Over the course of the weekend, it took me 5 hours and 15 minutes to see the credits of Shadow Complex—the 3D throwback to Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night from Epic Games that was announced at this year's E3—and in many ways I feel like I have just begun. I haven't found all the items, I haven't seen the entire map, and I've barely mastered all the powers the game grants you in my first playthrough. If you're a completist, if you have a hanking for some classic 2D game play, or if you just want to see how far downloadable titles have come since the launch of the Xbox 360, come Wednesday, you need to put down your $15 and play a very energetic action title that wants you to explore its every shadowy corner.

For someone just looking for a camping trip, our hero is surprisingly well-trained

Title Shadow Complex Developer Chair Entertainment/ Epic Games Publisher Microsoft Game Studios Price 1200 Points, or $15 Platform Xbox 360

The game stars Jason Fleming, a man who will actually call himself an everyman at one point in the game. He also has a past with some fairly intense weapons training, but he decided against military service. His father—in one of those epic bits of foreshadowing—hints that Jason simply may not have anything to fight for quite yet. When he goes on what should be a fun weekend with his girlfriend and they discover a hole in the ground, the adventure begins.

There is something delicious about the setup. You begin with a regular man in a tough spot, and by the end of the game you've turned into a powered-up, insanely powerful killing machine. The way the game segues from brightly colored nature scenes into a high-tech military facility (and back again) is magical, giving the area you're exploring the feel of a real place that makes a sort of crazy sense. Wait until you swim across the surface of the lake for the first time, and then see what's under it a few hours later. I don't want to spoil things for you, but that cabin isn't merely the abandoned home of some unseen fisherman.

The game takes place in two-dimensional space... mostly. You'll also be asked to shoot into the background, and the controls for aiming away from yourself can be awkward at first, but you'll quickly get used to it. The turret sequences are likewise refreshingly short and to the point. The real fun is finding new weapons and powers and using them to unlock new areas of the base as you find out what's going down. Again, talking about the story isn't something I'd like to do, but we find out through background conversations that after the revolution, the Cubs will be the first with their backs to the wall.

What do I need to blow up a purple door again?

In a fun twist, you shine your flashlight onto doors and hidden hatches to reveal their color, showing you what weapon you need to access that part of the base. You'll need your foam gun for some sections, missiles for another, and of course you'll find some underwater gear to explore the underground lakes and rivers. The animation is worthy of a full-priced game, and killing the somewhat bland henchmen is kept fresh with a variety of both weapons-based and hand-to-hand killing animations. You'll level up quicker by killing people in interesting ways, so be sure to keep an eye on your surroundings.

The story offers some twists and turns—some more expected than others—but the voice acting and characters are well above average, especially for a $15 release. There are some corners cut here and there, as the enemies are very similar throughout the entirety of the game, and boss fights tend toward now-familiar walking mech designs, but the real star here is the expertly designed world; it opens like a flower, urging you to explore just one more corner before turning in for the night. You'll have to track down save points, but there are also auto-saves sprinkled around the world, so dying is rarely a frustration.

The end is the beginning is the end

The game falters in its final act, where you're stuck running around a mostly unlocked map trying to track down a series of weapons. When you finally have your super-powerful character unleashed on the world, the credits come sooner than expected. My advice? Avoid the final conflict for a while in order to enjoy your now god-like powers; you'll be glad you did. Even if you do beat the game, and my barely five-hour first try felt leisurely to me, you can try again at a higher level keeping your experience, but losing your items and weapons.

No matter, you'll want to play again to see everything you missed.

There is also a set of training missions to practice using all the equipment you gain throughout the course of the game, as well as a series of challenge maps to test your skills against the clock and the rest of Xbox Live. Don't let my five-hour play time fool you; the game is filled with replay value. How many hours will you get out of it? That's completely up to you and your playing style, but if you had to find every inch of the map when you played past Castlevania/Metroid games, you won't be putting this down any time soon.

This doesn't feel like a downloadable title in quality or presentation; everything from the graphics to the voice acting and the somewhat pulpy story impresses on multiple levels. I can think of many moments and details and asides that stick out in my mind, but it's better for everyone if you simply play for yourself on Wednesday, August 19. I'm watching online videos and peeping screenshots, and I'm finding ways to tackle situations and use weapons that I completely missed the first time through.

It seems odd that an Xbox Live Arcade title may be one of the best games this season, but there it is: this is a must-play for those looking for a classic twist on a fresh challenge.

Verdict: Buy