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Oh wow, here we go: news I’m excited about. During the Konami press conference at gamescom, a new WiiWare title from Hudson was announced called Tower of Shadow. Gameskyo posted the trailer and some screens from the game, and right off the bat I’m completely fascinated — something that doesn’t happen with new game announcements enough these days.

In the game, you control a shadow that has one goal: to reach the top of a tower. You can interact with the world meeting shadows, changing light conditions and more. We’re not 100 percent sure yet, but it could be puzzle based rather than RPG grinding (we have Persona 3’s Tartarus to cover all our endless tower needs).

You can see the screenshots over at the official site or check out the trailer and press release after the break. Doesn’t it kind of remind you of Ico a bit?

Hudson casts a Shadow on Wii^TM

Konami illuminated by Hudson Soft’s innovative platform title

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has announced it will release Hudson Soft’s innovative Wii title, The Tower of Shadow (working title), in Spring 2010.

At the heart of The Tower of Shadow (working title) lies a mystery. The player controls the shadow of a young boy. The shadow has one purpose in life: to scale the colossal tower that dominates the game’s skyline. He does not speak. Nobody knows who he is or how he came to be. He just climbs. And climbs.

But even a shadow must abide by certain rules, and thus the player must fulfill certain criteria as they help the shadow to climb the tower. First, the shadow can only walk on the thin line between shadow and light. While he is not affected by height or distance, he must always have a shadow foothold, and he will disappear if he is fully engulfed by either the dark or the light.

The Tower of Shadow (working title) introduces a number of new concepts to its platform game basis. Gravity, for instance, does not apply in normal ways. Instead, when the source of light in a stage is parallel to the ground, the shadow is pulled towards the light. Similarly, if the angle of the light changes, so the gravity also shifts as the shadow is extended or reduced.

The mysterious shadow is also accompanied by a winged sylph known as a ‘Spangle’, which can be used to manipulate physical items that the shadow boy cannot. As such, The Tower of Shadow (working title) mixes unique platform elements with a level of puzzling, with the Spangle giving support to the player. The combination of light and shadow creates a unique blend of game styles, with the shadow boy altering the shape of shadows so he can create walkways to previously inaccessible areas.

Along the way, The Tower of Shadow (working title) introduces a giant shadow that is in pursuit of shadow boy, and patrols the tower, alongside other assailants. With a number of tortuous levels to negotiate, The Tower of Shadow (working title) demonstrates Hudson Soft at its creative best. The sprawling levels are full of clever problems that force the player to challenge conventional ways to explore, and to use the varied abilities of the shadow boy and Spangle.

About KONAMI CORPORATION
KONAMI CORPORATION was established in 1973, and became a holding company on March 31, 2006. KONAMI CORPORATION covers the fields of "Digital Entertainment Business", "Health & Fitness Business" and "Gaming & System Business". KONAMI CORPORATION went public on Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1988, the Singapore Stock Exchange in 1997, the London Stock Exchange in 1999, and the New York Stock Exchange in 2002. Home Page URL: www.konami.co.jp. Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary, responsible for popular franchises like Metal Gear Solid®, Silent Hill® and Pro Evolution Soccer™ amongst other top sellers. For more information concerning Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH and its products, please visit www.konami-europe.com/games

About HUDSON SOFT COMPANY, LIMITED
HUDSON SOFT CO. LTD., was established in 1973, and creates and provides various own brand games for home-use video game consoles, as well as aggressively promoting digital download content. Additionally HUDSON conducts wide range of other businesses, including provision of mobile contents, PC games, music, visuals and e-commerce. For more information, please visit:  http://www.hudson.co.jp/index_e.html

©2010 HUDSON SOFT
Published by Hudson Soft Co., Ltd.
Distributed by Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH

The Tower of Shadow (working title) will be released for Wii in the Spring of 2010. For more information, please contact Steve Merrett at Voltage PR on 020 7903 5122 or email [email protected].

 

Chair Entertainment’s Shadow Complex is out today on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 1200 MS Points, or $15 American dollars. It’s a "Metroidvania" style side-scroller, heavily influenced by Super Metroid. You blow a lot of things up, and get a lot of cool gadget in the process.

