Action, AdventureSystem:
Steam (also on Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox).
Developer| Publisher: Mechanical Studio Head | Yacht Club
GamesAge: EU 7+ | US EveryonePrice:
US $19.99 | UK £17.99 | EU €19
.99Release date:
January 26, 2021.
See the code provided largely by Yacht Club Games.
Ninjas and robots
Cyber Shadow is an 8-bit style platform game in which you are a cybernetic ninja on a quest to save your clan. Consider me convinced. It’s another game that shows its love for the good old retro times and adds modern improvements to the gameplay. At first glance, it’s a formula that has become very familiar in games over the years. But if you give Cyber Shadow your precious gaming attention, there is a lot to enjoy in this cyber ninja adventure.
I will avenge you.
The game’s plot seems to be along the lines of the 8-bit era of gaming. In the role of Shadow, a cyber-ninja, you leap and dash your way through futuristic levels to take down all sorts of cybernetic villains and mutants. The game is essentially a mix of sharp sword and platforming. From time to time you’ll be surprised by interesting gameplay features, such as driving and hacking in a rather unique ninja style.
Hacking is always better than a ninja.
Turn on the unit
You start the game with little energy, but that won’t last long. As you progress through the levels, defeat difficult bosses and take on the ninja challenge, you unlock different orbs. These give you new abilities, such as sprinting and different sword techniques. Using these abilities is worth the stamina. If you use them at the right time, you can make enemies and dangers much more bearable than if you just fought with your sword.
All of this is very brutal and absurd in retro style, and I found it very normal. There are a total of 10 levels, you end up in the same levels over and over again, only the layout has changed based on the actions you’ve done over the course of the game. For me, it was great to revisit the old levels with the character and defeat the enemies with much more finesse than when I started.
It’s time to clean up the robot mess.
The controls are pretty simple. With only two buttons and the D-control keyboard, it’s easy to get into the game, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be an easy walk. It’s fun to walk through the levels, taking down enemies with a few moves and dodging various hazards by jumping at the right time. The levels are surprisingly long, fortunately there are frequent controls. So if you need to stop, the game saves until the last checkpoint, so you don’t have to finish the level when real duty calls.
One of the hallmarks of my experience with the game was the simplicity of the soundtrack. A chiptune soundtrack that helped me through the levels, even when I kept dying. The only crime is that this soundtrack is not yet available for purchase on Steam.
Of course, there is a Cyber Dragon boss in the game.
A helping hand
This game has an interesting approach to difficulty. Throughout the levels, you frequently encounter checkpoints that also serve as hubs where you can exchange yellow points for bonuses that will help you if the game is a little too difficult for you. Bonuses include: recharging your health and stamina bar, or unlocking a temporary item like a small robot that follows you around and shoots laser beams. The best part is that if you die again and return to these checkpoints, you don’t have to invest points again, the effects are permanent. New bonuses are unlocked every time you have to reload at that particular checkpoint. Of course, it won’t be long before you find a new checkpoint and you may have to invest again. This is an interesting way to give the player the option to make the game easier or harder. But even with a normal difficulty level, the game can be a bit frustrating for some players.
Spider pits, my greatest enemy.
Ninja Nigger
I think my biggest annoyance so far is that Cyber-Shadow keeps hitting death pits or spikes in all levels. It also doesn’t help that the game often places the enemies in horrible places in the level, just out of your reach to hit them with your sword, and when you get hit, you stagger back into the pit to die instantly. That wasn’t funny on the NES, and it’s not funny to me today.
The problem with Cyber Shadow is that it is not the first 8-bit retro game to be released in recent years. Games with retro graphics and modern expansions are commonplace these days. The market is starting to get as bloated as the “Shooter Explosion” genre. Hell, Cyber Shadow isn’t even the only retro ninja game released recently.
The soundtrack is great!
Time for meditation
Cyber Shadow looks a little like the guy at the party you didn’t get to talk to because he fits in too well with all the other retro games, I mean partygoers. But if you take the time to talk to them, you get to know them. There’s a really fun game here.
Cyber-Shadow has a great soundtrack, a cyber-ninja aesthetic, and tight but ultimately enjoyable gameplay. The game is challenging, but not as challenging as you would expect from a PC controller.
If you have room in your life for another retro-inspired classic, Cyber Shadow will not disappoint.
Final decision: I really like it.
Here’s how:
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