Shadow Complex successfully puts a new spin on an old-school genre. I can't think of a better value in gaming today.
The game starts with an impromptu spelunking expedition with the main character, Jason, and a girl he met recently, Claire. As she gets ahead of him, Jason is left behind with only his flashlight. After some basic platforming to get you used to the game, Jason helplessly watches as Claire gets kidnapped by some heavily armored soldiers that drag her into a hidden underground base. Once inside, Jason quickly finds a gun and the game takes off from there. The story isn't nearly as in-depth as would be expected from a game based on a novel (in this case, the novel Empire and the upcoming Hidden Empire by Orson Scott Card). It isn't bad, just not as fleshed out as it could have been. For example, the game begins with the player controlling a military Colonel who is trying to foil a plot to assassinate the vice president. After this short sequence, you jump to Jason and the Colonel is never mentioned again. The game only makes a passing reference to the attack on the VP later on and there didn't appear to be any reason for this scene, although I have a feeling reading the books will explain more.
The controls are excellent for the most part and easy to master. The left joystick moves your character while the right joystick aims his current gun. With a little practice, you will quickly be mowing down enemies with ease, as long as they are on the same plane as you. While the movement all occurs in two dimensions, enemies can also be closer or further than the player's view of the hero. In these cases, it can sometimes be difficult to aim at them. The game seemed to have difficulty recognizing when I wanted to aim in the background. There aren't too many of these situations, so it is only a minor frustration. Otherwise, you will only die if the enemies were better shots than you, not because the controls were working against you.
As the game goes on, you will start to collect new guns and special weapons. The regular guns have unlimited ammo, although you do have to reload when the clip runs out. There are only five guns in the game and each new one is clearly better than the last. Once you get the next weapon, you cannot keep the last, which makes the game lack a bit of variety. The special weapons, which have a limited amount of ammo, are not only used in combat, but also unlocking new areas. Some passages can only be blown open with a grenade, while others only with a missile. Still others need the foam gun to open, while the rest can just be shot open with your gun. Each of these different passages look the same under normal circumstances, but shining your flashlight on them will reveal which weapon is needed to get inside. This allows you the freedom to explore everything you can get to without worrying about heading into an area that you aren't prepared for.
While technically the game consists of only one level (after the short introduction scene), it is a massive level with plenty of different areas. Running from one end to the other underground without stopping to fight would probably take about twenty to thirty minutes. There is a fairly heavily detailed map that helps you get around. It shows whether or not you have visited a room, where hidden items are (although not on higher difficulties), and the optimum path to your current goal. The path you are sent on from one objective to the next usually doesn't make you do any random wandering, but going back to previously off limit areas can take a while. The game could have benefited from some kind of teleport system, if only to get you from one side of the map to the other. there is a mine car that will take you across part of the map, but it is all the way at the bottom of the base that it would be just as quick as heading straight to your destination.
Each kill, item found, or new room earns you experience. With each level, a few of your characters stats are increased automatically. After each ten levels, special rewards are also given. There are fifty levels possible, but after the first playthrough, your character will probably only be around level twenty, encouraging multiple playthroughs. More experience can be earn by playing on higher difficulties, of which there are four to choose from. There are also over a hundred different items scattered around the massive underground base that not only increase your level, but earn you other rewards as well. While the game will probably take between six to eight hours to complete, there is plenty to keep you coming back.
The graphics are amazing for an Xbox Live game and would be pretty damn good even for a full priced, retail release. Character models, level design, explosion effects: all are top notch. All of the outdoor environments look beautiful. Some of the indoor locations sometimes get repetitive, but never look bad. While the game plays in two dimensions, everything is rendered in three. Performing a melee attack will zoom into your character while he performs an impressive looking takedown. While the story quickly become second to the action, the voice acting is great. The main character is voiced by Nolan North, of Uncharted fame. However, this is a double edged sword. While Mr. North is a brilliant voice actor, I couldn't help but think of Nathan from Uncharted through most of the cutscenes. There were also a notable graphical glitches that I ran into. Clipping into walls is a regular occurrence, especially when performing melee attacks. Occasionally, a door that was previously unlocked won't let you through, however returning later will allow you passage. There is even a glitch that allows you to play the whole game from the free demo, albeit without achievements and the option to save ( I have a feeling this one will be quickly rectified).
Shadow Complex successfully puts a new spin on an old-school genre. In my opinion, there is no better value in gaming today. This is easily the greatest game available on the Xbox Arcade to date and sets a new standard as to what we should expect from future releases.