(Be sure to check out Ricardo’s Impressions as well, along with our HD footage of the game below)
I went on a little sidequest today; the goal was to find something unique, inventive, and charming (outside of Nintendo). Eventually, I stumbled across Lost in Shadow by Hudson Soft for the Wii. Largely overlooked in terms of early buzz, Lost in Shadow pits the player as a young boy who has lost his body as a result of some unknown malevolent force, yet remains existent in the shadows. In his adventure, he must journey to the top of the tower avoiding danger and solving puzzles to reclaim what he lost.
Presented as a 2D platformer, the young protagonist can only travel within the shadows, meaning that the background takes prevalence over the foreground. The player is forced to wrap his or her mind around this platformer differently than any game before it. Should a thin flagpole cast a high vertical shadow on a castle wall, the player cannot simply walk around it. That pole’s shadow essentially becomes a wall, and he must find a different way to pass. The game unfolds beautifully with fluid animation and quickly becomes more atmospheric than you would believe.
(click to check out the HD video)
At the hero’s side, is Spangle a butterfly that also exists in ‘the shadow plane’. Using the Wii-mote to point, Spangle can be utilized to search for moveable objects in the foreground. As objects are moved, they cast new or different types of shadows, allowing you to progress forward, upward, downward, or wherever the adventure leads. Objects don’t cast shadows as directly as one would think – a forty-five leftward degree turn of a hanging bridge may create a shadow that can act as a lift or ramp. It all depends on the positioning of the source of light.
Nothing ever acts exactly as you think it will, which is truly the most intriguing thing about the game. It forces you think differently as you approach each puzzle or battle. What might be a simple switch to raise a platform may have three or four quirks that you’re not used to seeing because of the way the shadows are cast on the backdrop.
There’s also a little combat involved. While relatively rudimentary, it works quite well for this sort of game. A simple three-combo sword slash gets the job done. Enemies seem to only exist on the shadow plane, and usually fall within a few slashes. As you progress, you’ll be able to level up your sword.
(click to check out the HD video)
Boss battles would be better described as dangerous sequences. In the demonstration that I saw, a large number of arms and legs in shadow form combined to make a giant blob that that player had to run away from, all while solving puzzles and smashing items to delay the creature. It’s overwhelmingly intense.
Lost in Shadow portrays a sense of somberness and loneliness at the same time as giving off an aura of wonder and anticipation of what may lie ahead. While featuring a totally different style of gameplay, Lost in Shadow has a hopeful emptiness seen in Shadow of Colossus and Ico, and that’s saying quite a bit. Lost in Shadow is truly one of the most unique games on the show floor this year, and truly the most unique game at E3 this year. Look for it in the fall.
