Topic: Shadow Complex

[Cobra951]

Freaking spectacular.  Go read what some of these folks have to say.  I'm so tired I can't be coherent right now.  The game was so hard to put down I stayed up till 4:30 AM.  Must get sleep.

[MysterD]

I so hope Epic brings this to the PC -- via Steam or preferably Impulse. 
My 360 controller awaits it to be ported...

[Cobra951]

I hate the word "Metroidvania", but I can see why it's being used so often.  The play is very much Super Metroid, with recent 2D Castlevania RPG-ish influences as well.  The world and characters are very detailed 3D.  It's just the motion path that's restricted to 2D as in the inspiring games.  This is disconcerting at first.  Example, you see spiral staircases, but you can't use them.  You have to hop from ledge to ledge on them instead.  Enemies can come at you from any direction, and it seems that since you're stuck on this plane, you can't shoot them.  But the game handles that by completely autoaiming along the Z axis.  You just have to handle X & Y.

It takes a while to get really good.  There's a lot to find which ups the freedom and fun factor.  A few things bug me.  There seems to be no way to aim diagonally without moving.  Missile obstacles are sometimes too close to shoot without you taking damage.  I'm having a hell of a time aiming underwater.  (This may just be me.)  Some hitching can skip a lot of frames, though this is very rare, and seems isolated to a few spots (streaming transitions?).  Other than that, it plays beautifully and looks amazing.  I love the "Lucent" visual setting in this engine.  Well done, Chair & Epic.

[Quemaqua]

I love these kinds of games like crazy, but for some reason nothing can get me excited about this one.  I guess that's probably because it's a 360 title that I can't get, with probably 0% chance of hitting PS3.  It's probably a good bet it'll see a PC release, but then only as a download.  I don't know.  I just can't seem to bring myself to care.

Same with the Death Note anime.  I feel like it's something I'd enjoy and should really have some desire to see, yet for some reason I can't seem to get interested.

[sirean_syan]

I actually bought a 360 a few weeks ago with the intention of this being my first game. I've finished twice now and found 100% of them items. While there is a bit more I can do, I don't think I'm hardcore enough to try and beat the game in 2.5 hours while finding everything.

But yeah, the game is pretty much fantastic in all the ways these game can bet. There could have been more bosses and such, but the layout of the base is great and the upgrades are completely awesome.

Oh, Cobra, did you know you can aim with the second analog stick? It helps a lot in water situations... and pretty much everywhere.

[iPPi]

Yea it looks pretty damn good.  I was thinking about getting it.

[MysterD]

It's probably a good bet it'll see a PC release, but then only as a download. 

I hope so.

Do you have any idea if Epic or Chair said anything in the past about bringing it to the PC in past interviews? Or if they said anything recently?

[W7RE]

Oh, Cobra, did you know you can aim with the second analog stick? It helps a lot in water situations... and pretty much everywhere.

Yea, using the right analog stick to aim allows you to aim in any direction without moving, or even fire in the opposite of the direction you're moving. If you aim your laser sight so that it overlaps someone in the background, your aim automatically adjusts along the Z axis, allowing you to shoot people in the background. To me these are some of the more fun and interesting combat situations.

As mentioned already, some of the environments are weird just because of the restriction of 2D movement. There are sets of staircases where you'll walk up one flight, but the next flight is in the background so you have to jump/wall jump/double jump to get past it, instead of just walking up the next flight of stairs. Not really annoying, but it caught me off guard a few times.

This is one of those games that just have fun action. In so many games I'm playing to get to the next level, or to get to the end (maybe I'm playingm the wrong games? lol). In Shadow Complex, I find myself playing just because the combat is so fun. I think I even suicided once or twice just to reset to my last save and play a section again. A lot of games give me a certain satisfaction when I beat them. With Shadow Complex, I was a little disappointed because I accidentally stumbled across the ending. I thought I was just doing another cool sequence, but that was the end of the game.

[Cobra951]

Yea, using the right analog stick to aim allows you to aim in any direction without moving, or even fire in the opposite of the direction you're moving.

