Shadow Complex: Metroid meets Contra and HAS A BABY

by David Hinkle { Jun 1st 2009 at 9:30PM }

When Epic's Cliff Bleszinski hit the stage sans Lancer at Microsoft's E3 keynote, many at both the Microsoft keynote and here at the Joystiq mobile HQ wondered what Epic was up to. Then, we noticed he was accompanied by Chair Entertainment's Donald Mustard, and we caught our first glimpse of Shadow Complex, a game with heavy amounts of influence from 2D titles such as Metroid and Contra, with a splash of its own unique 3D action, making this a project all its own. For an XBLA title, it has an incredible amount of polish, and we're sure the price will reflect that when it releases this summer.

Gallery: Shadow Complex

Tags: contra, epic, epic-games, metroid, metroidvania, shadow-complex, xbla

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

SpaceFox @ Jun 1st 2009 9:33PM

Hehe, when they were playing the game, towards the end after destroying the boss, it glitched up and the character was walking in mid-air. They immediately paused and ended the demo. What a presentation.

Ellianth @ Jun 2nd 2009 2:42AM

then the game will be as good as gears 2 multilayer.

Teheheheheheheheehheheehehe >:-)

cuteSAVAGE @ Jun 1st 2009 9:35PM

I'd pay 20, nay... $25 (2000 MSP?) for this game. Looks wicked!

Mest @ Jun 1st 2009 9:35PM

looks like a little bit of bionic commando in their too

SpaceFox @ Jun 1st 2009 9:39PM

Yeah, when you mention it, it does remind me of Bionic Commando a bit.

The game looks amazing from what I've seen so far. I'm sure they'll have that glitch fixed soon.

Arnie @ Jun 1st 2009 9:37PM

I dont see anything less than 20$ for this game.

joeybeast @ Jun 1st 2009 9:38PM

ZWEET

Chris Are @ Jun 1st 2009 9:39PM

Bummer this is just on Xbox. Looks like a lot of fun. :-(

Cole @ Jun 1st 2009 9:40PM

I will gladly pay whatever they want for this game... I LOVE METROID

KeenCommander @ Jun 1st 2009 9:41PM

A baby with really pretty graphics! I could definitely see this selling at a $15 price point, perhaps even $20 if it's good and long.

Bubbameister33 @ Jun 1st 2009 9:44PM

That what she said.

lanceyami03 @ Jun 1st 2009 9:45PM

What if it's hard too?

gonintendo @ Jun 1st 2009 9:53PM

Short and thick does the trick ;)

Ebbhead @ Jun 1st 2009 9:45PM

How did Nathan Drake get onto my Xbox? Aren't there any other male voice actors they could've chosen from?

geoff0011 @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:40AM

It actually really bothers me that they used his voice, and that it's so identical. Looks like a good enough game, but I wouldn't be able to get over that.

Velsar @ Jun 1st 2009 9:45PM

I'd prefer Metroid...

Vidikron @ Jun 1st 2009 9:47PM

I really don't see the Metroid. Maybe Contra meets Metal Gear? Also, the lead character looks and sounds a bit like Nathan Drake.

cuteSAVAGE @ Jun 1st 2009 9:56PM

The conference showed a huge world (map screen was ripped right out of Metroid/Castlevania). I'm guessing there'll be a lot of back tracking... Never a bad thing in these games.

Azariel_z @ Jun 2nd 2009 3:15AM

Same here, maybe they refer to Metroid as a generic platform genre..I see more Contra and some Metal gear colour palette than anything else..

TwEE @ Jun 2nd 2009 3:18PM

Yeah Im not seeing the Metroid, but like what cuteSAVAGE said maybe theres a lot of backtracking..

mars @ Jun 1st 2009 9:47PM

interesting how they integrated some third person sections into that. and I wonder what engine that is running on. maybe a condensed unreal engine? wonder if it fits in the set limit of size for an xbox live arcade game...

playwhutyalike @ Jun 1st 2009 9:47PM

I approve. Take my monies.

Misfit Toy @ Jun 1st 2009 10:18PM

This would be a value at $20. Nice to see a game with expanded depth to it being added to the XBLA roster.

dgknight500 @ Jun 1st 2009 10:23PM

For once, I am jealous of a 360 exclusive... This looks awesome!

Mr Khan @ Jun 1st 2009 10:34PM

I like what i'm seeing. A real example of the talent and passion of Epic Games, beyond their technological meddling.

Ameen @ Jun 1st 2009 11:08PM

Talent, MY ASS ! Epic has played the copy-cat here, maybe it has a all new story and a few 3D shooting sequences, but what it has basically done is ripped-out an idea from a bunch of guys who made a 2D Mod for UT3 (Even the boss machine battle), for the "Make Something Unreal Contest", thing is they weren't even the Winners !!! I mean, if they were gonna jack-off their idea, they should've atleast rewarded those devs. But no, Epic doesn't need to do that , why would they? Cause, they're a bunch of narcissist aholes ! (CliffyB)

Epic, I thought you were virtuous, Guess it ain't so !

Vidikron @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:00AM

@Ameen

That was hardly the first example. There was a mod to play Quake 3 in 2D also. And, of course, using 3D for 2D has been around for a while in a fair number of games. Then, again, 2D itself has been around since the start. So I'm not sure your rant is entirely fair.

