For those that attended PAX East 2017, Shu may have been one of the many games that caught your eye. This crisp, delightful platformer blends side-scrolling strategy with a vibrant world that is a joy to play:
Coatsink, an English development team, has recently released Shu. With a demo at PAX East 2017, we sat down to try out the game and interview one of the developers, Jack Sanderson. The story of Shu brings us to a beautiful village destroyed by a terrible storm. The opening sequence has no dialogue, but Shu’s storytelling skills and music help invoke strong emotional ties to the main character. Shu embarks on a quest to find his friends, while also trying to stop the end of the world. As described by the development team, Shu juxtaposes colorful and vibrant scenery with the theme of destruction and an abandoned world
Typically, side-scrolling games are entirely based on the main character or different characters that can swap out. However, Shu is unique in the fact that each world has two different characters to be found, each with a unique ability. Examples of these abilities include slowing down time, giving a powerful ground pound, manipulating the environment, and more. When different characters join hands, Shu can harness their abilities, which are required to progress through the level. There are roughly 20 levels in the game, with more to come in a DLC.
The game features brilliant hand-drawn 2.5D artwork. The game plays as a traditional side-scroller, but the artistic layers offer great depth and give the feel of a third dimension (hence, the 2.5D). Our favorite part about Shu is that it is a side-scroller that will not stress you out; the game has peaceful music, enjoyable gameplay, and is just plain fun. The grouping of characters to pair abilities is also pretty creative, as you have to think about ways to solve puzzles with the help of *others*, not by just your own ability.
Shu is only at $11.99, and at that price, you will be hard-pressed to get more enjoyment out of a game at this price than this. Coatsink is also pursuing the possibility of extra content for the game. Shu is available right now for PS4, Steam (Windows), and will soon be available for PS Vita. Happy playing!
Click here for PS4 Shu Page
Click here for Steam Shu Page
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