Neon Shadow Review
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Neon Shadow Review

Our Review by Arron Hirst on November 20th, 2013
Rating: starstarstarstarstar :: PURE ACTION
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Neon Shadow hits the mark at almost every turn, providing players with the authentic space-themed FPS experience they have probably been waiting for.

Developer: Crescent Moon Games
Price: $1.99
Version Reviewed: 1.1
Device Reviewed On: iPad mini (Retina)

Graphics / Sound Rating: starstarstarstarstar
User Interface Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Gameplay Rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar
Re-use / Replay Value Rating: starstarstarstarstar

Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar

Developed in partnership with Tasty Poison Games, Crescent Moon's latest first-person shooter is ultimately worthy of its epic name. Called to a remote manufacturing facility in the depths of space itself which has lost communication, in Neon Shadow players will assume the role of the ship's commander who is tasked with entering the remote station and ultimately regaining control if it. However, that task won't be easy. The station's artificial intelligence is live and now controlling every type of enemy imaginable - determined to see them fail.

Seeing players able to choose between embarking on either a single campaign or going online for some global or LAN action, Neon Shadow starts out with asking them to choose their level of difficulty. Whether they're a Rookie, Beginner, Professional, or fancy living a Nightmare, Neon Shadow has a difficulty level which will be suited to most audiences.

From flying robot dogs with built-in tazers attached to their paws to heat-seeking lasers that descend from the factory ceiling to unleash almighty hell on those who wish to pass, Neon Shadow is set in a visually rich, metal-ridden environment that really feels authentic.

The FPS doesn't take advantage of an on-rails control system, but instead allows the player full control over the commander. To move the player simply has to touch and drag their finger on the left of the screen. As one would probably expect from an FPS of this standard, these controls can move to accommodate the position on the screen to which they feel most comfortable controlling from. On the right, they'll find just one button which controls the firing of the current weapon. Touching this once will fire a single shot, while holding it down will fire continuously (until the ammo runs out). Touching and dragging around this area will let players move the actual camera view of their character, for a better outlook on their surroundings.

Towards the top of the screen there are a few more items with which players should be aware. Top left is the current weapon and below this the amount of ammo currently available. Each round is 16 shots, and it's worth noting that ammo will reload automatically when it runs out (at least on early and less-challenging levels). I can't really speak for the game's more advanced stages as I didn't have the time to get to them. The commander's health is also shown up top, and it's worth noting that health can be restored by collecting ‘medi packs’ as players progress throughout the game's many different stages.

Wrapping up, I would definitely recommend Neon Shadow. It has all the ingredients that a good first-person shooter should have, while not subjecting the player to the reliance of in-app purchases (because, there are none!). The use of dynamic lighting really makes for a layer of authenticity through the game's on-screen environment - if not also sometimes resulting in it appearing a little dark. Damage being persistent when caused to the environment was also a refreshing touch. For its price, one really can't go wrong with Neon Shadow.

iPhone Screenshots

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Neon Shadow - GameClub screenshot 1 Neon Shadow - GameClub screenshot 2 Neon Shadow - GameClub screenshot 3 Neon Shadow - GameClub screenshot 4

iPad Screenshots

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Neon Shadow - GameClub screenshot 5 Neon Shadow - GameClub screenshot 6 Neon Shadow - GameClub screenshot 7 Neon Shadow - GameClub screenshot 8 Neon Shadow - GameClub screenshot 9
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