I wonder if fifteen years from now “retro” games will have evolved from the now trite 16 Bit style into a style that reflects games like Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. Perhaps the style of bloated textures and blocky faces will be the new nostalgia juice that indie developers (especially) will abuse to make a name for themselves.
Shadow Sun, by Ossian Studios, treads on that line as it invokes many memories of rough-around-the-edges gameplay. It doesn’t propel the iPad set of games into new territory, nor does it stress the capabilities of the iPad’s hardware. Yet such isn’t necessarily a detriment to the experience of playing Shadow Sun because it is a solid RPG experience. Classical. Challenging. And filled with endearment, and in a levelled age where games seek to copy and paste, endearment (to me) is the greatest selling point of any game. Maybe I have a biased stance on games such has Shadow Sun: I notice the supposed flaws in aesthetics, but ignore them because I know the developers were trying to create a game with spirit. And let’s be honest: without the backing of investors and years to fine tune every aspect of a game in development, it is difficult these days to garner the respect and money of gamers. So if a team of (talented) developers devote their spirit to creating the best RPG experience they can deliver, I am satisfied.
THE GENEALOGY OF SHADOW SUN
No, Shadow Sun isn’t the “original” experience as mentioned above. It borrows the RPG model Bioware has developed over the decade. You create a character and then are thrust into a morally conflicted universe where choices have consequences. Side quests dot the world, and challenge you to either get better rewards or find sympathy for the plethora of side characters. But maybe it is too late for a game such as Shadow Sun. These are stories we’ve seen before, and in comparison perhaps even done stronger. The meta-narratives of the lying villager, or the stolen jewels, and saving a family. The choices to be made will never shake your consciousness: in most instances you will settle for the more fruitful rewards.
I wouldn’t blame the developers for this because much like the Zelda and Minecraft rip offs, the behemoth of titles are always in your peripheral view. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. Dragon Age. Mass Effect. See, Bioware has had a decade to refine its formula whereas Shadow Sun is still seeking balance. And every time you open a menu, or beam fire lance at a squad of enemies, or sift through bookcases for lore to add to your codex, you are reminded of what ‘is’ more polished. Nostalgia reawakens in you, and you can’t help but feel you should be playing the predecessors. This, to me, is Shadow Sun’s downfall. It reminds me of the memorable experiences of its inspirations, and I am subsequently encouraged to replay the original stories.
It’s hard to tell if Shadow Sun is, with effort, attempting to stake a claim in a contested video game market; that is, a reason for a sequel. It has the potential, but the real question is if it can wade through the mighty waters with such heavy weights strapped to its wrists and ankles.
What Shadow Sun does have on its side is the fact it is the first of its kind, so to speak, in the iOS market. Here, it has a positive outlook such as Ravensword did. If released on the PC (which I would say is another console that is “easy” to break into), it would have probably failed, or at the very least, it would have been scorned much like Ravensword when released for Steam. The expectations on iOS are far lower than any other console–for good or for bad, I don’t know.
THE DESSERT(ED) GAMEPLAY
The master-quest takes place on the shifting and glaring sands of a dessert. The sun sits high in the sky, baking the back. The city of Shar is the jewel of the rough sands, glimmering, and men and woman from the north and south come to bask in its beauty (as much as they involuntarily bask in that sun). Yet it is a tainted jewel: once a fantastic ruby, it is now obsidian–an impenetrable fortress of corruption, death and decay.
From political corruption to physical corruption, the adventure touches upon all the required sub-plots and plots that compose a high fantasy story-line. Shadow Sun attracts your attention because of the highly-detailed world (unlike what the bland textures would suggest to you). The set pieces are textured with decorations, baskets, chairs, fish on a plate, and so on and so forth. The whispers and chatter of the market place accompany the NPCS that wander the city, and the distant screams of the caves and sewers invoke your sense of exploration. Best of all is the snorting camels, and the angry elephants.
Aesthetics aside, Shadow Sun does have rich dialogue, even if character development is often lacking. (I waited for those large character moments I am accustomed to seeing in a Bioware title, but they were minimal here–it is best stated that characters in Shadow Sun serve the role as plot devices, or a vehicle for the player to maneuver through the world of Shar). The dialogue reveals the situations, the conflicts and the tensions between the cold North and the dessert realm. Shadow Sun accomplishes what most fantasy titles do, exploring the repercussions of racial ideology and racism. And even though Shadow Sun provides some of the best sound effects and soundtrack for an iOS title, it neglects voice overs. Yes , characters do say quips when entering dialogue, but there are moments where the quip does not seem appropriate to the situation.
Finally, perhaps a disappointing note to end on, and this point intersects with a qualm I have had with so many other iOS titles: the presence of “zombies”. They are not signified as such in Shadow Sun, but they may as well be interpreted as zombies. The walk with outstretched arms, are mindless, mysterious, and slowly rot the city from the outside in like a skin disease. The “zombies” in Shadow Sun act as a decent spring- board for the mechanics and story of the game, it is just that the zombie narrative (to me) is beyond the scope of trope or cliche. It is making its way into every story line in some form as of we have some arrogant perspective on others. (As in, we are not the zombie: we are the individual who has not be assimilated into the mass man, when from the perspective of a “zombie” it is that we are a zombie that the individual disassociates him/herself from).
Closing Comments:
Expensive, maybe, but worth the hour’s wage in my opinion. I may come off as harsh or difficult towards Shadow Sun, but not because I have a “dim view” of the game. It is because my “review” is to situate it within its context, to compare it relative to other games. That is how it has to be. By itself (which can only be thought of theoretically) it is a fantastic game. It is a full length RPG that isn’t begging the player for extra money (there are in-app purchases but act more like “DLC”) to be able complete the game. I hope we see a sequel to Shadow Sun in the near future that can build off of its sturdy foundations.