Levi @ Jun 1st 2009 11:09PM

This looks like the single player campaign Crash Commando needs, only a bit more serious. I'd say mash up Crash Commando/Bionic Commando Rearmed and Contra. Not seeing Metroid. Makes me want to buy a 360.

Matt @ Jun 1st 2009 11:27PM

The platforming elements sort of remind me of what we've seen from Trine, but with only one character (i.e. platform/barricade generation, the swinging, etc.)

Travis @ Jun 1st 2009 11:44PM

THIS LOOKS FUCKING AWESOME

waynski1457 @ Jun 1st 2009 11:45PM

Bionic Commando: Metroidvania? HELL YEA!

Ameen @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:49AM

@Vidikron & all others: I urge ya'll to take a look at it (the mod), its not just "a 2D perspective of a 3D game", The UI was changed, Bosses included, new levels & maps designed, gameplay tweaked, gravity balanced, and a lot of shit that went into it..

My gripe is not that Epic made a "3D for 2D" game, its that they've clearly ripped of an aspiring indie developer without giving them ANY CREDITS! , and that its just not a "3D for 2D" translation, it has many direct rip-offs (similarities!?) from that Mod, many, even a few animation sequences are !

Well, lets just apply logic here, they got the idea from "Make Something Unreal Contest", and decided to go on with a XBLA release, owing to Epic's proximity with MS..

Vidikron @ Jun 2nd 2009 3:16AM

I've looked at some of the videos and I'm telling you it's not the first like it. Here's the mod I played some on Quake 3 Arena:

http://avatar.telefragged.com/tq.htm

Notice how similar some of those screenshots look. That mod came out years ago. And as WRE points out below, the game wasn't even designed by Epic directly but by another company they purchased. I'm sure the guys that made the UT3 mod did put a lot of work into it, but they likely had played Target Quake or something else similar in the past. I really think you're going overboard claiming Epic stole their work.

Ameen @ Jun 2nd 2009 5:21AM

FFS Vidikron, Read what I'd read, I dont blame Chair\Epic for their "3D for 2D" game, just check how the Boss Battles are copied (?), and other stuff, the UT3 Mod is both a single player/multi player affair.. JFG "UT2D"..

Ameen @ Jun 2nd 2009 5:25AM

*said..

WREturns @ Jun 2nd 2009 2:26AM

This game was made by Provo, Utah based Chair entertainment, who were purchased by Epic. I write game reviews for the paper at the University just up the street and I actually interviewed Mustard about 5 months ago. He actually showed me some early stuff that they were doing with this game but I wasn't allowed to write about it. Sorry, I just felt kind of cool when this popped up on the screen at E3.

flavarican @ Jun 2nd 2009 2:27AM

anyone remembers the game called "one" for the ps1?? for some reason the gameplay reminded me of it....

Ameen @ Jun 2nd 2009 5:07AM

Oh, well.. I just meant that whoever made that game was obviously inspired by that mod ! And I stand by my speculations, maybe I do harbor a little sub-conscious hatred against Epic for Screwing us PC gamers in an "Epic" way ! Its only fair that we get some Epic-love too, cause they're here because of our fuckin support ! And what do we get?

A sub-par rendition of a game that had oodles of Potential, I am poking @ UT3, cause its nothing like what its predecessors were, and I hate their new "Goth-inspired" art direction for UT3..

Hope, other devs don't fuck us over !

derdaim @ Jun 2nd 2009 2:01PM

Epic made run'n'gun platformers (jazz jackrabbit) before they had their breakthrough with Unreal. They're not ripping of anyone...

iocomposer @ Jun 7th 2009 2:13AM

"maybe I do harbor a little sub-conscious hatred against Epic for Screwing us PC gamers in an "Epic" way !"

I love the sense of entitlement here. Epic SCREWED PC gamers?? Well guess what... GearsPC sold 100K units compared to GearsXBox, which sold 6 Million. You know why? Because PC gamers just hack it and rip it off. Don't EVEN start with Epic screwing PC gamers. You guys get more than you deserve you self-righteous thieves.

uncle jesse @ Jun 2nd 2009 10:23AM

Metroid meets Contra and HAS A BABY...

This looks like an old school/new school mix with the 3rd person parts, side scrolling and shooting, purdy graphics, etc.

I will be this baby's daddy!

Alzheimers @ Jun 2nd 2009 11:50AM

It just needs a bit of this: http://www.ocremix.org/remix/OCR00355/

Tez @ Jun 2nd 2009 8:39PM

I don't see any Metroid in this at all... lots of Contra though, which is perfectly fine by me.

Engali @ Aug 22nd 2009 2:14AM

There's plenty of Metroid in here--Super Metroid esp.. They're copying the idea of using weapons/tools/upgrades as "keys" to unlock other areas of the map. The focus is on exploring by acquiring the tools/keys and combat using the same tools.

The speed run Shadow Complex's main character does in that tech suit, as shown in the ign review, is a blatant rip off of the speed boost boots in SM--almost down to the animation and "blur" graphics.

The flashlight that you start with in this game, which reveals how to get through obstructions(i.e. in SM you could burst through some walls if you speed boost ran into them) is a blatant rip off of the scope visor thing in SM. This was essentially a flashlight beam emanating from Samus' visor that you used to scan terrain for weakness. The beam would reveal destructible obstructions as icons with symbols that correlated to what weapon/tool you needed to use to get through.

So ya...it's quite like Super Metroid.