When it comes to platformers, it’s hard to find something that truly stands out. On PC this is exacerbated by the fact that everyone can push out one of these games to Steam and call it a day. Rarely do you find one with a truly unique story, let alone unique gameplay mechanics.
Shiny is set on a doomed planet named Aurora, which was completely abandoned by the human inhabitants. Once the humans left, the entire installation blacked out, and one lone robot will have to save his friends—namely the other robots—so they can leave as well. The game follows a bog standard gameplay style, where you complete challenges, gain energy and at the end of the level, save a robotic friend.
Each level introduces new abilities that will assist you in the upcoming challenges, and the game forces you to manage your energy levels effectively. Some levels have been designed in such a way that will have you run out if you take the quickest path to the end, and it pushes the player to look for nooks and crannies where additional energy might be hidden.
The issue here is that even with the story attempting to be endearing, it fails mostly. Gameplay is exceptionally well executed, but in this day and age it’s hard to recommend a platformer that has good gameplay but a mediocre reason for playing it. For example, Mighty No. 9 had a great story for the most part, but excessively difficult gameplay mechanics ruined the experience. With Shiny, the gameplay feels great and satisfying, but the overall story feels lacking.
It certainly tries to emulate the Wall-E crux. If you’re looking for a satisfying platformer, I wouldn’t recommend this game. Beyond the random performance issues—granted this is a Greenlight game—and the rather lacking story behind it, I wouldn’t buy it on Steam. Maybe the Xbox One version fares better. If you do like games that try new things without truly being finished, this game is for you.
Summary
Shiny is a great example of a game that has a very solid foundation but needs a lot more development in the story department. It is understood that it can be difficult to build a story around mute characters, but if Limbo and Inside are any examples, this can be done. Shiny is a great platformer for people who want a basic enough experience. Beyond that, don’t expect too much.
Dreyer was a regular ICXM contributor between 2016–2017, publishing 139 articles across opinion pieces, game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news. Their work focused on hands-on reviews, platform commentary, and breaking-news reporting during the Xbox One X launch year and Microsoft’s wider Play Anywhere / UWP gaming initiative. They post on X as @dreyer_smit.