Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet

About

"Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet" is a 2-D action-adventure game with a unique visual style, created by Michel Gagné. The game features innovative puzzle design, intense action sequences, and a variety of unique creatures and environments. Players can explore the game's worlds with friends in multiplayer mode, upgrading their ship with alien technology and saving their home world from disaster.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Co-Op Team up with friends to complete levels or missions together
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet screenshot

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 386 reviews

graphics88 positive mentions

replayability5 negative mentions

The game features a clean, vibrant, and striking art style that enhances the overall experience.
Exploration is expansive and rewarding, with a variety of unique environments and puzzles to solve.
The blend of shooting mechanics and puzzle-solving creates a fun and engaging gameplay experience.

The game could benefit from more assignable hotkeys for better control customization.
Some puzzle elements are under-explained, which may lead to confusion for players.
There are instances where players can get temporarily stuck due to bugs, affecting the flow of the game.

graphics
145 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
37%
2%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning and unique art style, which combines dark, shadowy aesthetics with vibrant colors to create an immersive atmosphere. Players appreciate the clean, polished visuals that hold up well over time, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. While some minor glitches are noted, the overall visual presentation is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The visuals and ambiance are a treat for the eyes and ears; each area of the world has a unique feel and blend very well together.”
- “The art style is striking and visually appealing.”
- “The graphics are smooth and the artistry is beautiful.”
- “The graphics create a unique alien world ambiance that makes each area interesting and different.”
- “The visuals are definitely the strongest aspect of this game and careful observers will see Gagné's influence in every detail.”
gameplay
108 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
51%
6%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with many praising its engaging mechanics, smooth controls, and beautiful graphics that enhance the overall experience. However, some players criticize specific mechanics, particularly the guided missile control, as frustrating and poorly designed, detracting from the enjoyment. Overall, while the game offers a fun metroidvania-style experience with exploration and puzzles, it may not satisfy everyone due to its linearity and occasional gameplay shortcomings.
- “New mechanics arrive with each region and boss, and smooth animation makes everything seem to flow together with logic and good communication.”
- “The controls are smooth, the gameplay mechanics ramp up in difficulty as you become more comfortable with them, and the exploration is deep enough to be fun without being tedious.”
- “The gameplay/combat is brilliant with cool bosses and unique weapons with a progression system that rewards exploration.”
- “This has got to be the worst game mechanic I've ever seen.”
- “This game is not optimized for play with a controller, and good luck playing for hours only to get to a part where you cannot advance any further because of terrible game mechanics.”
- “Unfortunately, the actual gameplay felt like a chore to me.”
music
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
43%
6%
The music in the game is widely praised for its fitting and atmospheric qualities, with standout contributions from the band Dimmu Borgir, particularly in the cutscenes. While the orchestral soundtrack enhances the overall experience, some players noted a lack of music during gameplay, which detracted from the immersion. Overall, the combination of engaging sound design and artistic visuals creates a memorable ambiance that resonates with players long after their initial experience.
- “Great atmosphere, mechanics, and soundtrack.”
- “The music is awesome but it's Dimmu Borgir, so how can it not be right?”
- “The soundtrack is subtle but atmospheric and immersive.”
- “No music for the rest of the game.”
- “Besides the replayability, the only other issue was the soundtrack... there was none!”
- “The music and ambience definitely represents the weakest component of the game.”
story
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
73%
13%
The game's story is often described as minimal and vague, primarily conveyed through cutscenes and visuals rather than dialogue, leaving players wanting more depth and narrative context. While the art style and atmosphere are praised for their beauty and surreal quality, many reviewers note that the gameplay focuses more on exploration and combat than on a rich storyline, resulting in a linear experience with limited storytelling elements. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a central feature, making it feel incomplete or underdeveloped for some players.
- “The whole appeal of this game is the story of your lone ship trying to save its world from an unknown enemy, which masterfully unfolds as you progress through the game.”
