Shadow Complex does almost nothing original, but almost everything right
Cons: Aiming has its quirks; Plot isn't particularly great; Has to be one of the most derivative products available
Shadow Complex surprised me. As a gamer who seeks innovation wherever possible, there seemed to be no way that I would like it as much as I did. And yet, in exchange for not doing anything new, Shadow Complex has taken the lessons learned by other games and created a game that's good by professional standards-and they've released it on Xbox Live Arcade.
After playing a short introduction scene you are introduced to Jason Fleming (that is you) and Claire, who have gone spelunking in caves. Within moments they have discovered a secret underground base and Claire is kidnapped, leaving it up to you to rescue her. Although certainly Shadow Complex has integrated its plot better than games such as Metroid before it, it nonetheless never seems to take hold and you will quickly disregard it anyway.
Part of this has to do with the fact that Jason Fleming is a generic Nathan Drake-esque character who lacks a true personality and the base is also fairly generic, even as you travel through various areas (you know, the hallways, the forest, the production facility; the typical places). As a whole, the game lacks any true innovation (save for minor details in its combat system, more on that later) and is content to blatantly rip from everywhere.
However, bar the story, that's not necessarily a bad thing. What remains here is a very satisfying Metroid/Castlevania style platformer/exploration combo. For those who have never played either of those series, the idea is basic (but addicting): you go to one area (here defined by a simple waypoint system) and along the way you may notice locations just out of reach. Once you reach your location, you will most likely receive a new item and must repeat the process, likely backtracking a bit on the way. However, with that new item you are able to visit those previously out-of-reach areas and find one of many, many secrets. Slowly, but surely, the explorative player will find their way to every corner of the base.
Of course, no action game is complete without enemies, and combat in Shadow Complex is also extremely engaging. Instead of just going for a run-and-gun approach like almost every other 2-D platformer out there, Shadow Complex rewards taking cover and thus makes the combat (which is still pretty quick), much more interesting and challenging. Although the basis of the combat is 2-D where you have to aim your gun anywhere in 360 degrees, the game adds the 3rd dimension and enemies frequently appear in the background and foreground. Here the game automatically aims forward or backward and you just have to nail the height (although the aiming system doesn't always work perfectly, a quirk you just get used to). To top it all off you have a (few) bosses that add extra strategic twists and are some of the most fun parts of the game.
So what you essentially get is a short open-ended Metroid/Castlevania style experience which most people would complete again once or twice anyway; not too shabby for an Xbox Live Arcade game. Apparently Chair, however, thought that it needed more content. So you also have achievements and master challenges that task you with everything from collecting everything to collecting nothing to speedrunning a more. Then there's a level-up system which carries over between each playthrough (you won't reach the highest level on one playthrough alone. Oh, and there's an achievement for reaching it), competitive leaderboards with notifications on your progress, multiple difficulties, extra stages to test your non-exploration skills, and even some extremely well-hidden secrets that I dare you to find without looking them up online. All for $15.
Equally remarkable are the game's graphics, which put some pretty good use to the Unreal Engine. The game's lack of originality is disappointing, sure, but the detail is there and the game runs smooth. But really, this is just the cherry on top of what is a really well-put together package, and even if it looked like crap it would still be a must-have for any Xbox Live Arcade gamer.