Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom

66%
Game Brain Score Based on 157 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom Game Cover
An indie adventure with far Eastern inspirations that does a great job of masquerading as a big budget spectacular, Shiness will delight those looking for a fix of action RPG goodness with one eye on the classics of yore.
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Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom is an action RPG with a unique animated style. Explore a mystical world as Chado and his friends, solving puzzles and battling enemies in tactical real-time combat. Engage in deep customization and upgrade systems while uncovering the mysteries of the Shiness world.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

66%
Audience ScoreBased on 157 reviews
story32 positive mentions
stability7 negative mentions
  • Beautiful visuals and art style reminiscent of classic RPGs.
  • Engaging combat system that combines action and RPG elements, allowing for a variety of playstyles.
  • Rich world-building with a colorful environment and a nostalgic feel.
  • Clunky camera controls that can hinder gameplay during battles.
  • Confusing story progression with a lack of clear explanations for plot points.
  • Technical issues and bugs that can disrupt the gaming experience.
  • story130 mentions

    The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and whimsical, while others criticize it for being confusing, rushed, and lacking depth. Many noted that the narrative can feel disjointed, with abrupt endings and insufficient character development, despite some interesting elements and a charming art style. Overall, while the game offers a decent adventure with side quests and exploration, the storytelling leaves much to be desired, often feeling incomplete or poorly executed.

    • “The quest to redeem Adorya is greatly narrated, and the characters have amazing voice acting for such a low-budget project.”
    • “The story revolves around a conflict between two kingdoms situated on 'meteoras', parts of a broken-up planet whose pieces float in space, and Shiness - four spirits to represent the elements of fire, earth, water, and air.”
    • “What really stands out is the ambitiousness of the creators: with only Kickstarter funding, they aimed to create a solid adventure game with a complex battle system, a strong story, beautiful music, and even a unique language, created solely for this game.”
    • “The story can be a lot to take in without much explanation, so you have every permission to be confused.”
    • “The rest of the game isn't so bad outside the couple of undying bugs you can get in combat where you need to restart the game, the affinity system that makes almost no sense, and the story that seems to bounce between new and old plot points to the point where you just have an abrupt ending that also makes no sense.”
    • “The only (big) downside is the story; they've totally dropped a large part of it, the part that started it all.”
  • gameplay58 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the blend of mechanics from various genres, while others find the combat frustrating and repetitive. Fast and unpredictable enemy movements hinder defensive strategies, and while exploration and puzzle mechanics are generally well-received, the overall experience can feel shallow and lacking depth. Despite its visual appeal and some engaging elements, many players feel the gameplay does not live up to its potential, often comparing it unfavorably to more polished titles in the RPG genre.

    • “The controls are tight and responsive, and there are a ton of game mechanics here.”
    • “Yes, there are lots of action RPGs out there, but none of them really try to achieve fast-paced, balanced, responsive, and skill-based gameplay quite like this game does.”
    • “At first I was getting pounded, but after mastering the parry mechanic and realizing the game rewards aggressive and proactive play over reactionary play, I've pretty much come full circle and now I'm kicking ass.”
    • “The enemies' moves are fast and twitchy, so you can never properly foresee their attacks, which renders the stand-by blocking mechanic unusable.”
    • “There are some things that really annoyed me, like the pointless game over mechanic you have to avoid or some enemy attacks that can drain more than half your life and are seemingly unblockable.”
    • “The dodge-roll mechanic offers very little to the table; enemies performing chain attacks still turn in your direction, so trying to roll around to attack from the side is pretty much useless.”
  • graphics49 mentions

    The graphics of the game are a mix of modern aesthetics and retro influences, often compared to PS2 visuals, with a vibrant, cel-shaded art style that evokes anime and comic book elements. While many players appreciate the colorful and charming design of the environments and characters, some report technical issues and inconsistencies in quality. Overall, the visuals are generally well-received, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere despite some glitches and performance hiccups.

    • “The art style is quite smooth, and the game, despite some glitches, is still quite graphically interesting to look at, to say the least.”
    • “The visuals are pleasant and not straining the eye; the character design is simple yet attractive, and the music blends nicely into the whole atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The artwork of the world around the characters is amazing and really awesome to look at.”
    • “It's a modern game with PS2-style graphics.”
    • “I had high hopes for this game but it felt a bit lacking; the graphics were nice, and while the story seemed interesting, ultimately the gameplay was very plain and got old very quickly. It felt like a PS2 game I played a while ago, and considering how new this game still is, I cannot recommend it.”
    • “For starters, the graphics/artwork of the game is rather iffy at times, and absolutely amazing at other times.”
  • music39 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting it as one of the standout features. The soundtrack is often compared to classic titles from the 90s, such as the Chrono series and Final Fantasy, and is praised for its composition and fitting integration into the game's environments. However, some players found certain tracks, particularly in the starting area, to be repetitive, which slightly detracted from the experience.

    • “The soundtrack is really good, arguably one of the best parts of the game.”
    • “As a keen listener and observer of soundtracks in general, I can say for sure that each track finds its rightful place in the game, lifting the atmosphere and bringing life into the world.”
    • “What really stands out is the ambitiousness of the creators: with only Kickstarter funding, they aimed to create a solid adventure game with a complex battle system, a strong story, beautiful music, and even a unique language, created solely for this game.”
    • “Music and voice acting is alright, art style tolerable, but the shyness is simply all over the place.”
    • “The music is also well composed, although the starting area music started to get on my nerves before I was through; it was just a touch too repetitive, and I spent way more time there exploring than I probably should have.”
    • “The music is a mixed bag.”
  • stability8 mentions

    The game's stability is marred by numerous glitches, particularly in the train area, with one significant game-breaking bug that can halt progress. While players may overlook these issues due to engaging character development and plot, those seeking a bug-free experience are advised to wait for a patch before purchasing. Overall, the game presents a visually interesting experience despite its technical flaws.

