Simple and fun. But its potential is not being used at all.
For many, the graphics can look out dated. I don't think in this way, mainly after see how the volumetric lights and shadows work very well here. In truth, its engine fits very well Shadowgrounds. Also, the game uses the PhysX, making the explosions very fun, with objects and pieces of aliens flying to every where!! In a realistic form, of course... The blood could be a little better and the animation of the aliens too (and the "modelation" of the characters, they're so ugly...).
But the level of tweak of this game is huge. The game give you many options to make the right configurations to your pc. Not only in the graphics, but the sound and the physics that will be used (if physX will be enable or not, or if you want to use the dual core processing to emulate the physics).
Even all the nine stages of SG Survivor being so short, the game don't give you any second of peace! Every time, you'll have waves of enemies surrounding you or, at least, you'll have to pass through a wave of them, even if you need to use a mech to pass!
The game have secrets too, and they unlock some new options and special features of the game, like super physics mode or to play all in black and white or even to start the game with all weapons and upgrades unlocked.
Along the stages, you'll control three characters, and each one have its own abilities, special moves and weapons. But, for use these abilities, you have to find and collect the "Special Upgrades". To unlock some of these abilities, you'll have to collect certain quantity of "Special Upgrades" pieces. But you can't choose any of them from the beginning. You have to unlock them by gaining experience and raising levels. In this way, each level you win you unlock some ability that can be unlocked using the "Special Upgrades" pieces. In the same way for the weapons. But, instead of "Special Upgrades", you have the "Weapons Upgrades" pieces.
So, each weapon have its own upgrades and secondary fire mode (that you'll have to unlock and upgrade too). Also, depending of what weapon you're using, the camera will zoom in or out. If you use the railgun rifle (used by Sniper), the camera will zoom out for the maximum, while if you use the flamethrower (used by Napalm), you'll get a maximum zoom in. And you can use grenades too, that, depending in what character you're using, it will change. Marine uses the frag grenade, Napalm uses the smoke grenade and Sniper uses the stun grenade. They can also gain a upgrade too.
The history is extremely simple, and only exists to really say that the game have one. It's more like a complement for the first Shadowground. The history isn't the element that will hold you for play this game, but the action will.
The game is really short, but it came with a nice co-op mode, where two or more players can play in the same computer. I don't know if is true, but, in another review, I read that is possible to use two mice and two keyboards. I don't have any of them to test now.. but I'll do it later and, if is true, I'll put here. Also, there's a Survival mode too, where you have to survive at all costs, until your character die. You don't gain level in this mode, is more like a arcade mode. But the game gives, to start, a few Special and Weapon Updates, and you can collect more through the surviving.
Unfortunately, even with a cooperative mode, Shadowgrounds Survivor don't have a multiplayer mode. It's because of that, I give to this game a low score (for me, this game easily deserves the 8). But, for a game like this, miss the multiplayer mode, even in Lan, is a very bad fault with the players.
So, the game is short, very fun, but no multiplayer! I think that SG would be a great console game. At least, SG gives a nice support for mod's.
For me, Shadowgrounds have a lot to grow yet, and needs a lot of polishing. Not that is bad, is a great game, with a lot of potential, but this potential isn't being used at all. The game is very simple, old-school at heart, simple and fun.
More positive points:
- Sound effects;
- Sound track;
- Plasma Rifle;
- Sniper counting the kills.
Some other negative points:
- Voices;
- Replay value could be A LOT better.