Shadow of the Orient

Shadow of the Orient is nothing we haven't seen before, and its main idea is actually good, but the conversion to consoles ends up stumbling on some important points that end up discouraging players who enjoy adventures of this type. Add this to the visual issues in the HUD and we have a prospect of what could be a great adventure, but one that urgently needs fixing.

Shadow of the Orient simply smashes it out of the park for being a challenging platformer, especially for the price. While having a good narrative or a well-planned progression system might not be what the game focused on, it still delivers an excellent platformer while having well-built fighting mechanics. The grind is there and is easily fixable by a patch, but until then, you’ll have to spend some time before the game can get really good.

Shadow of the Orient absolutely nails the look and feel - especially the pixel art and overall presentation. But whether it’s down to poor balance or just an intentional difficulty spike, the combat is often more hassle than it's worth. It stops you from settling into a rhythm, which is a real shame because the platforming is genuinely great. The fact that the shop is tucked away without a single in-game hint is baffling. It took me three hours to even realize it was there. Still, at its best, Shadow of the Orient is fun. At its most frustrating, you're scraping by, surviving on the skin of your teeth.

While I honestly enjoyed some of my time Shadow of the Orient, I feel like it was the wrong genre. There’s so much effort put into making expansive levels that I feel this would have worked better as a small Metroidvania than a lackluster platformer. It’s clear Spacelab Games put a lot of time into the experience, and I strongly suspect they might have some future great game in them. As for this one, fans of retro might enjoy it, but probably not many others.

It has the bones that could potentially make for a solid game, but its controls and quirks hold it back

Shadow of the Orient is one that I would have happily paid for back in the day and would urge retro enthusiasts to pick up.

Shadow of the orient is a solid retro-inspired experience that feels like a Super NES game but one that you'll soon forget about. 👊

Shadows of the Orient should be right up my alley. Pixel platformers are often joyous and engaging, but here, the game felt like it was fighting me at every step. Had the dash been available from the start with a better way to climb up when you are right at a ledge, then Shadows of the Orient would be downright impressive, instead of another platformer I’ll forget about by next week.

The pixel art style of the game fits well with platformers and this game proves that again. It looks fine in itself, although the game never really makes a big impression. Many textures are reused and every now and then the setting of the level changes a bit, but that's it. In terms of audio, the soundtrack is reasonably present, but it doesn't irritate, although it is quite bombastic. Shadow of the Orient is therefore a fine game that plays well, but doesn't do much special. If you really blast through it, you'll be done within an hour or two, and the game isn't really replayable after that. Furthermore, the gameplay doesn't really expand as you play the game, so you're basically constantly presented with the same platform action. For those who like a challenge, I can recommend this game. However, if you're looking for a unique platformer with depth, you might want to skip this one, although the pain in your wallet will be quite limited.

With Shadows of the Orient they have captured a spirit that seemed forgotten, and with mechanics such as the ability to acquire skills by forcing exploration, they add a modern element that reinforces replayability and the desire to improve beyond reaching the final boss.