Cyber Shadow (PC, PS4/5, Xbox)

[Romier S]

I needed to make a thread for this amazing game. I just finished it last night after downloading and playing via Game Pass. This is quite literally a modern Ninja Gaiden. The 8-bit Ninja Gaiden that is. Calling it that is selling it short though. It takes the structure of those incredible games and adds plenty of elements like checkpoint stations that can be upgraded to make level runs easier. All of that alongside the lack of a life system (lives are infinite) means you don't have to worry about limited continues or unfair level restarts.

 

These modern gameplay elements make life with the game more fair without compromising its difficulty and I absolutely adored my time with it. The optional feats you can complete are some of the most challenging you'll see in most modern games including these types of 8-bit reduxes but don't let that scare you. The feel of movement and combat here is as good as any of those old Gaiden classics. If you have an Xbox and Game Pass, there's nothing stopping you from trying this. If you don't have an Xbox, its still well worth the price of admission.

 

 

My only issue is that the game does not have a physical release available. I really, really hope Yacht Club does one or partners with Limited Run Games or another vendor to offer a proper physical version of this wonderful game. I'd shell out that money in a heartbeat.

[Paul]

Convinced me. Downloading now.

[JFo]

I started playing this a few months ago after it came out on Game Pass. I liked what I played, but I just had a lot of other stuff in my queue at that time, so I didn’t get very far. I have been thinking about going back into it here sometime in the near future. I like the look of this, and would like to see more.

[JFo]

I jumped back into this today. After finishing my review of Assassin’s Creed IV, I needed a good palate cleanser to follow up that game. I decided Cyber Shadow would be a good choice seeing as it’s so different. I actually started over from the beginning since it had been several months since I last played it. I only put about 17 minutes worth into it before, so it’s not like I lost a ton of progress.

 

Right now, I’m at the start of chapter 6 with a little over three hours put in. So, I guess I’m about halfway through? I’ve been enjoying it quite a bit so far. It can be tough as nails, but it never feels impossible. This is one of those games where you just have to put the time in to make it through each section, learning what works and what doesn’t. Thank god lives are infinite because I would instantly rage quit this game if it had lives and limited continues (fuck you, Ninja Gaiden III on the NES).

 

On 4/7/2021 at 10:50 AM, Romier S said:

This is quite literally a modern Ninja Gaiden. The 8-bit Ninja Gaiden that is.

 

I don’t know if you’ve already played it, but I would definitely check out The Messenger if you haven’t yet. It also has that “modern day Ninja Gaiden” feel to it, but in its own unique way. It’s also on Game Pass, so yay for that.

[JFo]

And done!

 

I finished this one off this afternoon. As I mentioned in my post above, I reached the start of chapter 6 in around three hours. There are 11 chapters in total, and my total clear time when all was said and done was about 10 hours 30 minutes. That should give you some idea of how difficult this game gets in the latter half (at least for me.) 

 

The final chapter, in particular, was a real  slog to get through. You must ascend a vertical shaft with lots of moving platforms, floating enemies, and  their projectiles. And if you mess up, you will likely fall back down to a lower platform, if not the very bottom of the stage. It also requires mastery of a movement technique they don’t tell you about until just before that section, so you have to learn how to not only do it, but do it well. 

 

The final boss fight also took me a while to finish. It’s actually three battles in one, and there are no health packs to help you out. The first fight is pretty easy once you learn the pattern. I could usually take him out pretty quickly without taking damage by the time I was done. The second one is a a good deal harder and more chaotic, making it more difficult to make it through without taking at least some damage. If I had a good run, I could usually reach the third battle with enough health to take one or two hits. Once I learned how to deal with the third fight, I took it down pretty easily. It’s just a matter of whether I could reach that point with enough health to see the pattern and devise a plan of attack.

 

Once I got through it though, it felt pretty damn good. I enjoy a challenging game like this from time to time — one that pushes back on me a little bit and asks me to improve my skills and master each level. It’s not something I’d want out of my games all the time, but it does offer a true sense of satisfaction. If that’s what you’re after Cyber Shadow will be of great interest to you.

 

I liked it. Maybe not as much as Romier, but I liked it.