ShadowSide

About

"ShadowSide" is a single-player simulation game with a gripping story and fantastic visuals. As policeman Alex Carter, players explore the eerie, atmospheric town of Nightwood, where they'll uncover shocking truths and encounter several possible endings. With stunningly realistic graphics and an interactive environment, players can inspect objects and locations, adding depth to the immersive gameplay experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 218 reviews

story40 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and a well-crafted atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
The story, while convoluted, offers intriguing twists and multiple endings that can engage players.
The game provides a unique challenge for walking simulator enthusiasts, with diverse environments and a variety of situations to explore.

The narrative is disjointed and confusing, making it difficult for players to follow the story.
Gameplay can feel tedious due to excessive walking and a lack of meaningful interactions, leading to boredom.
Technical issues such as crashes, poor optimization, and a frustrating save system detract from the overall experience.

story
200 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
70%
10%
The story of the game is described as convoluted and confusing, with frequent shifts in tone and genre that leave players struggling to follow the narrative. While some appreciate the intriguing premise involving spiritual possession and law enforcement, many criticize the lack of coherence and character development, resulting in a narrative that feels disjointed and poorly executed. Overall, the ambitious scope of the story is seen as a double-edged sword, with potential that is ultimately undermined by its execution.
- “The story is rather mature, it being a strange spiritual possession type of story happening amidst members of law enforcement.”
- “I think this game is a prime example of how a good story is not simply told through dialogue but through atmosphere, environments, world-building, and perspective.”
- “Interesting story that kept me wanting to find out what was up next.”
- “The story seems to be vague and all over the place; the narrative is definitely messy, and I really don't understand what's going on or what my purpose is.”
- “It just keeps changing, and none of the plot elements meld together; the story is needlessly convoluted, and it's all frustratingly difficult to understand.”
- “The environments don't make any sense and the story is a huge mess.”
graphics
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
32%
4%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and attention to detail, showcasing stunning environments and atmospheric effects that enhance the overall experience. While many players appreciate the visuals, some note issues with optimization and a lack of additional graphics settings. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a strong point, even if the gameplay itself may not live up to the same standard.
- “It drew me in with its gorgeous graphics, lovingly created environments, and a willingness to just let the player walk for ages and bask in that setting.”
- “Not to mention the visuals are absolutely gorgeous, really adding to the atmosphere and the stunning variety in said environments had gone a long way in keeping things fresh.”
- “Every chapter is unique and the graphics are very beautiful, partly stunning!”
- “Badly developed game, poor graphics and interaction. With this price, you can buy way better games than this; do not waste your money.”
- “Similarly to the investigator, the graphics menu only allows preset values. We do have v-sync, chromatic aberration, and motion blur available, but additional options would have been nice.”
- “Not bad at all if one likes great CryEngine graphics, good sound and ambient environment, lots of variety, and worth replaying for different endings. However, a big negative part is the standalone startup issues; if you don't have another game with a similar CryEngine, don't buy it because it won't start at all.”
atmosphere
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
23%
5%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful graphics, immersive sound design, and effective use of horror elements, creating a tense and creepy experience. While the visuals and environmental storytelling are highlighted as strong points, some reviewers note that the gameplay can feel dull and disjointed, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the game successfully evokes a chilling ambiance that enhances its narrative and exploration elements.
- “I think this game is a prime example of how a good story is not simply told through dialogue but through atmosphere, environments, world-building, and perspective.”
- “Not to mention the visuals are absolutely gorgeous, really adding to the atmosphere, and the stunning variety in said environments has gone a long way in keeping things fresh.”
- “Shadowside is a very nice adventure with a great atmosphere.”
- “Atmosphere: it is tense when it has to be, and quite scary with a real sense of impending doom for a great deal of its playtime... until it switches to another random stroll through some abandoned Russian town/farmstead.”
- “The dark sci-fi thriller of Shadowside is a visually neat, fairly ambitious, and occasionally intriguing walking simulator that mainly emphasizes running since walking is far too slow and needlessly time-consuming, as you search for various collectibles and documents in the overall linear landscapes that refreshingly enough involve snowy scenery, providing a decent and chilly atmosphere of something obscure happening.”
- “But if you are easily distressed by jump scares and a suspenseful atmosphere, then go into this with caution.”
gameplay
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
77%
8%
The gameplay has been criticized for being overly simplistic and linear, often resembling a walking simulator with minimal player interaction and inconsistent mechanics. While some players appreciated the atmosphere and visual design, many found the experience dull and frustrating due to technical issues and a lack of engaging gameplay elements. Overall, the game struggles with coherence in its mechanics and storytelling, leading to a shallow experience that fails to fully captivate players.
