It's a very classic, straightforward gameplay: betrayal in the clan, the goal in sight, the beloved master kidnapped, and her mad father as the villain in a Mekacity conquered by "syntheses". After a devastating explosion, the rubble of the skyline flickers apocalyptically in the background. The clan of the main character Shadow has also been hit hard. On his journey through the night, he meets their members who are wasting away between this world and the next and learns new skills in otherworldly meditation exams. The faithful blue robot companion L-Gion also makes an appearance now and then.
A cool temporary extra stands out right at the beginning of the game: The yo-yo dangling around the player can not only be hurled into killer insects or automatic cannons by skillful hops but can also be beaten even further to patrolling poison cyborgs with the sword. Limited available throwing stars and various modern shooting projectiles in different directions also prove useful. However, the blade is at the center of the action, as it should be, and it can be improved in punching power or with a powerful ground attack from the air, among other things. With the latter, you can effectively force fat spiky cyber worms back into the ground to clear the way.
Gradually, you'll gymnastically make your way more and more confidently through rotating metal spheres, climb walls by sticking jumps, and maneuver yourself over wide chasms with the help of flickering lights. So it's a satisfying, cautious advance! Particularly fun are the multiple phases of metal bosses, some of which are screen-sized, including a fire-breathing water snake or a stubborn hovering sniper with a fat gun. They keep the player moving nicely and force him to effectively use the weak points, attacks, and safe platforms. Here and there it can come to frustrating repetitions of the same passages - the futuristic checkpoint portals could quietly be a bit closer together!
The so-called "service pods" nevertheless offer mostly successful anchor points. Already completed mini-games, such as the glowing firewall levels, fortunately, don't have to be tackled several times. The Spirit Points for special abilities and extras can also be refilled several times at the pods, as long as you have spent enough of the collected game currency "Essence" - a useful finesse. The capsules popping out of the portal and the special items scattered around the levels could be explained a bit better in the game, though.
Conclusion
A classic, straightforward platformer of the old school to fight. The rhythm and some attacks are also reminiscent of Shovel Knight from the same company, of course. Thanks to the only cautiously modernized formula, a nice game flow unfolds most of the time - including upgrades and gadgets like the killer yo-yo. Especially the fight against screen-sized metal beasts offers a pleasantly tricky, but doable challenge. As a demanding nostalgic battle platformer, Cyber Shadow does its job well.
