Shmadow - Not A TypoShmadow is a 2D shooter that's based entirely on the concept of light shining through darkness. It's featured on Steam, and carries a very low price tag. The way the game works is that you're a ball of light, and light emits from the pellets you shoot, as well as yourself. Everything else is shrouded in darkness, and there are also little balls of darkness that fly past from one direction that harm you. You can fire in any given direction, as well as maneuver across the entire game screen, as the game is based on dodging while focusing your fire where it need be. Anyway, on to the review!
Graphics 6/10 -- The Graphics presented are extremely simplistic, but I do love the concept behind them. Shading is a huge factor in the visuals here, as light vs darkness seems to be the general theme of the game. Not only do you and your ammo emit light, but to a lesser degree the opposing blobs of darkness also emit your counterpart. As you take damage, the ball of light that you are will shrink a little with each hit, resulting in less light being emitted. Boss enemies and their shots fired take on a solid color such as Red, Yellow, or Purple, and can be seen over the darkness entirely. Although the style is very basic, the presentation at the very least deserves some praise. I'm giving the Graphics a 6/10.
Sound 4/10 -- Sadly, this area of the game is quite lacking. There are virtually no sound effects whatsoever. Be it the shooting, destroying an enemy, or a boss' actions, none of them have any sound to indicate it is taking place. On the bright side, the game does feature music. Sadly, it's only one track that plays on repeat. To be fair, it's a very long track that doesn't eat away at your sanity or anything like that, but the lack of variety is definitely a down-side. Ideally, it's best to either have the music playing softly in the background, or just listen to some thing of your choosing from external sources while playing the game. The lack of Sound gives this game a 4/10.
Addictiveness 7/10 -- Here is one of the areas where the game can really shine. I found it hard to believe such a simple concept could be so addictive, but it was. The game features Leader boards, allowing you to compete both locally and online for high scores, which is a plus in my book. The game is essentially never ending, allowing you to fight on until your inevitable demise. You only start with so many lives, and can gain one more every time you earn a certain amount of points. The bosses come in all different varieties, wielding shields, launching different patterns and types of projectiles, and even sporting lasers that rotate clockwise around their body when fired. Learning to balance your offense and defense is key, as you must not only avoid the countless blobs of darkness hurdling at you, but also the bosses' attacks. I found this game thoroughly enjoyable, earning the Addictiveness a 7/10.
Story -- N / ADepth 4/10 -- Sadly, another area where this game is some what lacking. On a positive note, if you are skilled enough, the game could technically go on forever. The game features about 10 or so special abilities that can be used to aid you, such as slowing down time to a crawl for a short duration, or bringing up a shield to protect you from incoming attacks, as well as a laser that cuts through every thing in it's path inflicting immense damage. One of these power ups can be your default skill, and will slowly recharge after being used, but the others must be obtained from downing the powerful boss enemies you face along the way. The down side of this aspect is the game doesn't feature any extra modes or alternative forms of playing in any way, shape, or form. Since the game doesn't have a lot to offer outside of it's basic concept, the Depth gets a 4/10.
Difficulty 9/10 -- This is an extremely challenging game, but in a way that is fun to play. Every thing starts out pretty easy, offering plenty of space to maneuver around the foes, taking them out with ease. The entire game consists solely of the little darkness blobs aimlessly flying through, and the bosses you must eliminate. After a moment or two in, a boss will appear. The order in which different forms of bosses appear is entirely random, adding another level of difficulty to the game ( although a few of the more difficult types will only appear after downing a certain number of them ). Between the fact that you are entirely reliant on the emission of light to even see the blobs of darkness that can harm you, and the fact it lessens when hit, can make the boss battles extremely difficult. As you progress further, the bosses will appear more frequently, offering less and less time to recover between the battles. The only way to recover health is through one of the random power ups they drop, which makes every hit count since the drop for this specific item is few and far between. This is one of those games where you will die a lot, and can never truly be conquered. The high level of Difficulty earns this game a 9/10.
Overall 6/10 -- Schmadow is a fun game to play if you enjoy the genre. It offers a some what unique visual experience, coupled with a simple concept made fun through challenge. It also makes a great time killer if you don't mind dying a lot. I can't go so far as to say the game brings any thing new or special to the table, but it doesn't bring any shame either.
Hope you enjoyed the review :)
Graphics
6 Sound
4 Addictive
7 Depth
4 Difficulty
9
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