It’d be unfair to go very far into this review without telling you outright that I’m in the middle of a love affair with Shadow Complex. The game has quite literally overtaken my normal game playing habits (Prototype, just a few missions from completion, has been put on hold) and, to some extent, changed my perception of what to expect from downloadable games.

For $15, Shadow Complex brings with it a ton of quality content (though your mileage may vary in terms of game length — speed runs have gotten the game’s completion time to under a half hour already). During the eight or so hours I spent with the game, it gradually ramped up the challenge near synchronously with upgrades. By the end of the game, you’re super-punching enemies into the next screen and running on water. And yes, dearest reader, those things are just as fun as they sound. Maybe more so.

Hit the break for more reasons why you should pick up the game when it arrives on Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday.

Shadow Complex follows the throwaway tale of Jason Fleming and his girlfriend as they go spelunking and subsequently get lost from each other. Quickly a story unfolds of Jason’s family business that he’s trying to avoid becoming part of (government operatives — shocking!), a secret underground facility (the eponymous ’shadow complex’), and a plot to start a second Civil War in the US, secretly commanded by “The Restoration.” Thankfully, SC doesn’t take itself too seriously, and Uncharted alum Nolan North expertly voices the tongue-in-cheek lines of the game’s main character.

What the game lacks in story it makes up for in gameplay, as controlling Fleming through the various air ducts, hallways, underwater caves and mountain ranges all feels gloriously intuitive. Not since N+ has platforming felt so good on Xbox Live. In fact, the only trump card SC holds over its well-crafted gameplay is the game’s near perfect pacing. Though going off the beaten path is encouraged with tons of power-ups and other secrets, you’re never left wondering where to go or what power-up is required to proceed.

Subtle audio cues litter the game, helping to make the player feel that much more connected to the world that the game’s developer, Chair Entertainment, have created. There’s even a bit of classical symphony during quiet, dreary underwater moments. But the audio did more for us than that — it helped to polish up an already extremely tight and enjoyable experience.

Sure, I played the challenge maps after the main campaign finished and enjoyed every one. More importantly though, after finishing the game for the first time, my immediate instinct was to start over on a harder difficulty setting (of which there are two options: hardcore and insane). I should maybe note here that my instinct to restart the game as soon as it had finished is a rare one — the one-eyed unicorn of feelings I have about games promptly after completing their main stories.

All that being said, I think it’s fairly clear that I’m suggesting you purchase the game as soon as it’s availble on Xbox Live. That should be around 3AM EST on Wednesday morning. See you on the leaderboards!

Other Stuff You Might Wanna Know:
Available for: Xbox 360
Price: 1200 ($15)
Rating (Buy It, Don’t Buy It, Rent It): Buy It