![]() ![]() It also has integer fullscreen if you want those truly accurate graphics. For those that want a more retro look though, the game does offer CRT filters. It also ran perfectly at 1440p and 144 fps, really giving those pixels the modern look. It does this with a bit of a modern touch though, mainly through its parallax backgrounds and much smoother animations than what you would find in an NES game. The sprites are nicely done, the color choices are solid, and the backgrounds are surprisingly detailed given the limitations of the aesthetic. As someone that has played a lot from that era, I can definitely say that this would be one of the better-looking ones. As with the game design, Cyber Shadow takes on that classic NES-era look, with pixel graphics and all. I personally found it pretty boring and an interruption to the otherwise solid gameplay, but it is there for those interested, just don’t expect anything too spectacular.Īnd of course, it would be wrong to close out the review without mentioning the art and music. As the game goes on, it leans more and more on those scattered notes and logs to tell the story, which was a bit disappointing, but again, there’s only so much you can do with an NES aesthetic like this. It’s told mainly in text-based cutscenes, but also through character dialogue and notes scattered about the levels. It isn’t just straight gameplay though, there is actually a pretty sizeable story here. Outside of that achievement hunting though, there really isn’t any replayability, it’s a fairly straightforward game. That doesn’t include 100% completion though, which will likely take much longer given that several of those achievements require you to do stuff like “kill this boss without using your sword” or “reach this area without killing any enemies.” The game has a touch of metroidvania to it in that you can go back to previous levels and explore them using your new abilities, which in turn allows you to reach previously unreachable secret areas. The game isn’t entirely evil though, there are checkpoints offered throughout and you don’t have to restart the entire game like a lot of the NES classics had you do.įor those wondering about the length, the devs placed it at 4-10 hours and I can confirm this as it took me 6 hours to clear. This all culminates at the final boss, easily the hardest part of the game for me, but a satisfying sendoff once I finally managed to beat it. At that point, I was getting absolutely slapped by certain rooms, some of which don’t even look that difficult on the surface until you’ve actually played them. I was actually tricked at first, because I was breezing through the first third or so of the game and was like “is this really it?” only for that difficulty to steadily ramp up as the game went on and reach very high levels by the end of it. ![]() ![]() That brings me to the difficulty, as this is anything but an easy game. Ranged, melee, divebombing, there’s a good amount there and definitely enough that at least one will bring you pain whenever you see it. This same kind of variety can be seen with the enemies too. The level design in general though has some nice variety to it, taking you from a city overrun by robots to the depths of a reactor and then back to the docks for a fight on top of the water.Įach of these comes with their own matching boss fight, fights that are both challenging and unique in their own way. The permanent health upgrades, for example, are just one of the things that can be found in these secret areas. Hidden walls, secret rooms, and even Mario-style out of level paths, the game has a good amount of hidden stuff to find. This same style of progression can be seen with the movement, such as the unlockable dash attack and wall slide that not only help with combat, but with exploration as well.Īnd on the topic of that exploration, there’s a nice of touch of it to the level design. That may not sound like a lot, but using all of these effectively can take some getting used to, at which point the combat really shines. You start out with just your basic attack, but eventually get ranged attacks, rising attacks, airstrikes, and even parries. It is simple, but it is fast, polished, and incredibly satisfying, especially once you’ve got all of the abilities to work with. The overall combat has a similar feel to it. For example, you’re not locked into a direction when jumping – you can freely move around when in the air and even do dash attacks back and forth without touching the ground. However, it loses that NES stiffness in the process, offering some more responsive controls and movement. Not just with Ninja Gaiden, but with NES game design in general, pulling from other classics like Mega Man and even a bit of Castlevania. So right off the bat, the inspiration behind Cyber Shadow is very clear.
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