Ah, shit.  D'OH!  Thanks, guys.  I'm past rescuing Claire now, and the world seems ripe for random exploration.  This will help.  (RTFM!)

[Cobra951]

Here's a terrific interview with Donald Mustard.  This guy thinks very much like I do.  Great read.

For Shadow Complex to be its optimal design -- it's a side-scroller. Then sweet, be a side-scroller and embrace what that genre has to offer and just kind of move it forward. Super Metroid, to me, is the pinnacle of 2D game design, and there's no reason we shouldn't be pushing that pinnacle forward and see what else we can do with it.

I finished the game with all items.  And of course, I immediately started a new one at the next difficulty level.  Experience carries over, and so does one particular bonus.  I hope we see sequels.  Mustard wants to make one.  I guess it all depends on reception and sales, which so far seem pretty good.

[beo]

got this yesterday and i love it. if you're a fan of metroid (who isn't?) and you've got a 360, there's no excuse not to own this. i love the throwback gameplay, and would definitely love to see more of the same. far and away the best 360 arcade game i've experienced.

[Cobra951]

I played this to death.  I felt sadness when I could no longer find reasons to replay it.  It's a good thing too, since my 360 is going to fail anytime now.  It crashes consistently in the Batman Arkham Asylum and Brutal Legend demos, within like 10 minutes.  I'm not going to try to hurry it along to the inevitable RRoD either.  Fuck it.  If things pick up for me financially, I may get whatever revision is most touted as RRoD-resistant then.  In the meantime, I have better things to do with my life, and this is probably a blessing in disguise.

[beo]

well if you did need a reason to get your 360 fixed, i've just beaten your speedrun by 21 minutes. 

[Cobra951]

Ahaha!  That wasn't meant as a speedrun, but as a minimalist run.  I finished with 11% items (and got the achievement).

[beo]

damn you! well if that was meant as a minimalist run, i managed it with 4% - so there! foam towers / bridges ftw. 

[W7RE]

Shadow Complex is $10 this week (normally $15).

[iPPi]

Dammit I might have to bite and buy it.

[Pugnate]

Any chance this will come to PSN?

[iPPi]

Shadow Complex was published by Microsoft and developed by Epic Games.  I'd say the chances are pretty slim.

[Pugnate]

hah!

[Xessive]

Microsoft didn't even bring it to PC. Although that could have been Epic's doing.

[iPPi]

Shadow Complex is $10 this week (normally $15).

I logged in today intending to take advantage of this deal... but it is only for Gold members.  Oh well, I get to spend my money elsewhere.

[Quemaqua]

Heh.  "We'll give you these games cheaper if you give us money for the stuff other companies give you for free."  Makes sense.

[Pugnate]

I logged in today intending to take advantage of this deal... but it is only for Gold members.  Oh well, I get to spend my money elsewhere.

haha that's b.s.

[scottws]

Actually, this is exactly the sort of thing I was calling for when I was a Gold member.  Just having the privilege to play online multiplayer was not worth a Gold membership.

[Quemaqua]

But isn't making people pay for discounts entirely artificial?  Granted, it's nice for people who are already members, but it still strikes me as an artificial benefit to convince people to pay for something they should be able to do for free.

[Pugnate]

I can see what Scottws is saying that being a gold member should have privileges etc, but this is something they suddenly started to do... I mean the discounts were for everyone before, right? So it feels a little slapped on, or artificial like Que says.

But I can definitely see what Scottws is saying about Gold members having privileges. Trouble is that these privileges aren't new created ones, but just turned into features by snatching them away from regular users.

 

[iPPi]

The list is growing on what Gold members can do nowadays anyway.  Basically the Silver members only get to 'be online' and purchase content.

Aside from early demos and online multiplayer, the 1vs100 Live Gameshow with prizes is limited to Gold members, as is Facebook and Twitter access.  I think there are other features as well.

In the end though none of it is compelling enough to shell out $5/month (if you buy an annual membership, otherwise it's $9/month), especially since it has shoddy hardware, along with the fact that I now own a PS3 and getting the same level of service for free.