I actually forgot to write up my thoughts and impressions for this Xbox Live! Arcade title. I finished it just before Mass Effect 3 had arrived and completely forgot about it once I embarked on my journey to save the galaxy. I guess it’s a testament of how memorable of an experience Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet was.
I picked up this title after hearing favorable impressions of it from the Giantbomb crew. Hearing it described as Metroidvania game with the aesthetic of reminiscent of Limbo was enough for me to pull the trigger on it. Unfortunately no one mentioned it was an uneventful adventure.
There weren’t enough points of intrigue throughout my time on the Shadow Planet. I don’t have a problem with a low key game filled with exploration and puzzle solving, but I do have a problem with a game that has nothing interesting to show.
The silhouette styled aesthetics wasn’t some thing I haven’t seen before, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. It was evident that they invested a lot in the visual make of the game — I just wished they invested half as much with the game’s mechanics.
As a ship with so many functions, the opportunities to utilize all those skills and functions was surprisingly limited. I was rarely challenged to use many of the tools beyond their designated purposes. I felt I had a glorified key chain filled with saw and laser shaped keys.
And when they tried to be inventive with the game mechanics, I often ran into problems with the controls being annoyingly finicky — especially with the arm tool. I had no problem moving objects around with it, but it was not made to quickly manipulate objects while being chased by a giant invincible monster.
I was disappointed with Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet. I felt like I was going through the motions when I played it. Nothing here was particularly memorable; I mean I didn’t even remember that I finished it until now. It was a forgettable experience that I could have forgone without regret.
Verdict:
Disappointing
For more information on Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, visit the official website.
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