Shu (Switch) Review - With colorful graphics and fluid movements

Indieplatformers no shortage on the eShop of the Switch. Shu is also released on the popular hybrid console after a release on PS4 and PC last year, but does not really offer something unique for the connoisseur who already has the choice between many alternatives.

The colorful graphics and fluid movements with which the main character in Shu moves on are immediately reminiscent of the more recent Rayman games. Shu tries to achieve a similar 'flow', including levels in which you have to run ahead like a madman (you are here and there chased by an all-destroying storm). However, that comparison does not work in favor of this short platformer.

Not so precise

This is mainly because Shu does not let himself be driven as precisely as his fellows. During running and jumping you often have the feeling that you are not in full control, with here and there a collision with an obstacle or a fall in an abyss as a result. Shu glides a little too fast and certainly does not let himself be controlled in the air precisely enough to feel that every mistake you make is really your own fault. Fortunately, levels are full of checkpoints that you can return to about five times. If it does not succeed then, you will be forced to play the whole level again.

Shu has to save his world from an approaching storm and he does, how could it be otherwise, by reaching the end of a number of platform levels. He can only jump and fly through the air with a cloth, but during the game he meets several friendly characters who then go on an adventure with him and provide him with new moves. For example, a character lets you walk briefly over water, while another character lets you perform wall jumps.

Here a move, there a move

This is the only unique aspect to Shu: these moves are only available to you when the corresponding characters (automatically) walk by your side. After a number of levels you have 'saved' these characters and they disappear with a hot air balloon as quickly as they were introduced. The result is that in the next level you lose your new moves and you have to look for new characters to play out the level in question. It keeps the experience fairly fresh and ensures that you always start the next level to find out what moves are now being introduced.

That does not mean, however, that you have finished the game in a few hours. What remains is the possibility to find a number of collectibles in each level by going off the linear path and examining all corners and holes, as well as a time trial for each level. Fairness to tell us that the game hardly motivates you to work on it after playing. After a few hours you have seen the fairly standard environments and anything but precise gameplay. On to the next platformer.

Conclusion

Shu is a charming snack that is, however, heavily overshadowed by the many better 2D platformers on the Switch. Both on the eShop and physically in the stores there are genre notes available that are more original and better to control, and later this year the offer will only increase. The fact that moves are tied to characters that you meet, which means that your moveset is constantly changing, has been well found.

Pros

➕ Use original way of moves
➕ Colorful graphics

Cons

➖ Does not control exactly enough
➖ Does too little to stand out from the competition
➖ Short playing time

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