Shadow Complex covers the main character Jason Fleming and his girlfriend, Claire, in their battle against the Restoration. Claire is kidnapped by mystery guys after the two go into the mountains to explore a cave. Jason infiltrates their complex built inside the caves to rescue her and ultimately stop the Restoration in what they are doing.
The gameplay is comparable to that of the Metroid series. While the aesthetics are 3D, the game is a 2D platformer focused on exploration. Throughout the game, the player can obtain several weapons, each of which can be used to disclose new passageways within the cave. For example, green rocks, hatches, or doors must be blown up with grenades, whereas orange ones must be blown up with weapons, purple ones feature circuitry that must be damaged with foam, and red ones must be fired with missiles. Hidden areas throughout the environment can sometimes only be reached with the appropriate weapon. This implies that the game requires a lot of backtracking, such as obtaining new bonus items such as more excellent health or grenade capacity.
Later in the game, Jason gains access to new movement skills via elements of a unique outfit. They enable him to double and triple jump, get a jet pack boost, and cling to walls and ceilings with a hook. He can also run at superhuman speeds, break unique barriers, and find equipment that allows him to breathe underwater indefinitely. The main quest is divided into missions, represented on the map by a blue trail. A flashlight exposes secret routes that can be explored by highlighting them in the weapon code color of your choice. Killing foes and progressing through the game raises Jason’s level, granting him better stats.
