-of-love projects in the gaming industry.

  Reviewed on X360

  Read full review
• 

  Giant Bomb

  10

  Shadow Complex is an incredibly well-made game that finally grabs the " Metroidvania" subgenre and drags it into the modern era instead of relegating it to a land of remakes or portable games. Players that obsess over speed runs and 100 percent completion will certainly find a lot of replayability, but even players who just want to play a game start to finish and move on will find that the quality of Shadow Complex makes it well worth its $15 price tag.

  Reviewed on X360

  Read full review
• 

  IGN

  9.4

  Shadow Complex probably could have used a little more development time to iron out a few glitches and nail down the sometimes awkward aiming system. Even so, it stands as one of the best games yet in 2009. And I'm not just talking about the Xbox Live Arcade. The classic, exploration-heavy gameplay is a winner. Go buy this game.

  Reviewed on X360

  Read full review
• 

  Video Gamer

  9.0

  In short, Shadow Complex is a triumph, a new standard for downloadable games. It’s a game in the purest sense, but is as “next-gen” as any Xbox 360 owner could hope for. And at 1200 MS Points it’s an absolute bargain guaranteed to fill rival XBLA developers with fear. 2009 has already seen a raft of quality downloadable games, but Shadow Complex could well be the best.

  Reviewed on X360

  Read full review
• 

  Cheatcc

  9.0

  For a fifteen dollar arcade game, the production values are almost unbelievable. The graphics are great, the level design is fantastic, the gameplay is fun and involving, the sound effects and voice acting are well done, and the story is even interesting. It is nice to see such an impressive take on the old Metroid/Castlevania formula. Here's hoping we'll get more games in this series, as the Empire Trilogy of books continues to be released.

  Reviewed on X360

  Read full review

Community Reviews

About the game