In My Shadow Review – PS4, PS5

Shadowplay

Most popular physics games seem to build themselves around some unique gimmick. Matching colours, making things bigger and smaller, you name it, most if not all of the most recent physics puzzlers seem to try and do something new in order to stand out, and In My Shadow is no different. Is it enough for it to get recognised?

Game Information
Release Date: February 11th, 2022
Developer: Playbae
Publisher: Fun Games LLC
Availability: Microsoft Store, PSN, Steam, Nintendo eShop

In My Shadow has you playing as Bella who must use shadows to navigate obstacles in small, self-contained levels. These shadows are created as you move and rotate furniture in a fixed grid, which in turn affects the shadow projected onto the wall. These shadows then serve as Bella’s play space, as she is able to run and jump along the shadows you have created. When you are happy with the shadow path you have created, you can shift perspective from 3D to 2D in order to navigate the shadows in a simple platforming fashion.

Throw in some items to collect and obstacles to avoid, mixed together with a story that is a bit heavier than it needs to be, and that’s In My Shadow in a nutshell. 

Such is the basic premise of In My Shadow, and I must confess I was at first impressed with the physics at work. Rotating objects impacts the shadow created as you would expect, and moving them closer to the imaginary light source makes their shadow bigger or smaller. 

Initially, I had a lot of fun manoeuvring each object in order to navigate the relatively simple platforming sections. If I put the box here can I jump high enough to collect that item? If I rotate the chair just right, can I skip out that section altogether? By the very nature of the physics at play, it is easy to imagine that there is more than one way to complete any given level.

Such a simple idea is used fairly well throughout the 2 hours or so it took me to complete the game’s 40 or so levels, although the novelty of rotating and moving objects to manipulate their shadow had worn off towards the end. As I neared the last few levels I had stopped experimenting and was content with simply putting my head down in order to finish each one without too much fuss.

The issue I had with In My Shadow is that after the first few levels, it doesn’t really do anything imaginative with the shadow gameplay it is built around. There’s a slight shift halfway through when the game introduces a second wall running perpendicular to the first, which means you have to think even harder about object placement and the shadows they create, but I couldn’t shift the nagging feeling that somehow In My Shadow had missed a trick by not pushing the idea further. 

The main problem is that once you have the hang of its mechanics, the rest of the levels aren’t too taxing and can be beaten with nothing more than a bit of persistence combined with trial and error. When puzzles can be beaten with nothing more than a bit of brute force, a certain elegance is lost, and that seems to be the case here.

And yes I did say 2 hours earlier – In My Shadow is a fairly short experience. There is no timer or anything that forces you to rush or beat the game quickly, but still, I managed it without even trying. There is a trophy for completing the game in under 3 hours which I managed to pick up completely by accident, so if you’re looking for a game to while away the time with you’d be best looking elsewhere.

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy my time with In My Shadow. The shadow mechanic is unique and works surprisingly well, and the game itself is fun to play. Plus, each level is short, meaning it is easy to jump in for a quick 10-minute bout if you are pressed for time. That being said, it comes as no surprise to hear that In My Shadow has previously been released on PC and mobile, and it is easy to imagine playing on the go.

Having said that, there were a few frustrating sections too. A couple of levels seemed to lack textures, which wouldn’t be that big a deal if they weren’t the spikes that killed you outright. This happened on more than one occasion, whereby I would die without even being able to see the spikes that had kicked my ass.

In the end, I had to get by on trial and error, having had to guess where the invisible spikes were hiding. As each level is relatively short this wasn’t as big of a deal as it could have been, simply because it was easy enough to jump back in and give it another go without too much stress. Even so, it was a needless pain that should have been avoided and is worth a mention here.

Each level pretty much stands alone, but there is a story if narrative is more your thing. To be totally honest, the story didn’t do much for me and it does feel a little tacked on. I feel it was a little heavy-handed at times as it tells the story of a girl trying to reconnect with her family. This is all well and good, but it didn’t marry up with the gameplay or make me feel anything for Bella in any way. 

Told through a series of flashback animations that take place in between levels, the story and gameplay never quite marry together, even though each level ends with your shadow meeting that of whichever family member whose room you are in. Hitting the right balance between story and gameplay is a fine line, but In My Shadow just misses the mark.

Is it going to knock your socks off? Not likely. In My Shadow kept me entertained for the few hours it took for me to complete it, but once end credits rolled I wasn’t really itching to jump back in. If you enjoy physics-based puzzle games then In My Shadow is a quick fix that may scratch that itch, and it should be applauded for trying something different. Plus, at under 3 hours runtime, it’s a quick and easy platinum if that’s your thing.

Review Disclaimer: This review was carried out using a copy of the game provided by the publisher. For more information, please read our Review Policy.

Primary version tested: PS4 using PS5