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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.
41%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
story, stability
39% User Score Based on 41 reviews
Critic Score 49%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

PCPlaystation 4Xbox OneXboxWindowsPlayStation
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About

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.

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Shiny screenshot
Shiny screenshot
Shiny screenshot
Shiny screenshot
Shiny screenshot
Shiny screenshot
Shiny screenshot
Shiny screenshot
Shiny screenshot
Shiny screenshot
Shiny screenshot
+3
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39%
Audience ScoreBased on 41 reviews
gameplay10 positive mentions
stability3 negative mentions
  • The game features a charming aesthetic with cute graphics and an evocative soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience.
  • The platforming mechanics, while flawed, provide a nostalgic challenge reminiscent of classic platformers, and the game is generous with save points.
  • The story concept of rescuing robots and preventing a planet's demise is engaging, and the game offers a straightforward, enjoyable experience for fans of the genre.
  • The controls are unresponsive and clunky, making platforming frustrating and leading to frequent unintended deaths.
  • The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including long loading times, bugs, and camera problems that detract from the overall experience.
  • Level design is often bland and uninspired, with a lack of variety and challenge that fails to keep players engaged.
  • gameplay
    29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many players citing unpolished mechanics, frustrating controls, and a lack of variety across levels. The jump mechanic is particularly criticized for being awkward, and the overall experience is described as slow-paced and uninspired, with poorly placed checkpoints and limited upgrades. While some players found enjoyment in certain mechanics, the general consensus is that the gameplay fails to deliver a satisfying platforming experience.

    • “From a gameplay perspective, it will feel familiar to anyone who has ever played a platformer.”
    • “Overall, I definitely recommend Shiny, especially to those looking for a straightforward platformer that replaces combat with other gaming mechanics, such as the shield, cooling mechanic, and jet pack.”
    • “It includes attainable achievements that unlock during the course of gameplay.”
    • “I can't recommend the game purely because the gameplay and visuals are quite bad, and there was very little variety in the 20 levels that you play.”
    • “The levels and traps are basic, dull, and uninspired in their design and challenge. The jump mechanic doesn’t feel right, the camera is fiddly to use, and it doesn’t always follow your robot.”
    • “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, which when empty, causes you to die and start from the last checkpoint.”
  • graphics
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the charming art style and sci-fi visuals, while others criticize the overall quality as outdated and inconsistent, featuring both decent and blurry textures. Technical issues, such as glitches and poor optimization, detract from the visual experience, and many feel that the graphics do not compensate for the lackluster gameplay. Overall, while there are moments of beauty, the visuals are often overshadowed by gameplay flaws and technical malfunctions.

    • “Shiny has a cute, hypnotizing graphics with an amazing, unforgettable soundtrack.”
    • “Unfortunately, it did not resolve the issue, but it did make me realize just how beautiful these graphics are on the higher resolutions (1920 x 1080 and 1920 x 1200).”
    • “Some aesthetics in the background look decently made.”
    • “I can't recommend the game purely because the gameplay and visuals are quite bad, and there was very little variety in the 20 levels that you play.”
    • “Graphics are really bad, especially with how some textures are okay and others, connected to them, are blurry as all hell.”
    • “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
    21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its epic and relaxing qualities that enhance the gaming experience, while others criticize its repetitiveness and lack of integration with the game's setting. Some users highlighted the soundtrack as a standout feature that kept them engaged, while others found it chaotic or too quiet at times. Overall, the music is described as both captivating and atmospheric, contributing significantly to the game's emotional impact.

    • “I kid you not when I say the music alone had me finishing the game instead of uninstalling after the first level.”
    • “Find the music on YouTube or play the game solely for the music, that's how abnormally epic and chill-inducing the music was for this game.”
    • “The soundtrack is fantastic, alternating between extremely realistic and appropriate sound effects to music that cues the gamer through tempo.”
    • “The music is okay, but doesn’t always tie in with the setting and often cut out or played really quietly.”
    • “Music is a very simple repetitive chiptune.”
    • “Sort out the intro cut-scene, it's 10 minutes long with no transitions between what's going on, pure chaos for the mind of the robot doing tedious activities, and I had the music volume all the way down and it was deafening; not to mention for the entirety it was just blasting the same tune over and over with no dialogue.”
  • story
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is generally perceived as simplistic and lacking depth, with many players noting that it fails to engage beyond a basic premise of rescuing robot friends. While some appreciate the sci-fi visuals and music, the narrative is often overshadowed by lengthy cutscenes that do not enhance the gameplay experience. Overall, the story feels minimal and is not a strong draw for players.

    • “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 personally I enjoyed the - however simple - story, sci-fi visuals, music, and sound effects.”
    • “It's a good story setup and a satisfying end.”
    • “The characters are simple, story is nonexistent.”
    • “You learn more about the plot from achievement names than what the game actually tells you.”
    • “There is a decently long cut scene to explain the whole story at the beginning of the game, and that is the extent of any storyline.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent bugs such as incorrect or missing button prompts, character and background clipping, and random achievement unlocks. Players report repeated crashes, particularly in level 6, and design flaws that hinder gameplay, making it difficult to enjoy the experience. Overall, the game's stability problems detract heavily from its appeal.

    • “It’s not a particularly challenging or very long game and it’s also quite buggy with button prompts displaying incorrectly or missing, character/background clipping, achievements unlocking randomly (or not at all), and poor design choices such as linear level segments so you have to die to get all the collectibles, repeatedly crashing in level 6, heat traps not turning off (again making some sequences impossible without dying), and some sequences with nothing in them at all.”
    • “The game is incredibly buggy, simplistic, impossible to enjoy.”
    • “A platformer that briefly freezes every so often; also, there's not much to it.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some users report strong performance with minimal stuttering on capable hardware, others experience poor performance, clunky controls, and frustrating gameplay elements. This suggests that optimization may vary significantly depending on individual setups and specific graphics settings.

    • “With my particular gaming laptop and G-Sync, I wouldn't expect any kind of stuttering or flickering. The fact that this was very occasional leads me to believe it's more of a graphics issue than an equipment issue.”
    • “[Poor performance, clunky controls, infuriating levels, dull gameplay]”
    • “However, it also doesn't take away one of U4's strengths, which is performance.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    While the game's level and character design are praised for their excellence, reviewers note that the character development feels lacking, with some describing it as flat and underwhelming.

  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 impact, while the tension created by battery management adds an additional layer of stress.

    • “The emotional and atmospheric soundtrack truly enhances the experience, immersing you in the game's world.”
    • “The soundtrack does a fantastic job of engrossing you in the established world, making this an emotional adventure.”
  • grinding
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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, creating pure chaos for the mind of the player. The tedious activities shown are unrealistic compared to the actual game, and even with the music volume turned all the way down, it was deafening due to the repetitive tune playing throughout with no dialogue.”
    • “Grinding in this game feels endless and monotonous, making it hard to stay engaged. The repetitive tasks drain the enjoyment out of the experience.”
    • “The grind is so tedious that it feels more like a chore than a game. I found myself losing interest quickly due to the lack of variety in the activities.”
  • atmosphere
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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.”
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49%Critics’ scoreBased on 7 critic reviews
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