Shadow Complex Remastered

Much like many recent remasters, Chair has reused the assets from the original Unreal 3 game. Since they were developed at a higher resolution than the Xbox 360 release displayed them at, they now look more detailed than ever. Those expecting new artwork will be disappointed, but 'Shadow Complex' has a great art style, and it's great to see the original vision at its optimal form.

That said, 'Shadow Complex Remastered' won't be confused for the best in 2016 graphics. It still looks great, but there are enough rough edges when it comes to texture quality and character models where players will remember that they're playing a 2009 release. Sure, it's a gorgeous 2009 release, but we've seen several prettier 2.5D games since then.

If there's one forgettable aspect of 'Shadow Complex' its the soundtrack. The tiny bits of music that is there sounds great, and help emphasize important scenes, but largely there just isn't any accompaniment to your actions. This is disappointing in a genre that has historically featured amazing soundtracks. 'Super Metroid' is a better game due to its soundtrack, and so is 'Ori and the Blind Forest.'

Instead, Chair focused on ambient sound design. This works to the game's benefit, especially at first as it amplifies the tension of being in a mysterious military base. A lot of care also went into the game's sound effects, as both gunfire and explosions sound great. It's just a shame that there isn't something backing the game's action as ambient noise grows old after a few hours.

'Shadow Complex Remastered' looks better than ever, but doesn't add much in terms of content. That's fine, though, as the core game holds up as one of the best Metroidvania adventures ever made, and doesn't feel dated at all. First-timers are in for something truly special, while returning players can look forward to experiencing it all again. Just don't expect it to feel new.