Ninja Action Perfected
The first thing you are going to want to do before you start playing Cyber Shadow proper is sit back and take in its gorgeous sprite work. Seriously, take a moment and appreciate what is easily gaming’s most enduring – and endearing – aesthetic. Pixel art isn’t going away anytime soon and in Cyber Shadow, the art form has never looked better. After you’re through admiring the 8-bit goodness and start hacking and slashing through this retro-inspired platformer, you’ll quickly come to realize that Cyber Shadow is the only game with the word ‘cyber’ in its title that deserves your attention.
Developed over the last decade by Aarne “MekaSkull” Hunziker along with an assist by Yacht Club Games – the lovable developer that brought Shovel Knight into this world – Cyber Shadow is classically coded with the DNA of the Nintendo Entertainment System’s most iconic titles. Players take on the role of Shadow, a ninja who is awakened in a dark and oppressive world overrun by synthetic lifeforms. With his clan all but decimated and his master held prisoner by a mad scientist, Shadow sets out against the machine horde in hopes to avenge his fallen comrades and free Mekacity from Dr. Progen’s tyranny. At first glance Cyber Shadow might seem like nothing more than Ninja Gaiden with a futuristic twist, swapping out monsters for mechs. There is certainly nothing wrong with that but at its core, Shadow is exceedingly so much more than a reskinned Ryu. There are hints of Super Mario Bros. in the game’s level design, noticeable similarities to Castlevania and Contra in its enemy appearances and behaviors, and a bit of Mega Man and Shatterhand in Shadow’s upgrades and sword techniques. Even its dark color palette is akin to Sunsoft’s Batman: The Video Game (arguably one of the best Batman games ever created). All the right parts are in place for an unforgettable experience that is visibly pulsating with nostalgia.
A Well-Oiled Machine
Gameplay is a masterful evolution of the classic side-scrolling formula. Controls are configured exactly like an old-school NES game with your only concern being the ‘Attack Button’ and the ‘Jump Button’ – simple and effective. As a ninja, Shadow wields a blade that cuts through most enemies with ease. While this may be your only weapon throughout Shadow’s 2D adventure, you will eventually learn an entire host of techniques ranging from a downward stab à la Zelda II (and yes, you can ‘pogo’ across a strip of enemies), to an upward slash which spews three fiery projectiles. You also will learn innate ninja abilities like being able to throw destructive shuriken, wall-jump off of flat surfaces to enter areas that were previously beyond your reach, and deflect projectiles back with your blade. Most of these permanent upgrades expend ‘Spirit Points’ or ‘SP’, which is highlighted by a blue bar that sits underneath your red health bar. Your unlockable skills, while incredibly useful, are nowhere near as entertaining (and eye-catching) as the temporary power-ups you discover as you navigate the ravaged ruins of Mekacity.
Early on you will come across an item that extends your blade’s reach and damage which is pivotal for getting by with as little frustration as possible. Later on, an item – appropriately named ‘Swag Blade’ – attaches a spinning blade to Shadow and absolutely demolishes anything in its path. You’ll never get tired of watching this yo-yo like weapon bounce around and slaughter enemies before they even appear on-screen. It’s as mesmerizing as it is empowering. Further power-ups include a shield which can not only absorb projectiles but also fire a projectile at your enemies, and a Charge Blaster, an item which hovers around Shadow and fires off a shot whenever you press the ‘Attack Button’ and you can charge for a bigger bullet if you give it a second. Unlike your permanent upgrades, you will find these items either scattered throughout the world or at a Save Terminal via Item Synthesis – for a price (yes, enemies drop orange glowing currency thingies which you can spend to make your adventure a bit easier). You are going to need every bit of help you can get because as it turns out Cyber Shadow has got a bit of a challenge to it.
