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Through the partnership of Yacht Club Games and developer Mechanical Head Studios, fans of 8-bit platformers have something to look forward to this month. Enter Cyber Shadow, an homage to the ultra-hard games of yesteryear that features all the elation and frustration that comes with titles such as the original Ninja Gaiden and Dark Souls.
The game follows Shadow, a cyber assassin who must fight back against a scourge of synthetic enemies and save his clan from complete destruction. As Shadow progresses through the levels, players must square off against increasingly difficult waves of cybernetic foes and new bosses that test the player’s skills while rewarding them with new abilities should they conquer the malevolent machines. But brutal combat isn’t the only thing genre fans have to look forward to in this pulverizing platformer.
Cyber Shadow also features a superb soundtrack that fits the theme of the dark cyberpunk world that will undoubtedly stay with you long after you’ve shut off the game. On top of that, Mechanical Head Studios’ art style is as vibrant as it is dystopian featuring a gorgeous color palette and an 8-bit world teeming with beautiful pixel art. But when you add all those pieces together, does the experience make for a fun trip down memory lane or a frustrating reminder of how punishing games used to be? You’ll have to tune in to find out.
Join Jeff Cork, Marcus Stewart, and me as we jump into the third level of Cyber Shadow, show off some of the abilities players will gain in the first few hours, and test my speedrunning skills against one of the harder games you’ll play this year.
Still curious about Cyber Shadow? Be sure to check out our review of the game, where Marcus breaks down what he enjoyed and disliked about Yacht Club Games and Mechanical Head Studios’ newest title.
