Shadowgrounds Survivor - PC

Did not know this was a "Steam Powered" game. If I wanted to deal with steam I'd have an account and just download it. Dang it! Second time this has happened. One more reason I don't buy hard copies of games anymore. I already bought the game. I shouldn't need a subscription to play it. I'll wait for GOG to come out with it. As the first one was really good. There should have been some mention of STEAM in the info about the product but there never is. That's dishonest IMHO and I'm not rewarding Steam buy signing up just to play this game. It's like being blackmailed.

The Good: Easy enough for casual players, playing as different characters is fun, weapon upgrades make a difference The Bad: Bland environments, stupid story, bad level layout, boring aliens, slow paced, character upgrades are all the same, doesn't look very good Shadowgrounds was a pretty doesn't shooter a few years ago, but Survivor doesn't really do much new, and is pretty boring. As a top down shooter you play as a marine who is trying to escape a ruined base that is overrun by aliens. The weapons are pretty generic with shotguns, assault rifles, flamethrowers, grenades etc. You can pick up health packs, ammo, and OK you know this formula already. Unlike other better shooters like Alien Shooter the game doesn't even offer intense moments. There are a few straggling aliens coming after you and maybe a few hard ones, and that's it. You can easily kill these guys and it doesn't feel very satisfying at all. You can shoot barrels, toss grenades, or just run around holding the fire button and you'll beat these guys. Ammo is plentiful so you never feel like you're "surviving" and it's pretty hard to die. There is an upgrade system that you use by finding "parts" and when you level up you can use points for different upgrades like sonar, health boosts etc., and each character you play has the same upgrades? That's pretty lame. While each character has a different load out there's just nothing exciting about it at all. The game is fun however since it's good for more casual players who don't like the intensity of other top down shooters, but even the aliens are generic looking. Instead of creepy deformed things you just get typical bug like aliens. The game doesn't look or sound too good either, and the music almost seems non existent while the game looks pretty bland. The level design is also pretty bad since I wandered around areas and didn't know where to go like shooting a glass panel to open a walkway. There is no hint, the panel doesn't even light up or flash. So this is bad level design, and the whole freaking game just feels boring! The game is a little fun if you're bored or just want a decent top down shooter.

If you're looking for PC game with a great storyline, this ISN'T the game for you. This is only fun for the gameplay and that's it. The graphics are decent for next gen. PhysX card users unite! This game supports PhysX, Ageia as well as Geforce accelerated! Neat option in configuration, where you can choose the level of PhysX acceleration.

Following in the footsteps of the original 'Shadowgrounds' (a 3rd person shooter with RPG type upgrades), Frozenbyte has come up with this sequel... Some points of interest; some good... 1.)Good spooky atmosphere with excellent effects done with ambient lighting (especially from your flashlight), deep shadows and weather. The audio is also quite good. 2.)In this game you take turns being one of three fighters, each with their own skills and unique weapons; you choose one of the three to use for the finale. 3.)Each weapon has 3 major up-grades available (by using your hard earned XPs or finding hidden items within the maps); there are also a couple of minor player up-grades as well. 4.)There is a Mech that you can operate in a couple scenarios, and a turret gun in another. 5.)You have five lives for each segment; The first four deaths result in regeneration at the spot where you died. With the 5th death, however, you restart the level (not the entire game). 6.)There is another game mode that becomes unlocked with progress; it's called 'Survival' (and aptly named) . In this mode you have one life, and you try for the highest score (kill count + time) in whatever amount of time you last. This is a short, brutal game (I've gone longer that 4 minutes once), but kind of fun; in fact, probably more challenging than the actual game itself. Again, as with the finale, you can choose any of the three 'heroes' for this mission. 7.)A finale that is do-able (I found the ending in the original game was almost impossible, except on easy) And, the not so good... 1.)The game is quite short; I finished it is less than 2 days of intermittent play. Maybe 5+ hours in total. 2.)Overall the game play, weapons and aliens were very similar to the original 'Shadowgrounds'. Really very little new here. 3.)On visiting the 'Frozenbyte' website, it appears the game must be purchased (at least at this point in time) through 'Steam' (that's where I got my copy). I've had absolutely no problem with this or another other 'Steam' product I've purchased, but I realize some potential buyers maybe put off with this. I felt I needed to at least mention this for the sake of completeness. Conclusion: If you enjoyed the original, you will probably like this game. It is, in my opinion, not as good as the original*, BUT, it is not bad. Also, it's fairly short in actual playing time. 3 Stars. *after finishing this game, I went back and replayed some of the original game (to compare the two). It seemed to me this game, although there were some tough areas, was much easier than the original. It just didn't have the same persistent sense of urgency and tension that made you want to play on and on, like the first had.