You might be asking yourself, as you hack and slash your way through scores of soon-to-be scrap metal, how could a game with infinite lives offer up any real challenge? All you have to do is make it to a Save Terminal and BAM! – instant checkpoint. You can even use these terminals to spend the aforementioned currency to synthesize power-ups, restore your health, and recover spirit, so again, where is the challenge? To put it plainly, Cyber Shadow can and will punish you without mercy. It just doesn’t look, feel, and sound like an NES platformer, it plays like one too – difficulty and all. Patience and precision are key when running through the burning hellscape of Mekacity. Don’t expect to mindlessly plow through enemies like it’s no big deal. The synthetic army is diverse and plentiful. From butterfly-like drones that drop eggs(?) (filled with smaller, more annoying butterfly-like drones), and spider-bots that leap all over the freakin’ place, to glowy-eyed turrets and pistol-wielding androids, there is a LOT to contend with. You won’t find checkpoints in close proximity either, so it will take all your skill to make it from one to another. Fortunately, Cyber Shadow handles like a high-performance machine. ‘Tight’ is the optimal word here as you effortlessly jump from narrow platform to narrow platform as you dodge a barrage of bullets and hack your foes to pieces. You’ll be grateful for such faultless accuracy as the game’s dozen-or-so boss fights will push your skills to the absolute breaking point. From small-scale, measured encounters with higher-ups in Dr. Progen’s synthetic army to screen-filling dragon-mechs and goliath-sized robots, each boss fight is an experience like no other. Prepare to die. A lot. No matter how often you’ll have to regroup and rethink your approach however, one thing will not change: every bit of it looks and sounds incredible.
If Looks Could Kill…
There really aren’t enough good things you can say about Cyber Shadow’s graphics. Its detailed, hand-crafted sprites are a thing of beauty. Thanks to the power afforded by modern hardware, Shadow, his adversaries, and the world around them are insanely detailed. Characters move with an almost haunting amount of realism and fluid animation. Robot parts crunched and meshed into the background of Mekacity tell the grim tale of the city’s downfall with vibrant horror. Post-industrialized zones and underground research labs offer a hint of the world’s hopeful past as its ghastly future unravels before you. Particle effects dazzle as vents that emit damaging columns of steam, enemies that are sent crashing into a body of water, and cherry blossoms that softly flutter across the screen stand as a testament to the 10 years that went into making Cyber Shadow as graphically polished as possible. The attention to detail is masterclass as multi-layered parallax backgrounds make the 8-bit world feel as real as any of its 3D counterparts. The same too can be said for its score. Cyber Shadow has got one of the best chiptune soundtracks to ever grace the medium. Full. Stop. It’s moody and atmospheric in just the right places, and builds and crescendos at the exact moment when it needs to. It’s despotic clangs and apocalyptic melodies will excite you throughout the course if this 6-8 hour adventure. The standout tracks are the ones that play during the game’s multitude of thrilling boss fights. Each note has been painstakingly chosen to get the blood flowing and get you pumped for the challenge ahead. A game like Cyber Shadow either lives or dies by the strength of its soundtrack and composer Pentadrangle nailed it.
Robust Robo-drama
Design-wise, Cyber Shadow has a lot going on. In terms of its layout and presentation, it feels a bit like metroid-vania lite. The map is split into a number stages each with their own secrets and side areas to uncover. If you want to 100% each area you’ll need to do a bit of backtracking and use your newly acquired abilities to get to places that were previously blocked off. It’s worth the effort though as these secret areas house relics that increase both your health and spirit meters. You may even stumble across an easter egg or two and find yourself grinning like an idiot. As for the stages themselves, each one is unique and features a startling amount of personality with their own distinct set of enemies. One section has you maneuvering through a destroyed interior while giant mechanical bores plunge into the ground and create gaping pitfalls. Another area takes place within a sewer that is overrun with waterfalls and electrified platforms. And another has a giant laser beam that constantly fires at you and is capable of ending your run in the blink of an eye. There’s even a high-speed motorcycle sequence that will blow your mind. Cyber Shadow is also surprisingly story-driven, and tells an engaging narrative complete with cutscenes full of dark and twisted imagery. Without giving away too much, the story will catch you off guard. It’s a harrowing tale of mysticism meets machinery and tackles themes of transcendence, what it means to be human, and – of course – dragons. Suffice it to say things go completely bonkers at a certain point and it would be a great disservice to spoil any of the robo-drama. For that reason this review is only showing portions from the first half(ish) of the game. You’re welcome.
An Amazing Must-Have Experience
2021 just got here and Cyber Shadow is without a doubt the first must-have title of the year. It is authentic 8-bit fun. It is ninja action, perfected. It is an homage to the NES’ greatest hits and yet different enough to forge its own identity. It not only borrows from the best platformers – it is one of the best platformers.
A review key was provided by Yacht Club Games for the PlayStation 4.
