Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
By Chad Sapieha,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Lightly violent side-scroller with great art, clever design.
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Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
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What’s It About?
Players take the helm of versatile flying saucer in INSANELY TWISTED SHADOW PLANET, a downloadable side-scrolling action game available for Xbox 360. Presented with an enormous maze of twisting caverns filled with exotic looking and aggressive aliens, players glide through the caves collecting and using tools and weapons -- including a scanner, a grabber, a laser, and a shield -- to clear new paths and defend from attacks. The overarching design is vaguely reminiscent of classic Metroid games, which see players taking note of specific barriers in the maze and then coming back to them once they have the required tool or weapon. A multiplayer mode allows up to four players to work together locally or online as they flee an enormous beast.
Is It Any Good?
Its striking name may conjure up notions of terribly scary things, but Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet is actually a pretty safe bet for most ages. Its highly stylized visual design is filled with spiky silhouettes and glowing red explosives, but the action is far removed from anything in the real world and nothing about the game -- not even its gliding, darting aliens -- is particularly spooky.
Instead, what we've been given is a cleverly crafted and finely tuned side-scrolling adventure game that encourages players to explore and experiment as they work their way through labyrinthine environments. The excitement felt when finding new weapons and tools is tangible, and while some sequences will test players' reflexes an abundance of checkpoints ensures that players are unlikely to grow too frustrated. It's a standout title in the Xbox 360's library of downloadable games.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about using tools to solve real-life problems. How have you used tools to build things or overcome an obstacle?
Families can also discuss art in games. Do you ever feel inspired by the artwork in the games you play? Have you ever attempted to emulate art in games?
Game Details
- Platform: Xbox 360
- Available online?: Not available online
- Publisher: Microsoft Studios
- Release date: August 3, 2011
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- ESRB rating: E for Mild Fantasy Violence
- Last updated: August 29, 2016
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