It’s definitely doable, but sometimes it felt more like luck had a role in defeating some bosses and platforming more than anything I was doing differently control-wise. The major nitpick I had were late-game stages do border on being close to unfair with their difficulty. I kind of wish more of those elements were sprinkled throughout, but regardless they were definitely memorable sections.Īrt and music design are fantastic and suit the 8-bit era that Cyber Shadow emulates and the atmosphere of the overall tech inspiration of its world. These completely change up your gameplay and took me by surprise. In a later section of the game, you get to ride a motorcycle and control a mech suit. Many make an already punishingly tricky game even more insane, but they are enjoyable to take on.Ĭyber Shadow’s level designs are exceptional and well-paced. For those that are genuinely looking for a challenge and additional content, there are several feats you can tackle. I often felt like I reached the peak of my abilities during these fights, but with a bit of persistence and memorization of tells I was eventually able to overcome.īased on Cyber Shadow’s influence, I wasn’t expecting a very long game but was pleasantly surprised at the 6 to 7 hours it took for me to complete the main game. Late game bosses are massive and stand out both design-wise and from an overall gameplay standpoint.

Out of its ten levels, there are usually two bosses for each stage. One of Cyber Shadow’s most impressive sections is its numerous bosses. These are all optional, so you can make the area more or less difficult for yourself depending on how you wish to play. Save stations also serve as a store where money can purchase health and item restoration or temporary upgrades. It makes clearing sections rewarding, though, when you finally make it to that next save. Savepoints can feel generous some moments and feel a world away in trickier areas. Luckily, you have infinite lives, so you get a chance to try again and again. Several enemies require a bit of familiarity and strategy to take out, and with many enemies on screen at once, Cyber Shadow asks you to think and move quickly. They may seem deceptively avoidable but add in noticeable kickback when hit by enemies, making platforming a lot more precarious.Įnemies and projectiles swarm the screen, compounding precision platforming. Lava, spikes, and other instakills cover levels. After these initial early stages, though, the difficulty ramps up.Īrguably some of Cyber Shadow’s most significant challenges come in its instant death pitfalls. I can see where diehard platformers may find upgrades turning early levels into a cakewalk, but there are still plenty of challenges to be had even with these handicaps for the average player. On early levels, I managed to keep some of the upgrades until bosses which made the encounter infinitely easier. These extend your blade range or give you a shield to deflect long-range weapons and last as long as you aren’t hit three times. There are also temporary blade upgrades that can be game-changers. It’s risky and requires you to time the d-pad perfectly with the oncoming bullet, but it is incredibly satisfying when you get it right. One of the standout techniques is the bullet deflect, which not only stops projectiles coming your way but can actually send them back at your enemies. Other moves like the double jump, wall-glide, and dash are unlimited to use. This forces you to use them sparingly, which makes sense given the range and power some of the moves inflict. Offensive special moves are limited and must be refilled by blue gems from item drops. The same can be said for the other moves in the game, where your skills seem to evolve alongside Shadows. This only took some getting used to on my end and did add to the originality of the adventure. It’s not totally out of line with the era of games it’s emulating, but I was thrown off by the lack of the action when compared to a particular other ninja game on the NES. The trade-off is there is a slight lack of maneuverability, like crouching, which forces you to jump and move more to avoid obstacles.

Cyber shadow release date