Shadowland

Review

Two worlds exist side by side; one made of light that is of full vibrant colors, the other a dark world of shadows that’s void of color. The natural laws that govern the world dictate that these worlds live together yet remain separated. In Shadowland, we will be breaking the laws of nature as we journey into the barriers between them.

As we begin our adventure, the world of Shadowland is in its normal shades of grey. We know there is more to the world than what lies before us, so we venture out into it to see what else may exist beyond here. As we begin, we are bound by the laws of shadows; to find the answers we seek we will have to journey through many zones while traversing the ever-changing dynamics in each of them. The journey will take you through dangerous terrain, full of plants that will quickly devour you should you fall into their clutches. As you progress, the world of color bleeds into your world, adding new possibilities in navigation. You will need to manipulate the light to find a way across the levels in the puzzling journey that lies ahead of you.

Released & self-published on Jul 3, 2019, by the developer David Serrat, this is their first release on Steam. I have tagged it; Indie, Adventure, Difficult.

I chose the difficult tag as the title becomes quite challenging ; even though it may start casual, it escalates in difficulty at a steady rate. It features thought-provoking puzzles mixed with challenging parkour. Over 80 levels spanning 8 different zones, whose dynamics change with each one that is conquered. A unique set of mechanics blending 4 different shadow/light combinations, each with their distinctive effects.

A peculiar narrative by the director adds an interesting twist, along with an original soundtrack.

I see an obvious influence inspired by limbo that has been twisted & merged into the world of color. It has been quite a fun yet challenging game as I delve deeper and deeper into it. The narrative in the title is reminiscent of another title I love called Duet, and was enjoyed even when it seemed to be mocking me. The mechanics driving the game are not hard to learn, although mastering them will require a quick hand and sharp eye. For their first release on Steam, I am impressed with the overall quality of the title. With a low price point, it is a great addition for an Indie addict’s library. Though it doesn't list it as having controller support, I was able to bind the needed keys in the option to use my Xbox 360 controller (I did not discover this right away - oops). I was disappointed to see no controller support, but gratefully there seems that there is some for those of us who wish to use it.

For Settings:

Language (English, Spanish, and Catalan)

Resolution

Quality Presets

Fullscreen/Windowed

Audio Volume

Key Assignment

Review written by DamageInc.for Zeepond.com!