Rarely do we see a downloadable title met with such fanfare as Shadow Complex. This is strange because it isn’t as groundbreaking as last year’s Braid or as hilarious as Castle Crashers, in fact the developers even openly admit to borrowing elements from some of the greatest games of all time, namely Super Metroid and Castlevania.

The results, however, are truly worth it. For starters the graphics are superlative, based on the same tech that powers BioShock and Gears of War 2, the game is a treat for the eyes even if it is just a 2-D title. The story, penned by Star Trek novelist Peter David is quite intriguing, putting you in the role of Jason Flemming, who has to rescue his girlfriend from the clutches of a terrorist group known as Progressive Restoration, which may sound like every other game out there until you progress far enough to enjoy the twists and turns the plot brings.

Add a heap of sci-fi weaponry and armour along with a plethora of power-ups and you have a game that not only borrows liberally from the Metroid format (explore, upgrade, rinse, repeat) but is a glorified clone of it to the point where it actually seems like an HD version of Nintendo’s classic, except with a male protagonist and voice-acting.

In spite of being shamelessly derivative, Shadow Complex manages to have a solid single player campaign that works simply because it’s based on a gameplay formula that’s been perfected over the years. In addition to the story mode it’s backed by challenge levels known as ‘Proving Grounds’ where you have to clear an area with a fixed amount of health and ammo. 

All in all, Shadow Complex might not be one of the most original games of the year but it’s got enough to make it one of the most entertaining. If you have an Xbox 360 and love a good action title you have no reason to miss it.