While not without its moments, Shadow Complex relies too heavily on nostalgia.
First, the good stuff: Probing every dark corner of the underground facility to find upgrades is everything it's cracked up to be. I went in expecting to be frustrated at having to backtrack whenever I got a new item that would open a previously unexplorable area. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the game does a pretty good job of guiding you back through areas you have yet to explore on your way to the next objective. Hunting down upgrades and hidden items is simple (if not always easy) and satisfying.
The artwork is also pretty good, considering the price you're paying. Just don't look too closely at the character animations during the cinematics.
Now the bad: The controls are terrible. When you find yourself in a pool of electrified water and there is nothing you want more in the whole world than to GET OUT, you find yourself mashing on your controller in vain while you watch your health counter rapidly drain away. And don't even get me started on trying to navigate a T-intersection while crawling through the ducts. You will almost always end up going the wrong way on the first try.
All too often there will be instant-death traps that are hidden off-screen. You won't even see them until you've stepped on a conveyer belt and been whisked away into the jaws of fiery death. And even once you know where the traps are, there is no guarantee that you will be able to avoid them because of the aforementioned difficult controls.
Finally, it's not always clear what you have to do. There is a helpful blue line on the map that leads you to your next objective, and that's simple enough. The problems arise when you have to fight a boss with a very specific weakness, and you are given a completely useless tip. There is one boss with an energy-shield, and you are advised to get on the giant robot in order to deactivate said shield. Nothing is said about how you are supposed to get on. Every time I tried to do as instructed, I was either electricuted, stomped on or blown up. I eventually just fired enough bullets that the boss died regardless of its shield.
If you're the kind of person who likes to have a big space to run around in and explore, and you aren't too concerned about difficult controls, unfair deaths and confusing boss fights, consider this a recommendation. If these things sound terrible, you've been warned.