PSP Fanboy hands-on: Fading Shadows
by Andrew Yoon 
{ May 19th 2008 at 3:30PM }
Yes, one of the game's leading charms is its story. To sum things up shortly, the player becomes a magical beam of light and must direct a girl who's transformed into a magical orb through a series of puzzles. It's strange, we know, but we wouldn't have it any other way. The nonsensical premise is what spurs a mellow, easy-to-understand puzzle adventure game, that's oozing with style.
The interplay between the light and the orb is well constructed. The orb is attracted to the light, and cannot move without it. At first, the light is used simply to get the orb from point A to point B. However, the game becomes more complex. The orb can transform into a variety of elements: wood, glass and metal. In its metal form, it can jump when a strong beam of light is placed on it. Wood can float across water, and glass can traverse its depths. However, players must be careful: overexposure to strong light will burn wood, and shatter glass.
Gallery: Fading Shadows
Learning which orb to use and how is crucial to progressing through each of the game's 50 levels. However, there are other puzzles as well, which take advantage of the light in new ways. For example, there may be mirrors, which can be used to deflect light to other areas. Players may need to burn certain obstacles, or focus the light in a way it won't attract the orb. We've seen puzzles, which involve taking advantage of the orb's weight (or lack thereof), and even a few puzzles where we had to navigate the orb carefully, Operation style.
For a puzzle game, this is an especially attractive title, with fantastic lighting effects that make the title come to life. The art may not be inspired, but it does a more than adequate job of conveying the mood of the story. The music is incredibly relaxed, and it will only take a level or two before your mind enters a trance-like state.
Fading Shadows won't win any awards for innovation, but it is an incredibly solid addition to the PSP library. There are a number of good puzzle games that have gone without gamer attention (Crush, Downstream Panic!) ... don't let Fading Shadows join that ever-growing list.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
strike @ May 19th 2008 3:42PM
I know this is a preveiw, not a reveiw, but how come you guys only spent 10 levels? Also, do you think 50 levels of guiding a ball is enough? Sorry, im new to puzzle games :P
rogue_phoenix238 @ May 22nd 2008 1:03PM
Was that a weak attempt to convey sarcasm strike? maybe you should stick to what you know - probably Halo and Guitar Hero.
The game looks interesting. it might not have fantastic visuals but its nice to check out puzzle games that aren't just about moving different shapes.
Alien @ May 20th 2008 9:39AM
Wow ... I was expecting it to be good , but not that good ...