My shadow and Me
The indie puzzle platformer. Everyone has seen them before, they come in all shapes and sizes. They can either be hits, or fall into the rest of the pack and never reach their full potential. Then there’s the ones that do really well, and just don’t have enough word of mouth or notoriety to them to garner more people to play them. This is where The Shady Part of Me comes in. I haven’t heard a single person talking about this game, but after playing it, I really think people should.
Players take on the role of a young girl who is navigating multiple areas with her shadow companion. They both converse with one another as they move about the levels. The thing is, the little girl can’t stand being in lighted areas as she prefers the shadows. Her partner in all of this can’t exist in the shadows and must have light in order to progress. You see how this is playing out? They need each other, but they can’t be in the areas that they thrive in.
Platforms: XB, PS, PC, Switch
MSRP: $14.99
Price I’d pay: $14.99
This all plays into the puzzle aspect of the game. The girl will manipulate objects that will cast shadows on the walls, ceiling, and other surfaces that will allow her shadow to move through an area. At the same time, the player must remember that the girl can’t be in the light. It’s a give and take mechanic that players will have to keep in mind when doing anything in the environment. So, the girl can push a box towards a source of light in the foreground, that box will then cast a shadow that is now much larger on the wall. This box’s shadow is now a taller platform that the girl’s shadow can now use to reach a higher ledge. It starts out simple enough, but gets rather tricky as the levels progress.
Speaking of levels, the entire game is set in acts. These acts are broken down into sections that represent a room or one puzzle. It works out in a way that allows the player to get a nice break in puzzles without ever becoming overly complex. Don’t let that fool you, some puzzles can get mind-bendy where I can totally make it to the end of the section with the shadow, but end up leaving the girl stranded surrounded by light. Both characters must make it to the end of the area together. Luckily, switching between the two characters is a simple button press. What also makes this a better experience is the fact that there is no game over. If one of my characters were to get stuck or get trapped in light/shadow, I can easily rewind time to the point where it all went wrong. This is the saving grace mechanic that both allowed me to progress at a better rate as well as allowed me to experiment on paths to take without worrying about dying or failing and having to wait for a loading screen.
Along the way, players can collect origami birds that are around the environment. These start out as just a collectible, but turn in to a story piece that opens up more dialog to hear. The story itself begins as a cryptic mystery, but throughout its five hour length turns into a tale of acceptance. While not everything is explained as I would have liked, it gets its point across and with some pretty good voice performances, kept me going throughout.
If there was one thing I had to complain about it would be that the platforming can be a little floaty at times. The jumping while playing as the shadow can feel a little weightless at times and when trying to make some rather precise jumps, it can get bothersome. Once again, the wonderful rewind feature makes this a minor issue rather than a blatant one.
Aside from the puzzles and the good mechanics, the art direction and use of imagery and shadows really sells the game. It looks both drab and melancholy, but also gives off a dreams and wonder feel. It’s an interesting style to say the least and plays into the gameplay very nicely.
Overall, The Shady Part of Me was a good time. There were times I didn’t know what was going on in the story, but the simple feel of its mechanics while still keeping the complexity of the puzzles really kept me going. Its a really interesting game that I think puzzle platforming fans should try, and with its rewind feature and the bit-sized progression aspects, it makes the entire thing an enjoyable time all the way though.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
