If you grew up in the nineties, then, with a certain degree of probability, you could come across a yellow cartridge with the strange name “NINJA RYUKENDN”… There is clearly one letter missing… So, this is one of the parts of the trilogy from the NES console, known to the general public under the name NINJA GAIDEN. It is with it that a player who first launched the object of today’s review may have associations. I won’t lie if I claim that compared to its predecessor from 1988, CYBER SHADOW looks more advantageous.
This action platformer about a war shinobi with a mysterious past who, by the will of fate, became a cyborg. At the beginning, only his name is revealed to us – Shadow. After a powerful explosion in the city of Mekacity, he is awakened from suspended animation in an underground laboratory and baptized as the last hope for saving his clan and, possibly, the whole world. This is how the game begins, made, by the way, by the Mechanical Head studio.
Despite the simple graphics, CYBER SHADOW has quite strong visuals. Here, lost urbanism is intertwined with futuristic machinery and ancient temples, forming its own special style. The overall positive impression is complemented by excellent music that emphasizes the gameplay. I want to listen to some compositions outside the game, they are so pleasant to the ear. Here it’s time to start talking about what a wonderful job the talented composers have done, but let’s get back to the point!
Greater in gameplay emphasis is placed exactly on platforming. Something like this is to be expected from a game about a cyber ninja, rushing through levels at near-supersonic speed and turning enemies into metal shavings. However, you are not given this opportunity right away. At first, a fairly limited set of moves will be available: jump, hit and regular run. Because of this, the pace is not so fast, and the game indicates a careful and thoughtful approach to the passage. This is what you need mastered the basics. Then, from level to level, the difficulty will begin to increase. Largely due to the opening of new techniques and skills that consume the local analogue of mana. They become available after defeating bosses, or upon completion of tests in clan sanctuaries.
There is no point in analyzing all the abilities in detail, so I will focus on the key ones:
hit in the fall, after it, the Shadow is pushed away from the enemy and continues to be in the air. This technique is associated with gameplay sections where you need to jump “over the heads” of enemies from point to point. Later, when the double jump becomes available, the sections will be more complex and challenging;
wall sliding helps to stay on horizontal surfaces for some time and, if necessary, move up/down on them. Due to the fact that you are constantly moving, you have to coordinate the character’s position relative to dangerous traps on the wall and attacking opponents around. While on the wall, you can attack by throwing shurikens or slashing with a sword;
parry allows you to redirect https://casinostuen.co.uk/withdrawal/ incoming projectiles back to enemies. This is done by pressing the forward button and then attack. It is used in a wide variety of situations: those where you need to get rid of a annoying enemy or destroy a barricade that has pinned you down with fire. In addition, you can parry from any position – in the air, standing on the ground or hanging on a wall, which further expands your ability to defend and counterattack;
last and, in my opinion, key – sprint. Using sprint, you can take a running start for a greater jump range, avoid damage, and through sprint you can dash with a sword strike. The dash not only deals damage, but also teleports you a short distance and gives you invulnerability frames. This is a huge help in space control, adding more dynamics to your playstyle. You can literally fly through the level like a real ninja master and with one fatal blow cut down your opponents like a bamboo grove.
Moreover, the sprint can be hung on a separate button. It will be triggered when it is pressed once while moving forward. And the triggering of the sprint on the command “forward-forward” can be completely disabled in the options. In general the management is quite Flexibly customizable for yourself. This is a very important point in games where you are required to have the highest character control skill possible. And CYBER SHADOW gives such an opportunity.
Most of the previously described mechanics serve as a complex both for moving in space and for destroying adversaries. In most situations, one is inextricably linked with the other, which increases the demands on your character control skills. And the more skills the main character learns, the more demand will be placed on you. In other words the player trains with Shadow, which promotes greater involvement and immersion in the gameplay. If during your next hack you forget about the boiling kettle in the kitchen, then the game designer is not in vain eating his rations.
Often level design of a level can be more of a challenge than the boss at the end. I don’t think that such a balance imbalance is something appropriate. Because of it, bosses are less memorable and the emotions of defeating them fade. Although the leaders are executed very decently. You are interested in studying the pattern of their behavior and coming up with the necessary battle strategy.
It should be noted that complex and simple stages at levels alternate. This partly compensates for shortcomings in balance and the passage does not tire you out much.
A controversial mechanic, in my opinion, was the repulsion effect after an enemy attack hits you. An element typical of old games like NINJA GAIDEN. When you encounter him for the first time somewhere on a narrow platform and fly into the abyss, you will most likely decide that the game is being unfair towards you. Perhaps having a choice of difficulty level, with an option to disable this mechanic, would help correct the situation.
But here there is another minus. From time to time situations arise when you need to go down, but you can’t see the platform below you. Jumping into the unknown is dangerous, since below there may be a pit with spikes that kills you instantly or a bottomless abyss, from where you can only return to a checkpoint. The ability to lower the camera and look down would be useful here. But she’s not there. Although the gamepad has a free right stick and several unused buttons. Apparently, the developers believed that the player would use wall sliding to scout out what was below. I should note: this is a kind of solution for this problem. Moreover, sliding opens closer to the middle of the game.
But let’s switch from the negatives to something positive. For example, a good decision was to introduce CYBER SHADOW into the territory metroidvania. That is, the levels here are connected in a certain chain. You can return to them to get items that will become available after receiving new abilities that allow you to reach them. Another characteristic detail for metroidvanias will be shortcuts to checkpoints, which open after passing difficult sections. Well, the third feature will be levels divided into stages, where the stages, in turn, are divided into rooms. When returning to the previous room or save point, enemies are reborn. This imposes certain difficulties if you need to heal, but also opens up the possibility of farming local currency. More about her later.
In each level, a set of obstacles forms a puzzle to which you must find a solution. An illustrative example would be the stage where you cannot touch the laser beams, otherwise the security system will work, the turrets will be activated and opponents will start chasing you throughout the room. This approach tips the scales of balance even more in a positive direction and every time makes the brain work differently.
Will help increase the range of solutions for these problems gadgets And additional weapon. I will not describe each type in detail, there are quite a lot of them, but in general terms I will indicate that they can restore the local analogue of mana, increase the range of attacks with a sword, fire at the enemy or absorb enemy projectiles. This whole thing can be bought at checkpoints for local currency, dropped from opponents and scattered throughout the levels.
Each checkpoint is assigned one specific gadget, and the next stage, with a high degree of probability, will be built on its use. This makes the passage much easier and forces you to act in a new way, inventing new approaches for difficult gameplay situations. But the choice to take advantage of this opportunity or look for your own way of passing remains yours.
Fortunately, you don’t need to get rid of all enemies; the game allows you to reach your goal by deftly maneuvering between them. This will save you time, but only if you were able to become one with the character.
What makes CYBER SHADOW a niche game for those who love challenges, tricky level design and are willing to put up with some archaic decisions. It will likely bore the average player. In my opinion, it would be the right decision to add difficulty levels that reduce the number of enemies, simplify the attack patterns of some bosses and remove the effect of pushing you away after missing damage. This would help expand the potential audience. Game-That good and the more people get acquainted with it, the better.
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