Not sold on it yet? How’s this: There’s a review after the jump, but in the time it could take you to read it, you could have already downloaded Shadow Complex and started playing it. There, I said it — go buy Shadow Complex. Yes, I think it’s that good. 

But if you want more words, or need more convincing, hit the jump.

Shadow Complex (Xbox LIVE Arcade)
Developer: Chair Entertainment
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Released: August 19, 2009

In Shadow Complex play as Jason, just some normal guy on a nice hike with some girl through some woods that lead to some underground facility and — oh no! That girl has been kidnapped! Good thing you’re not really just any normal guy… your dad’s a military man, so you’ve got some fighting chops. Or something. I’m not quite sure to be honest with you — Shadow Complex’s narrative isn’t its strong suit, despite the fact that its based in the universe of Orson Scott Card’s novel, Empire.

The fact that the game only hints that it will deliver a compelling plot (but then never really does), is secondary to the desire you’ll have to run, jump, and climb from one area to next so you can find your next weapon or suit upgrade. Or take out the next gigantic enemy walker with a combination of a foam gun and rockets. Just writing about it makes me want to do it again. Right now. 

As a modern-day take on side-scrolling action games like Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Shadow Complex not only holds its own, but makes some great strides to bring the formula up to date with immaculate polish and visuals. The basics are the same, the game presenting players with a huge map to explore, much of it closed off until certain criteria is met, such as obtaining a jet pack boost ability or defeating a boss.

At the start, Jason is mostly empty-handed, save for a flashlight. As you explore the game’s world — and you’ll be doing plenty of that — you’ll gradually find upgrades to your abilities, allowing you to access more of the map. You’ll also gain experience for defeating enemies and unearthing new parts of the map, which boosts things like health and stamina. As with most games of this type, the experience is both satisfying and addicting. Chair very obviously and carefully crafted how and when you’ll receive your upgrades; you’ll easily get lost in the hunt and your desire to discover uncharted territory and pick up fresh items.

Fortunately, the act of moving Jason around and taking out enemies is simply feels good and spot on in your hands. While the game is rendered using the Unreal Engine 3.0 in 3D, all movement is done on a 2D plane. There are a few spots where controls feel a tad imprecise; Jason may get caught on a ledge or a wall while jumping, for instance. It may also take a while for your brain to adjust to the 2D movement in a 3D environment, but it won’t take long before you get a feel what you can and what you can’t make Jason do.

Combat in Shadow Complex is simple, yet effective and fun, with guns and other gadgets mapped to the right trigger. While you’ll be fighting many enemies on the 2D plane, some will attack from above, below, or even in environment’s background. Pulling the right trigger will fire straight ahead, with slight auto-aim adjusting based on your surroundings. The right analog stick can be used to aim more accurately, as well.

Admittedly, the aim is sometimes off — the aim-assist feature, indicated by a laser-scope attached to all of the game’s guns, sometimes won’t find your intended target. Some firefights can and do feel a bit random, more luck than actual skill. However, it never turned into a problem, the results of the gun fire — massive barrels exploding, enemies rag-dolling over banisters or falling off cliffs — always worth any trouble. Up close and personal melee attacks (merely accomplished with the press of the B button), are a blast to perform, too; animations are varied enough seeing Jason punch a dude in the back in the head never really gets old.

Playing on the default difficulty mode, Shadow Complex isn’t particularly challenging. While some of the “boss” battles are tricky, the in-game map makes exploring the world — especially when it comes to your main objectives — a cinch. By default, the game will show you a blue line on the map that will indicate where you’ll need to go next to further the story, which can give the game a linear feel. While the line can be turned off for those who’d rather wander aimlessly, it doesn’t much matter — chances are you’ll want to explore every nook and cranny of the map regardless, charting new territory and looking to pick up 100% of the in-game items.

