Shadowkin
- February 23, 2024
- The Fox Knocks
Get on Steam"Shadowkin" is a local multi-player action game that allows 2 players to play together in co-op mode via Steam RemotePlay. Players control minions of the Dark Lord, working together to conquer worlds and annihilate enemies using a variety of abilities. The game features masterful mechanics, with each character able to build and synergize their abilities differently, making for a unique and challenging experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The unique ally/co-op system allows for significant gameplay variation and synergy between characters.
- The game features a fun gameplay loop with interesting mechanics and a decent challenge, especially in co-op mode.
- The art style and music are well-received, contributing to an enjoyable atmosphere.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs, particularly in multiplayer mode, which detracts from the overall experience.
- There is a lack of content, with limited character options and repetitive gameplay that can become monotonous.
- Visibility issues during combat make it difficult to track character movements and avoid attacks, leading to frustrating gameplay.
- gameplay15 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its innovative mechanics, such as the dash and ally character, which enhance the experience and keep runs fresh with varied room layouts and unique enemy attacks. Players appreciate the fun and challenging gameplay loop, build variety, and synergy, although some express concerns about the lack of healing mechanics and minor issues that affect overall enjoyment. Overall, the game offers a more involved experience compared to typical titles in the genre, making it a worthwhile investment.
“Love the dash mechanic and the more involved gameplay that this offers.”
“This is a massive boon for the game, as it keeps runs much fresher: not only do the changing backgrounds keep things interesting from a visual perspective, but they also keep the gameplay fresh, as room layouts will change how you approach hordes, and zone-specific elite enemies have unique attacks to avoid.”
“Great build variety, fun abilities, and decently challenging gameplay!”
“There is little to no healing mechanics you can utilize, which for me makes the game feel like a constant fight to avoid chip damage.”
“This allows for huge amounts of synergy and gameplay variation.”
“The first is the presence of your ally character, a mechanic I've not yet seen executed in the genre.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally praised for their pleasing art style, which remains clear even during chaotic gameplay. However, some users noted that certain fonts clash with the overall aesthetic. Additionally, the visuals are considered a strong point of the game, complementing its modest price.
“The art style is overall pretty good.”
“Visuals: the art style is pleasing, and even with lots of abilities firing onscreen, it's not too hard to figure out what is going on.”
“Seven bucks is a really modest price for what's on offer; beyond gameplay, the visuals and especially the music are pretty great.”
“Some of the fonts seem a bit conflicting with the art style.”
“Disable visuals in accessibility settings.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, featuring a dynamic soundtrack that complements the gameplay effectively. Reviewers appreciate the value offered at a modest price, highlighting the music as a standout element alongside visuals and gameplay.
“The music is great and helps set the tone well.”
“Lots of skills, lots of stats, not too easy, banger dynamic soundtrack, and you can couch co-op.”
“Seven bucks is a really modest price for what's on offer; beyond gameplay, the visuals and especially the music are pretty great.”
“The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The soundtrack feels generic and doesn't match the game's atmosphere.”
“I found the music to be quite dull and uninspiring, which detracted from the overall experience.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's stability is criticized for significant bugs in multiplayer mode, particularly affecting the second player's ability to use dash skills and experience audio issues during remote play.
“The multiplayer is buggy; the second player is unable to dash if they pick up any dash skills. Remote play is even more problematic, as the second player cannot hear any audio.”
“The game crashes frequently during online sessions, making it nearly impossible to enjoy multiplayer.”
“I've experienced constant disconnections and lag spikes, which ruin the overall gameplay experience.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is limited due to the lack of character options, as players can only choose from two playable characters instead of the initially suggested five. This restriction may reduce the incentive for players to replay the game.
“The prologue/demo had what looked like placeholders for 5 characters to pick from, but then they were never added and only 2 characters are playable.”
“Once you finish the game, there's little incentive to go back and play again since the story doesn't change.”
“The lack of different endings or meaningful choices makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of skill acquisition to be excessive, with many skills only becoming effective when the player's health is below 25%, which adds to the frustration of the grinding process.
“Getting skills is too grindy, and most of them don't work unless you're below 25% HP.”
“The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious, making it hard to enjoy the actual gameplay.”
“I find the grind to level up incredibly frustrating; it takes away from the fun and excitement of the game.”
