Lost-in-Shadow
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Lost in Shadow review: Succumbing to the dark side
Lost in Shadow isn't a bad game. At times, it soars. But it doesn't know when to quit. It begins as a cerebral platformer with an inspired gimmick, then keeps adding ill-advised play mechanics and new story beats when the main narrative thread has frayed. Like a stand-up comedian who lingers onstage long after the audience has stopped laughing, Lost in Shadow's greatest achievement turns out to be how thoroughly it squanders its goodwill. It's a shame, because things start so well. A brief introductory sequence shows a boy's shadow severed from his body, and dumped from the top of a high tower. When the game begins, you find yourself controlling not the boy, but the shadow. This takes a bigger mental adjustment than you'd expect. Robust, three-dimensional objects float uselessly by in the foreground, while the real action is projected in two dimensions against the rear walls, deep in your field of vision. A simple enough idea, but powerful. You find yourself leaning forward in your seat, almost feeling your brain rewiring itself as you try to make sense of this dangerous world.%Gallery-105078%
Lost in Shadow preview: Seeing the light
I've played Lost in Shadow twice so far at preview events, and both times I was moved to ask, "Could this game end up on other platforms -- XBLA and PSN perhaps?" Both times the game's representatives said no. Lost in Shadow is headed to Wii this January as a retail release, and that could be a real shame -- though the game is "aimed at kids, but enjoyable for adults as well," according to a pitchman, history suggests that this unique, beautiful, third-party platformer from Hudson is unlikely to be a sales hit. But for Lost in Shadow's sake, let's hope Wii owners discover this possible gem -- they might just find a very pretty, endearing game with an interesting platforming twist. %Gallery-105078%
Lost in Shadow lights up retail in January
Hudson is doing its best to make sure that its very pretty Wii platformer Lost in Shadow doesn't get lost in the typically crowded holiday game release season. Unfortunately for those of us who want to play it now now now, the company is accomplishing this by waiting it out. Lost in Shadow, first revealed in August 2009, won't be in stores in North America until January 4, 2011. It's nice, then, that there's still more to learn about the game to keep us occupied. The latest trailer (after the break) and screens reveal mysterious gates that allow the player character, normally just a shadow, to take shape as some kind of light being, and move in 3D space.%Gallery-98407%
Preview: Lost in Shadow
I was incredibly skeptical of Lost in Shadow when I first picked up the controller. Sure, it may look like Ico, but it definitely doesn't play like it. While there's a lot to like about the Wii game -- especially its shadow manipulation gimmick, unique premise, and gorgeous art -- I walked away with some concern that the full experience may become stale. The story of Lost in Shadow is rather grim: a boy finds himself severed from his body, relegated to explore the realm of shadows. As he traverses a massive trap-filled tower, he earns more memories, becoming more whole. It takes 21 grams to make a spirit whole -- and that's your goal in this inventive platformer. To reclaim your soul, you'll have to collect its pieces. Of course, this is easier said than done. You'll find these scattered throughout the world, oftentimes in seemingly impossible places to reach. Being trapped in shadow form means you can only interact with shadows, projected by objects in the foreground. Thankfully you have a few tricks up your sleeve. You have the ability to move light, altering the shadows. By manipulating an on-screen slider vertically (or horizontally), you'll be able to change the shadows, and open new paths. The solutions appear a bit too obvious: simply demanding experimentation with the sliders. According to a Hudson rep, these sliders only appear when shadow manipulation is necessary, making it very clear when you must use your powers. %Gallery-90095%
Hands-on: Lost in Shadow
Hudson's possibly no-longer-Wii-exclusive action-platformer Lost in Shadow has always struck us as a lovely game -- its use of light and shadow evoking the great ICO -- but until last night there was the chance it could very well hold as little substance as its silhouette hero. Good news: What started out reminding me of the original, side-scrolling Prince of Persia quickly had me grinning, as its lighting went from "a nice effect" to a creating some clever gameplay mechanics. The premise of the game is simple: You play as the shadow of a boy that's been severed from his body. Beginning at the ground floor of a massive tower, you guide his shadow form back to the top, where the two will (hopefully) be reunited. The core gameplay is simple. The shadow boy has a sword and can run, jump, climb obstacles and duel with enemies -- again, shades of classic Prince of Persia. The twist often literally came in the form of moving physical foreground elements in the level I played in order to reach new areas, and even defeat otherwise invulnerable enemies. %Gallery-90095%
Hudson's Lost in Shadow may come to PS3, 360; dev team 'brainstorming' Move, Natal titles
Speaking with Joystiq at yesterday's Konami Gamers Night event, Hudson producer Shinichi Kasahara told us that he hopes his upcoming Wii title Lost in Shadow will someday see release on both PS3 and Xbox 360. When asked whether or not his team has any interest in developing for the HD consoles and their motion controllers, Kasahara said, "In addition to hopefully transferring [Lost in Shadow] to those consoles, we are also actually already brainstorming a couple of different ideas that we're probably going to develop for Natal and Move." Look for our hands-on with the Wii version of Lost in Shadow and our full interview with Kasahara-san coming soon.
Find out about Lost in Shadow with a demo
It's been several months since we've seen anything about Lost in Shadow, and we're quite pleased to be presented with a reminder of Hudson's atmospheric platformer in the form of a new trailer (after the break). Last time we posted about the game, we described the concept of living shadows as "unbelievably creepy." And now we have footage of a shadow being separated from a chained-up body by a sword! In other words, our previous assessment holds. Famitsu has also posted some new screenshots of Lost in Shadow, highlighting two new enemies, which are also creepy. Most exciting of all: Hudson has posted a demo! [Via GoNintendo]
Tower of Shadow renamed: Lost in Shadow
The short-lived title of Hudson's platformer Tower of Shadow has been reborn as Lost in Shadow. Everything else about the game, which seems to have its puzzles based in the perception and angle of shadows, appears to remain the same, with a release date shining upon mid-2010. Some new images have been cast upon the gallery below. Be sure to check out the trailer (in Germanese) released during GamesCom to get a better idea of what to expect from the game. There's something about living shadows that is still unbelievably creepy. %Gallery-71427%
