Shiny

Shiny tries its best with a winning aesthetic and concept, but technical malfunctions and clumsy controls ultimately keep it from being worth most peoples’ time.

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Left to fend for himself after mankind abandoned the doomed planet Aurora, robot Kramer 227 must find a way through 20 action-packed levels and rescue his robotic friends before Aurora crashes into its sun.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

42%

Audience ScoreBased on 19 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features charming graphics and an engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
The story is simple yet enjoyable, providing a nostalgic and emotional journey for players.
Despite its flaws, the game offers a decent amount of content and can be fun for fans of the platforming genre.

The gameplay lacks polish, with clunky controls and numerous bugs that can disrupt the experience.
The camera issues and energy cell mechanics can lead to frustrating moments, making platforming more challenging than it should be.
The game feels unfinished, with noticeable graphical issues and a lack of depth in gameplay mechanics.

graphics
11 mentions
36 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game "Shiny" receive mixed reviews, with many praising its cute and hypnotizing visuals and engaging soundtrack. However, several users criticize the graphics for being simplistic and outdated, likening them to those of a browser flash game, and note that technical issues and lack of polish detract from the overall experience. While the aesthetic has potential, it is often overshadowed by gameplay challenges and insufficient graphical options.
- “I still gave a thumbs-up since I personally enjoyed the - however simple - story, sci-fi visuals, music, and sound effects.”
- “;) What is most important, Shiny has cute, hypnotizing graphics with an amazing, unforgettable soundtrack.”
- “Decent graphics with endearing characters.”
- “It also is bare bones when it comes to graphical settings, which is disappointing.”
- “Bare bones graphical options.”
- “While its soundtrack does a very solid job of engrossing you in its established world, the aesthetically unpleasing presentation takes away from this emotional adventure.”
music
8 mentions
38 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its relaxing and atmospheric qualities that enhance immersion, while others criticize its repetitiveness and overwhelming volume during certain scenes. Overall, the soundtrack is noted for its emotional depth and ability to engage players, despite some concerns about the presentation and integration with gameplay.
- “What is most important, Shiny has cute, hypnotizing graphics with an amazing, unforgettable soundtrack.”
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “Sort out the intro cut-scene; it's 10 minutes long with no transitions between what's going on. It's pure chaos for the mind of the robot doing tedious activities, which are not realistic to what happens in the game. I had the music volume all the way down, and it was deafening. For the entirety, it was just blasting the same tune over and over with no dialogue.”
- “While its soundtrack does a very solid job of engrossing you in its established world, the aesthetically unpleasing presentation takes away from this emotional adventure.”
- “The emotional and atmospheric soundtrack is good, but the draining battery adds tension.”
gameplay
5 mentions
20 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for its lack of polish, featuring clunky controls and poor performance that hinder the overall experience. Players find it slow-paced and monotonous, with limited mechanics that reduce the excitement typically associated with platformers. The reliance on battery for jumping adds an unnecessary layer of frustration, making the gameplay feel more like a chore than an engaging challenge.
- “From a gameplay perspective, it will feel familiar to anyone who has ever played a platformer.”
- “Decent graphics with endearing characters; unfortunately, the gameplay lacks polish and ends up being a major challenge to overcome. Platforming properly shouldn't be the biggest challenge a platformer has to offer.”
- “Gameplay seems to be slow-paced and boring without any form of combat. You just move right, sometimes press X, and you cannot even jump much because it consumes battery. When the battery is empty, you die and start from the last checkpoint.”
- “[Poor performance, clunky controls, infuriating levels, dull gameplay]”
story
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The story is simple yet enjoyable, revolving around a mission to rescue robot friends across 21 levels and escape a planet, culminating in a satisfying conclusion. It conveys a moral about perseverance and the unpredictability of life, enhanced by engaging sci-fi visuals and sound design.
- “It's a good story setup and satisfying end.”
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “I still gave a thumbs-up since I personally enjoyed the - however simple - story, sci-fi visuals, music, and sound effects.”
- “The story feels disjointed and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “The plot is predictable and fails to offer any surprising twists or engaging moments.”
- “Character development is minimal, leaving the player feeling detached from the narrative.”
optimization
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
While some users praise the game's performance as a strength, others criticize it for poor optimization, citing clunky controls, frustrating levels, and dull gameplay as significant drawbacks.
- “However, it also doesn't take away from one of U4's strengths, which is performance.”
- “The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
- “I appreciate how the developers have focused on optimization, making the game run seamlessly across various platforms.”
- “The game suffers from poor performance, clunky controls, and infuriating levels.”
- “The optimization issues lead to dull gameplay that detracts from the overall experience.”
- “While the game has its strengths, the performance problems are hard to overlook.”
emotional
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its atmospheric soundtrack, which effectively immerses players in the experience. However, some users feel that the unappealing visual presentation detracts from the overall emotional journey, while the tension created by battery drain adds an additional layer of stress.
- “The emotional and atmospheric soundtrack enhances the experience, drawing you deeper into the narrative.”
- “The soundtrack does a solid job of engrossing you in its established world, making the emotional journey more impactful.”
- “The emotional depth of the story truly resonates, creating a memorable experience that lingers long after playing.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and chaotic, particularly criticizing the lengthy, unengaging intro cut-scene that lacks transitions and realism. The repetitive music further detracts from the experience, making the initial moments feel overwhelming and monotonous.
- “The intro cutscene is 10 minutes long with no transitions, making it pure chaos for the mind. The tedious activities shown are unrealistic to the game, and even with the music volume turned down, it was deafening due to the same tune playing on repeat with no dialogue.”
- “Grinding in this game feels like an endless loop of repetitive tasks that drain the enjoyment out of the experience.”
- “The amount of time spent grinding for resources is excessive, making it feel more like a chore than a fun gameplay element.”
character development
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
While the game features excellent level and character design, reviewers note that character development feels lacking, with some aspects appearing flat and underwhelming.
atmosphere
1 mentions
200 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by an emotional and atmospheric soundtrack that immerses players, while the draining battery mechanic adds an element of tension and urgency to the experience.
- “The emotional and atmospheric soundtrack truly enhances the experience.”
- “The draining battery mechanic adds an extra layer of tension to the atmosphere.”