- “The gameplay is easy, so that I did what I liked -- I played for the story.”
- “This game combines a well-written story, frightening horror parts, tense gameplay, and beautiful scenery.”
- “I got about 7 hours of gameplay out of it, but that is with exploring as much as possible and stopping to take screenshots.”
- “It's really bad; the plot is illogical, and the gameplay is slow and choppy.”
- “Game mechanics: sometimes when you climb you use the jump key, sometimes you use the function key; most of the time you will be killed by any creature/opponent, but sometimes if you approach a monster you can actually kill it because the plot requires it, but there is no indication that, yup, now you can defeat creatures instead of being insta-killed by them.”
- “But after that, it is a very shallow game, with a confusing story, very linear and simplistic gameplay, where you press a button and automatically the character does stuff with zero player interaction.”
optimization
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
40%
20%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, including lag and the need to lower resolution to 800x600. Conversely, others report stable performance with high frame rates, praising the optimization of the 3D engine. Overall, while some users appreciate the visuals and stability, many feel that the game is poorly optimized, particularly in its expansive, empty environments.
- “On a final note, the visuals are great, the sound is just right, and the game is optimized well.”
- “Optimized 3D engine (144fps 2k with 1080ti).”
- “The developer did a great job with optimization, as it's completely stable, rendering at a constant 60+ fps with no crashes, bugs, or glitches... at least in my experience.”
- “This is a walking simulator, and you are just walking in the game's very empty, lifeless world, which has many dead ends in a badly optimized, laggy engine.”
- “Performance is so poor you have to use 800x600.”
- “Cons: large areas make for some dips in performance at times.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The music in the game is generally well-crafted, with a nice and creepy atmosphere that complements the graphics and potential of the game. However, it suffers from repetitiveness, as players frequently encounter the same tracks, particularly during lengthy load screens, which can detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the soundtrack, others find it monotonous and sleep-inducing over time.
- “Furthermore, the story has some very unexpected and weird plot twists... and the music is nice and creepy.”
- “At least the background music is well created.”
- “It's a shame because the game has nice graphics and music, and it feels like it has the potential to be a good game.”
- “The soundtrack is making you fall asleep.”
- “The background music is well created, but it doesn't save the overall experience.”
- “The music is forgettable and adds little to the gameplay.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Overall, the game's stability is generally praised, with many players experiencing smooth performance at 60+ fps and no crashes. However, some users have reported game-breaking glitches that can disrupt gameplay, indicating that while optimization is strong, there are still occasional issues that need addressing.
- “My biggest problem with the game came in the form of a couple of game-breaking glitches. For example, on the farm, I couldn't pick up the shovel, so I was wandering about, trying to look for a key or something.”
- “The game is plagued by several game-breaking glitches that severely impact gameplay. I found myself stuck multiple times due to these issues.”
- “There are numerous stability issues that make the game frustrating to play. Crashes and bugs occur frequently, disrupting the experience.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often likening it to a slow collection of monotonous tasks that detracts from the overall experience. Many express that the grinding shifts the focus from exploration to a frustrating chore, making it feel like a significant time investment is required just to progress.
- “Seems mostly like a slow collection of tedious tasks tied together with walking simulation, which is not something I'm very interested in.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “This goes from being exploration to being completely tedious.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has been noted for its inconsistency, particularly in the use of language and cultural references, which can create a jarring experience for players. While the game itself does not feature advertising, comparisons to a similar title reveal a lack of cohesion in its thematic elements, leading to confusion regarding its setting.
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The game effectively blends dark themes, such as murder and horror, with humor through quirky sidequests and absurd scenarios, like searching for a stuffed cat. This juxtaposition creates a unique comedic experience that lightens the overall tone while maintaining engagement with the serious narrative.
- “The game brilliantly juxtaposes the serious topic of murder and being on the run with hilarious sidequests, like the NPC who asks you to find their cat (spoiler alert: it's a stuffed cat) and other bouts of silliness.”
- “The humor in this game is fantastic, combining dark themes with lighthearted moments that keep you laughing throughout.”
- “I love how the game balances intense situations with absurd humor, making even the most serious moments feel entertaining.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with users expressing heartfelt recommendations that highlight its impactful storytelling and ability to resonate deeply with players.
- “It's a recommendation, and a heartfelt one.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers some replayability through its multiple endings, encouraging players to explore different outcomes. However, players should be ready for extensive running in later chapters, which may detract from the overall narrative experience.
- “There is a bit of replay value given the multiple endings that can be found throughout the game, though be prepared to do a lot of running as many of the later chapters prefer long treks in lieu of story building.”