Also of note is the game’s wicked cool take on stat and achievement tracking. Things like how many enemies you’ve performed a melee attack on or mini spider bots you’ve kicked are tracked, and you’re shown updates as they happen. Taking a page from Burnout Paradise, the game features an on-the-fly leaderboard that will let you know in real-time how many headshots you’ve nailed, for instance, versus your friends. It’s a small but awesome feature that could add a few hours to your play time, depending on how many competitive bones you have in your body.

In regards to play time, my first run-through of Shadow Complex took me roughly six or seven hours to complete. This was a casual play-through, as I took my time exploring the world, picking up out of the way items when I felt like it. My second time through, I powered through the game, barely bothering to stop for much of anything; I completed it in a little over three hours. While I’ve yet to get that coveted 100% play-through, it’s not unreasonable to think doing so could kick the game time up by a few hours.

But the Campaign story mode isn’t all there is to see and do, either. There’s also the “Proving Grounds” challenge modes, three sets of them, with each trial tied to its own leaderboard. Roll this into the total gameplay time, you’re looking at another few hours until completion, not even taking into consideration the competitive nature of the leaderboards.

In its slick production, Shadow Complex sets a new and extremely high bar for Xbox LIVE Arcade games. Visually, the game rocks it with Unreal Engine 3.0 visuals that only show small signs of faltering during cut scenes. The game also features a superb soundtrack, from a heart-pounding action score to some haunting classical pieces that offset the mood in beautifully stunning ways.

From a pure quality standpoint, Shadow Complex is as good, if not better, than many games available at retail. But it’s “just” a $15 Xbox LIVE Arcade game, one that could have sold for twice as much, digitally or in a physical box at your local retailer.

You’ve read this far, and I can’t say I didn’t warn you — you could have (and should have) been spending that time downloading Shadow Complex. So what are you waiting for? Go. 

9.5 — Superb (9s are a hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won’t cause massive damage to what is a supreme title.)

This week is pretty dry as far as new releases go. Wolfenstein looks like it will be a pretty good mindless shooter. Plus, killing Nazis is always fun, even though we’ve been killing them since the ’80s in videogames.

I keep hearing nothing but great things for Shadow Complex too. I’ll definitely be checking that one out at some point.

What’s looking sw33t to you all, Dtoiders? Hit the break for the full releases and trailers for most of the games. 

DS: Marker Man Adventures, My Friends, Sudoku Ball Detective, My Dress-Up, My Make-Up, All Star 5-A-Side Football

PC: Osmos, War Leaders: Clash of Nations, Plants Vs. Zombies, Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger

Wii: Paws & Claws Pet Vet, Speed Zone, ATV Quad Kings, Spectrobes: Origins

X360: Wolfenstein, Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger

PS3: Wolfenstein

XBLA: Shadow Complex

Releasing 08/18:

Wolfenstein (X360, PS3, PC)

Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger (X360, PC)

Spectrobes: Origins (Wii)

Releasing 08/19:

Shadow Complex (XBLA)

Hudson Japan’s teaser page for Kagenotou doesn’t give us much to go on. We know it’s a Wii game, something Hudson calls a "shadow action adventure" in their link text.

It seems that the shadow of a boy is trying to ascend a tower. He tries only to interact with shadows, working to walk only on the shadows that objects cast. He’ll even interact with shadows of items to control their real-life counterparts. A partner butterfly will help the shadow boy in his journey up the tower, assisting with light/shadow control.

Poking around the teaser page, we saw a few screenshots. You have to really look for the boy, as he’s actually part of the shadows, and not in the foreground. There’s also a grayed out link for a trailer, which we’re sure will come soon. We noticed that you can control the butterfly with your mouse, and if you click on the shadow boy, he’ll jump.

There’s no release date or other details on this Tower of Shadow yet, but it definitely looks like something I’d play. What about you?

[via NeoGAF]

When it was announced at E3 earlier this year, I had a chance to play a small bit of Chair Entertainment’s and Epic Games’ upcoming Xbox LIVE Arcade title, Shadow Complex. Only a small demo, it wasn’t enough; I wanted more. After  seeing Dale’s interview with Chair’s Donald Mustard, I knew I couldn’t wait much longer. 

So after some pestering and a bit of begging, Chair Entertainment passed along to me some preview code of Shadow Complex. So far, I’ve spent about two hours with it; one hour, 55 minutes, and 45 seconds to be exact, according to in-game stats.

