Nintendo has gotten more attention this E3 than any they’ve gotten in recent memory, and so all eyes have been firmly set on their first party games; games like Zelda, Donkey Kong, and Kid Icarus. So it’s no wonder that when I came across a small Hudson station featuring their latest Wii creation, Lost in Shadow, there was no crowd there – just a couple of wandering souls trying to figure out what exactly they were looking at. After a few moments I decided to give it a go and I’m glad I did.
It’s a single player experience and the basic premise of the game is that the protagonist has no recollection of who they are or what they are and have become nothing more than a mere shadow on the wall. Traveling the world all comes through navigating on the tops of the shadows caused by the platforms, buildings, and objects in the foreground. This changes up everything I’ve come to know about platformers, especially since as a player I’ve never cared much to look into the background when I’ve been jumping in the foreground my entire gaming career. Because of this change in focus an ordinary fence in the foreground may seem harmless enough, but its shadow may have dangerous spikes that could take the player out without even realizing it.
There were a couple of puzzles here and there that can be handled using the Wiimote and Nunchuk with the help of the fairy who accompanies you along the way. A sword can be wielded a little further into the game and enemy shadows begin to attack you from all sides, but keep in mind that this is no hack and slash. And as the player progresses through the adventure, they’ll gain memories that adds weight to the character’s shadow which in turn grants you more health.
I didn’t get to play much due to technical difficulties with the station’s Wii, but from what I did play the game was very promising – it’s a definite sleeper hit in my book. In fact, it reminds me a lot of how Ico first felt when it was released back on the PS2. Don’t be surprised if this isn’t the last you hear of Lost in Shadow on the Wii.
