I had a handful of small, niggling issues with Shio that by the end I was willing to overlook in the face of a game so expertly crafted that it shouldn’t be missed. I just wish there was more of it.
Shio is not a game for the faint of heart. Tremendously challenging, it truly will push you to the limit of your videogame abilities. The stunning level design, clear visuals and wonderfully tight controls all ensure that the game is fair, but that won’t be enough to stop player frustration from ultimately setting in. Played in short sittings this is a taught, tight and compelling experience. Just have an extra controller nearby, you’ll need it to replace the one you just threw out the window.
At the end of the day, whether you would enjoy Shio or not is largely dependent on your preferences. It's a stunning and understated game that offers rather difficult but enjoyable platforming experience and a very cryptic story for you to crack. If that is exactly what you're looking for, then Shio shouldn't be missed.
Shio evidently understands the appeal of gliding elegantly between obstacle-riddled levels like an invincible pro, and often comes across as a more casual Super Meat Boy. Yet, the foggy storyline feels distanced from its rapid-fire level design, which can make the attempts at a meditative atmosphere feel forced and alienating.
The story sections where you control a little girl as she takes tiny slow footsteps across the screen until absolutely nothing happens do nothing but annoy. Then the trial-and-error sections of gameplay that actively force you to suffer unnecessary deaths are frustrating enough to put a downer on things. But, even with all the flaws considered, when Shio gets things wrong – which it does pretty much everywhere outside of the platforming itself– it generally makes up for the errors with challenging action.
SummaryShio is a challenging platformer game in which you deep and moving story by jumping from lantern to lantern. If you are big fan of Super Meat Boy, you will like Shio as well!