Shu

 Switch
Shu Image
Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 16 Ratings

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  • Summary: When the great and terrible Storm destroys Shu's village, he embarks on a desperate journey to survive. On his travels he'll encounter stranded villagers; survivors of the devastation that need his help. In return for his assistance, these peculiar characters will grant Shu unique specialWhen the great and terrible Storm destroys Shu's village, he embarks on a desperate journey to survive. On his travels he'll encounter stranded villagers; survivors of the devastation that need his help. In return for his assistance, these peculiar characters will grant Shu unique special abilities that he can use to traverse the treacherous path ahead. Their only hope is to work together, in search of sanctuary - and a way to stop the Storm. Can you outrun the end of world? … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. App Trigger
    Jan 18, 2018
    90
    Despite it being a short game outside of its high replay value, Shu is a charming and beautiful 2.5D platformer that has a lot to offer between its calm stages and its more frantic moments.
  2. COGconnected
    Jan 24, 2018
    80
    Shu is a charming and elegant little platformer that surprised me with its fast, but also calming, gameplay.
  3. Twinfinite
    Feb 7, 2018
    80
    There’s polish to its presentation and controls, invention in the way it strings together the combinations of different abilities, and oodles of charm in its aesthetic. Especially as a game to play while in portable mode, Shu is a platformer that any fans of the genre should consider trying.
  4. Vandal
    Jan 21, 2018
    70
    It doesn't last long, but it's very enjoyable and intense. A good and addictive platformer that works great on the Switch.
  5. SpazioGames
    Feb 11, 2018
    70
    Yoshi's Island this is not, but it's a honest and cute (albeit very short) platform, with a handful of good ideas but a strange difficulty curve. If only it didn't play that safe, it could have been a first choice for Switch owners.
  6. InsideGamer.nl
    Feb 14, 2018
    60
    Shu is nice, but it is overshadowed by the many other 2D platformers on Switch.
  7. XGN
    Feb 19, 2018
    50
    Shu is a game with a simple but strong core. Unfortunately the extra features often don't do anything or don't work properly. Although the game looks great, its story is very short and the controls suffer from some frustrating bugs. Your money could be better spent on other games.

See all 24 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 5
  3. Negative: 1 out of 5
  1. jikflet
    Mar 26, 2018
    7
    Very good looking game. all hand drawn. beautiful art style. wish more games looked like this one. Is not very challenging until you reachVery good looking game. all hand drawn. beautiful art style. wish more games looked like this one. Is not very challenging until you reach the end with the bonus cave levels. finished the game in less than 7 hours. it totally worth it for the price. wish it was longer. maybe in a seque!… Expand
  2. TheFlannelFox
    Feb 2, 2018
    7
    Originally released in 2016 by developer Coatsink, Shu has now gilded it’s way to the Nintendo Switch.

    When a big bad storm monster    Originally released in 2016 by developer Coatsink, Shu has now gilded it’s way to the Nintendo Switch.

    When a big bad storm monster destroys Shu’s village, leaving the bird-like villagers scattered across the land. Shu embarks on a journey to save them all and return them to the village. Playing as Shu, you will travel between five different worlds, each containing two villagers that have survived the storm. Fully realizing Shu’s owl-like appearance, along with being able to jump, you can glide, either free floating across the level or riding air currents to reach new heights.

    However, each of the survivors that join you for a specific level with imbue you with a unique ability. Picking from a hat of platforming mechanic favorites certain levels being able to butt-stomp, wall jump, double jump, or air dash; the abilities as the survivors come in pairs. So in world one you can butt-stomp and control platforming flowers, while in world five you can air-dash and slow down time. Each corresponding world is cleverly designed to take advantage of their respective mechanics. Giving you just the right time in each level with each mechanic to keep them feeling fresh, just when you truly get the hang of them, you move to the next world and begin learning your next tools of the trade.

    Culminating in the final level as many platformers of the past, in an extra long level that requires you to play through all of the mechanics you have learned throughout the game.

    While the cute and stylized world in Shu begins as a carefree platformer, the difficulty increases as the game goes on. From juggling well-timed platforming challenges to running from the village destroying storm monster, which resurfaces in worlds randomly. You will die quite a lot. Each level is littered with checkpoints, giving you five lives at each checkpoint, but if you get stuck at a certain section and lose those five lives, you restart the level from the beginning. As the controls aren’t as fine tuned as some of the indie platformers of today, maneuvering quickly through levels while being chasing a huge plume of smoke, doesn’t feel as you would hope. Leaving deaths and successes sometimes feeling more a luck of the draw than a challenge of skill.

    Throughout each level you collect butterflies and owls, mastering a level when you have found all of the owls. Which you can replay each level to do, although you don’t unlock anything when you have collected them all, it left me with little motivation to go back and do so.
    Included with the Nintendo Switch version of Shu is a sixth world, the Caverns of Nightjars. A DLC pack with six additional levels that utilize different combinations of the mechanics learned from the main game, adding a clever spin on previously mastered moves.

    Verdict
    Shu is a short and sweet melting pot of modern day platformers. Not breaking any ground, but sturdy and well-executed, I can happily recommend Shu to any platforming fan looking to spend a few hours gliding through this beautiful world.

    Be sure to watch my video review on my YouTube channel TheFlannelFox    … Expand
  4. FrankoAmmo
    Mar 2, 2018
    7
    Completed Shu on the Switch yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised by this title especially for the price! The graphics and background areCompleted Shu on the Switch yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised by this title especially for the price! The graphics and background are beautiful, but the music is ok (not very good). The controls are tight and the levels are well designed, but there are only 21 levels and I completed the game while collecting everything in about 6 hours. The game's difficulty is good, but some passages are quite hard and it is not easy to collect everything (unfortunately it does not provide more content which I don't like). The game does remind me of Rayman Origins/Legends, but definitely less polished. It is decent platformer with different abilities and I would recommend it! 7.5 out of 10 in my book.… Expand
  5. b00lpr0p
    Jan 18, 2019
    6
    A half-baked platformer game, which is a little bit overpriced for what it is. Sometimes it's a little bit confusing to understand what isA half-baked platformer game, which is a little bit overpriced for what it is. Sometimes it's a little bit confusing to understand what is just the background and what can really kill you. Some levels are too easy, some of them are too hard and unfair, especially the last level, when you have to rely on luck instead of ability to progress, which shows that there are some problems in level design.… Expand
  6. AllySky
    Jun 15, 2018
    0
    Each level was a bother, a pain-staking bore that I had to force myself through. The level designs are poorly made, the collectibles areEach level was a bother, a pain-staking bore that I had to force myself through. The level designs are poorly made, the collectibles are pointless, and the "boss" is sometimes unfair. This games rating should be a 50 or less.… Expand

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