It’s been quite an adventure, and so far I’ve…

…only explored 33% of the map

No doubt, Shadow Complex is a damned big game, its progression taking obvious cues from the titles that influenced its design — Metroid and Konami’s exploratory Castlevania titles. So far, almost two hours in, I’ve only uncovered 33% of the game’s world map.

Keep in mind that doesn’t mean I’m 33% towards completing the game… just 33% exploring its world. To put things into perspective, I’ve also only picked up 21% of the game’s items. To be more precise: three of eight health upgrades; one of ten armor upgrades; and 11 of 30 grenade packsand two each of the game’s "Gold Bars" and "Passkeys," and I don’t even know what the hell those things do yet. 

The game also tells me I’ve found zero of 20 foam packs, as well as 0 of 20 missile packs. No loss — I don’t have the foam gun yet, or the ability to shoot missiles. Yet. Do want.

…killed 291 enemies

This includes gun and rocket wielding soldiers, as well as giant mechs and robots in some of the most insane firefights of any side-scrolling action-platform. And maybe that includes the plane I took down within the first five minutes of the game. I’m not too sure.

Depending on how you look at things, 291 could seem like a low number. Battling through two or three small sections Castlevania: Symphony of the Night might rack up a similar body count in a fraction of the time, with its never-ending supply of skeletons, bats, and annoying flea man guy. But unlike that game, baddies don’t respawn. In Shadow Complex, the enemies are placed deliberately and carefully in each room, with your entrance triggering tight, intense sequences. Once the room is clear, you’re not likely to face opposition if you simply leave and return. 

[Update: To clarify this a bit, clearning a room and then immediately leaving only to return right away will not result in enemies respawning. Since Shadow Complex does have back-tracking in its exploration, returning to old areas will find you facing enemies. Sorry for any confusion!]

It should also be noted that a huge chunk of that body count came from a sequence in which I mounted a turret. While the game is normally tied to an old-school, 2D-style platforming control mechanic, this was an exception. After pressing the action button to control the gun, the camera shifted to an over-the-shoulder third-person perspective, giving me a different view of the action and allowing me to target and gun down soldiers as they poured into the area. It was a surprising change of pace; so far it’s only happened once.

…learned the joys of underwater breathing

While you start off Shadow Complex with nothing more than a flashlight to light up darkened areas, it’s not long before you start picking up other pieces of equipment. The first is "Climbing Gear," which gives you the ability to wall jump, grab ledges, and sprint. These actions are your main methods of getting around, later augmented by a Thrust Pack, which allows you to get to higher ground with limited boost jump ability. 

But so far, my favorite piece of equipment has to be the "SCHCA Mask," which allows you to breath under water and explore more of the world map. It’s not what it can do that I loved so much — what game doesn’t have underwater breathing these days? — it’s what it allowed me to see, and how it was presented.

One of the first areas I entered wearing the mask was a flooded industrial room. As I dipped my head underwater, a calm and haunting piano piece began to play, bodies and other wreckage floating around me. The scene stood in stark contrast to everything I had encountered prior to this moment — big explosions, the gunfire, the robots. It looked gorgeous, even surreal, a great and subtle moment in a game where I didn’t expect to find one.

…upgraded to level nine

Just about everything you do in Shadow Complex earns you experience points. Kill an enemy, get a little. Explore an area of the map, get a little bit more. Kill a boss or a find a pick-up, get a lot. Nail a head shot, find an bosses weakpoint, eke out some more.

So far, I’ve upgraded to level nine, which translates to +3 each to my Stamina, Accuracy, and Precision. I’m told a "major upgrade bonus" awaits at every 10 levels. This pleases me; I like surprises.

…ignored lunch

During my play session earlier today, I suddenly realized I was hungry. No… starving. I had forgotten to eat lunch. But I’m so close to level ten, and I’m pretty sure I’m close to getting the Foam Gun. Lunch can wait. 

Shadow Complex comes to Xbox LIVE Arcade on August 19 for 1200 MS Points.