Shadow Runner Review

By , on September 29, 2010


Shadow Runner
Download on the AppStore
4 out of 5

PROS

  • Simple gameplay style with complex results.
  • 36 levels to master.

CONS

  • Overly simplistic graphics, no basic music and few sound effects.

VERDICT

While Shadow Runner may not be for everyone, it incorporates some incredibly basic gameplay with a neat challenging twist to keep players thinking on their toes.


  • Full Review
  • App Store Info

If N+ and Braid made babies and one of them was an arcade game, it might look and play a little like Shadow Runner by Wode Mobile. All you have to do is make it to the exit, but there's a catch - copies of yourself are constantly spawning and should you touch one before the exit opens it's game over.

Shadow Runner pulls this off with absolutely minimalistic controls, with buttons to move left and right and a jump. Players can wall jump and flip over obstacles if they wish and a small amount of air-control gives you a lot of maneuverability around the increasingly complex levels. This is a huge asset as you'll need to plan out your path so you can avoid past iterations without overlap. And while some people may have genius levels of short term memory, the game has helpful indicators to point out where you've been to prevent an untimely end to your run.

The visuals are minimalistic and reminiscent of N+ with solid walls and a stick-figure like main character; and while it may not be bursting with style it gets the job done neatly and audio cues also help when you can't see the exit or your shadow copies.

While making it to the end of the game's current selection of 36 levels may not be too difficult if you're patient enough, getting those three-star passes will require some real finesse in your play. Definitely worth picking up for fans of games like N+ and puzzle platformers in general.

Screenshots

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