- “The art style is brilliant and communicates a story completely without words.”
- “A beautiful game with an interesting storyline.”
- “The story is that there is no story; if you collect all of the collectibles, you will get some flashbacks, but other than that, you will get the intro cutscene and ending.”
- “There really isn’t much of a storyline – there’s no voice acting, and any story is relayed through orchestrated cutscenes that give you the bare-bones minimum that you need to know: you’re an alien, and your planet has been attacked by some type of strange mechano-organic virus that corrupts the environment’s flora and fauna against you.”
- “The puzzles and gameplay are quite rewarding, but the story is not that deep.”
atmosphere
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and unique qualities, blending dark and tortured art design with cutesy elements, creating a compelling contrast. Reviewers highlight the effective use of music and sound to enhance the overall experience, making it both atmospheric and engaging. While some note a lack of substance in gameplay, the captivating visuals and soundscapes keep players invested and eager to explore further.
- “But the best part is of course the atmosphere given by this awesomely dark and tortured art design.”
- “The cutesy art style contrasts perfectly with the dark atmosphere and dangerous nature of the shadow planet.”
- “Equal parts Metroid, Aquaria, Solar Jetman, and Limbo, the sheer atmosphere of the game begs you to play for just a little more, just to see what's next.”
replayability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
27%
45%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find the multiplayer modes offer high replay value, many feel that the single-player campaign is short and lacks sufficient content for repeated playthroughs. Several reviews highlight that once the main game is completed, there isn't much incentive to return, unless engaging in speedrunning or online modes.
- “This aspect allows for great replayability, making sure that even after you complete the main game, there is much more to do.”
- “It might add to the replayability.”
- “The multiplayer modes are very intense and the replayability is high!”
- “I love this game, but unless you are speedrunning or playing one of the online modes, it's not very replayable.”
- “Not much replayability, but really fun and enjoyable for what it is.”
- “The campaign is really short, though (around 9 hours) and doesn't offer much in the way of replayability.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its cartoonish graphics and amusing elements, such as the quirky claw tool and the enjoyable experience of playing with friends. Players find the game to be a blend of twisted humor and lighthearted fun, contributing to an overall entertaining atmosphere.
- “The little claw tool is by far the most hilarious thing in the game.”
- “Together with 4 friends, it's hilarious fun!”
- “The detailed, cartoon-style graphics as well as the sense of humor all go together to make a very fun game.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while the controls and gameplay mechanics are smooth and engaging, the later stages can become frustratingly tedious, requiring excessive farming of resources and leading to repetitive gameplay.
- “Cute game, but gets slow and tedious fairly early on.”
- “Last segment is very annoying and tedious.”
- “I kept dying over and over within a few moments of being struck once, and surviving means farming enemy projectiles for health for 1-2 minutes in order to try again.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
Overall, the game demonstrates solid stability, running well on both Linux and Windows 10. However, players have reported occasional bugs and glitches, such as stuck objects, which can disrupt gameplay. Despite these issues, the experience remains enjoyable.
- “Runs great on Linux too.”
- “Verdict: runs great - even better - on Windows 10.”
- “The game offers some nice graphics, although there are some ugly glitches here and there.”
- “One of my main issues with the game is that it's sometimes buggy; I had to restart because one of the tentacles got stuck and I needed it to chase me.”
- “The lasers can be a bit of a pain to control, but they are fun once you get used to them.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
100%
The game's optimization is criticized, particularly for controller users, who may encounter frustrating gameplay mechanics that hinder progress. While NVIDIA users can improve performance by adjusting power management settings, AMD users report a lack of similar solutions.
- “For NVIDIA users, turning on maximum performance in power management mode works, but for AMD users like me, it doesn't seem to have the same effect.”
- “The optimization options available allow for a tailored gaming experience, enhancing both performance and visual quality.”
- “I appreciate how the game provides detailed settings to optimize performance based on my hardware, making it accessible for all types of players.”
- “This game is not optimized for play with a controller, and good luck playing for hours only to get to a part where you cannot advance any further because of terrible game mechanics when using a controller.”
- “For NVIDIA users, turning on maximum performance in power management mode works; for AMD users, like me, however... nope?”