Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet

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The graphics in Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet really are fantastic – the animations are vivid and pulsating, the style is creepy and coherent – silhouette graphics have been the easy way out for a lot of games without high production values, but Michel Gagné really shows what you can do with it if you really try. This being said, it might be the root of my problem with it; it sort of feels like a cheap flash game at times.

I do like the game, for what it is. The sort of Metroidvania without the actual platforming that Aquaria did so well is pulled off with finesse, and it is very easy to pick up and play. It feels a lot more linear than other games in the genre though, with the exception of the starting area there is little reason to go back and search areas after having acquired new abilities. The design in general feels fairly toned-down and the pace of the game is near-constant throughout – the simplistic graphics and lack of spoken story are nice touches but they call attention to the game’s less interesting points.

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet most certainly is nowhere near a cheap flash game, it is beautiful every step of the way, controls very well and has some rather innovative takes on the formula. It feels a bit shallow at times, not more so than most other games but unlike most other games it does nothing to hide it.

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Posted on Dec 12/11 by Saint and filed under Reflections | No Comments »