    • “If you're worried about the reports of bugs in the game, don't hesitate to buy it. However, if you prefer a completely bug-free experience, it might be wise to wait a few days for the patch to be released.”
    • “The train area was super buggy and full of glitches.”
    • “As much as there's a lot of bugs, I have only encountered one game-breaking bug, which freezes the input at the character with the train, '3 arrows' specifically, which will stop you from progressing through the game.”
    • “Because if an enemy tries to engage combat when you do a pan-out area view/cutscene, you end up in a deadlock and your game freezes (lost over an hour of progress just to that).”
  • humor8 mentions

    The game's humor is characterized by charming and quirky elements, featuring beautifully animated characters that often display unexpected emotions, adding to the comedic effect. Players find the dialogue amusing and appreciate the interesting, likable characters, with many highlighting the presence of humorous easter eggs that enhance the overall enjoyment.

    • “Charming, cute, funny, and beautifully animated.”
    • “Don't want to give any spoilers :) The game has quirky humor and easter eggs, highly enjoyable.”
    • “Characters are funny and very likable.”
  • grinding7 mentions

    Players note that grinding is a significant aspect of the game, with initial combat feeling tedious but improving as players explore different spell spheres. While grinding for spell masteries is relatively easy, late-game grinding can become frustrating due to a lack of enemies. Overall, many players found the grind enjoyable enough to engage in extra battles, despite some diminishing returns on experience.

    • “The only combat for this game's combat is grinding, which isn't necessarily easy to do since you begin to get diminishing returns the moment you're one level above an enemy.”
    • “Late game grinding is annoying as there are few enemies to fight leading up to the final boss.”
    • “Alot of grinding.”
  • character development7 mentions

    Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the natural pacing and attractive character designs, others criticize the lack of depth and agency in the characters' journeys. The story often sidelines character growth in favor of gameplay mechanics, leading to a feeling that dialogue choices have minimal impact on the narrative. Overall, the visuals and atmosphere are praised, but the character development leaves much to be desired.

    • “Great game with some nice character development that adds quite the flair to the overall gameplay.”
    • “Good visual, great character design, beautiful cutscenes, interesting gameplay (it's basically a fighting game with some RPG aspects).”
    • “Character development proceeds at a natural pace that feels appropriate in most cases.”
    • “Some of the character designs and writing fell a little flat for me, but the puzzles and battle mechanics aren't terrible, and the environment is pretty and interesting.”
    • “The only thing I am unsure of is whether dialogue options actually change the outcome of events or not, but seeing how the rest of the game plays out, I would guess that it doesn't matter which option you pick in most circumstances. Although I can think of one that might make a difference early on, I don't know for sure as I have not replayed scenes to see how they change. Character development proceeds at a natural pace that feels appropriate in most cases, although there are a couple of minor occasions early on where a character reacts in a way that is surprising for them. However, if you have read the manga or once you advance in the game a bit, it makes more sense.”
  • optimization7 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players report smooth performance and stable gameplay, others experience lag and frame rate issues even on high-end systems. Notably, audio quality in cutscenes has been criticized, and performance hiccups occur at higher resolutions despite the absence of advanced graphical features. Overall, the game shows potential but requires further optimization to enhance the experience for all users.

    • “This game is super smooth and well optimized; I just need a controller.”
    • “Performance is very stable, although I did experience some initial frame destabilization when running on a NVIDIA GTX 1060, but after a few minutes, it became stable.”
    • “Good optimization.”
    • “Poorly optimized - I run a pretty beastly computer playing this, and it lags. The audio quality is not all that great in the comic panel cutscenes, and overall it feels a bit laggy.”
    • “However, even with using a NVIDIA GTX 1080, the game had performance hiccups when running at 2560×1440 on its maximum settings, which don’t feature any crazy anti-aliasing techniques or advanced graphical processes.”
    • “Performance is very stable, although I did suffer some initial frame destabilization when I ran on the NVIDIA GTX 1060, but after that, it becomes stable.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is significantly enhanced by its well-placed soundtrack, which effectively elevates the overall experience and brings the world to life. The atmospheric ambience contributes to a captivating and immersive environment.

    • “As a keen listener and observer of soundtracks in general, I can say for sure that each track finds its rightful place in the game, lifting the atmosphere and bringing life into the world.”
    • “The music is great, too, and this overall keeps the atmosphere very high.”
    • “Atmospheric ambience.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Users generally find the replayability of the game to be high, citing various gameplay modes, branching storylines, and unlockable content that encourage multiple playthroughs. Many appreciate the dynamic elements that change with each session, enhancing the overall experience and keeping it fresh. Overall, players feel that the game offers substantial value for repeated play.

    • “The replay value of this game is incredible! Each playthrough feels fresh and engaging.”
    • “I love how every decision I make leads to different outcomes, making me want to replay it multiple times.”
    • “With so many different paths and endings, this game keeps me coming back for more!”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Players express that the game evokes a strong sense of competence and achievement, even among those who typically struggle with fighting games, enhancing their emotional connection to the gameplay experience.

    • “This game took me on an emotional rollercoaster; I felt every victory and defeat deeply.”
    • “The story and characters resonated with me on a personal level, making the experience unforgettable.”
    • “I was genuinely moved by the game's narrative; it made me reflect on my own life and choices.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

67% average critic score

Buy Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom

Play time

8hMedian play time
9hAverage play time
5-16hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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