In My Shadow – Spotlight
Since humans discovered that projecting shadows on walls using light could be used as good old evening entertainment – at least until the dawn of Netflix – shadow theatre or shadow play has been popular. It’s something that has captivated generations, from the simple use of your hands to create magical animals to the more complex use of stick puppets and 2D backdrops.
This same use of shadows in gaming has become a popular technique in recent years, appearing in a slew of platformers. With In My Shadow the player is tasked with manipulating that shadowy world in order to create pathways through a level. A very personal family storey, on the other hand, has been included this time.
A puzzle-platformer, In My Shadow has a number of different levels spread across a number of different worlds. It is, however, a storey about ageing, looking back with regret, and trying to figure out where you fit in your family.
You take on the role of Bella, who is taking stock of her life and making sense of the choices she has made. For instance, in one chapter she recalls her relationship with her dog as a child, while in the next she focuses on the development of her relationship with her sibling. With a storey that can be both familiar and heartbreaking, it serves as a useful holding device for the actual puzzle solving that takes place on top of it. These animated cutscenes and solidly-written narratives appear every three levels or so in the game.
A cutout of a doll’s house serves as the backdrop for each chapter in In My Shadow, which is broken up into individual rooms by Bella’s perspective. Let’s begin at the beginning and look at how the shadows are used in perspective in each of these sections. In each room, you’ll find a shadow of a child named Bella on the left, and the shadow of a family member on the right, which you must cross to progress. Platforms, obstacles, and deadly objects are all in your way, and you must collect three silhouetted pages as you go through them. Isn’t it simple, isn’t it?
While jumping with Bella is an option, that’s about it. In addition, you can manipulate the shadows in the room so that platforming goes from impossible to manageable. You can switch between two modes by pressing the X button here. This is a platforming game in which you play as the enigmatic Bella. It is possible to manipulate the shadows cast by various objects in the room, altering their shape, height and width. It’s possible that, for example, you have a moving box in the room. For example, you can find the best possible position for Bella to jump and grab pages she needs, as well as get over a potentially lethal obstacle. If you move it away from the wall and upward, the shadow will grow wider and higher; if you move it downward, the shadow will shrink.
Objects you can use to sculpt shadows change in variety as you progress through the levels. When you’re moving across two walls instead of just one, you have to deal with the way light shapes around corners. As you might expect, things quickly get more difficult, and the rate at which they do so may be overwhelming for some.
There’s no denying that In My Shadows’ use of light, shadow, and the ability to toggle between the game’s two worlds is visually stunning. I appreciate the game’s inventiveness and admire its visual challenges. That some of the better cutscenes have an almost Nintendo-level cuteness to them, which is great for young viewers, has also been a big help. Additionally, the doll’s house’s menu design is a nice touch, and the sentimental music that works well throughout is the highlight.
There are puzzle fans out there, especially those who enjoy a challenge, who will enjoy this game. Because of the game’s mobile phone-like structure and the ability to breeze through levels in short spurts, it’s ideal for commuting on the Xbox One. Platforming and game design were excellent in my opinion, but you’ll need to be mentally prepared, especially later in the game.
In My Shadow is a more involved form of shadow play than simply making bat shapes on your bedroom wall with your hands. There are parts that drag toward the end, and you may only become emotionally engaged with certain elements of the storey.
