My Playtime: 4.8h (100% achievement, finished the game)
Grindy Achievement(s): No.
Optional Achievement(s): Yes (11 achievements).
Difficult Achievement(s): No.

Shady Part of Me is a puzzle platformer game in 2D and 3D. You move a girl and her shadow, cooperating with each other to reach the exit. The game has four acts with a tutorial before the first one.

Pros:
- Four acts with different main mechanic
- Tricky collectibles

Cons:
- It can be confusing to guess where the shadow will fall when she changes orientation, especially in the last act

Specs
Intel Core i5-9300H 2.40GHz, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650

If you enjoy playing puzzle platformers, buy this game.

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Shady Part of Me uses a combination of 2D and 3D visuals. The 2D was portrayed by the shadow cast by the objects in the 3D environment with the mix of light in between. I found the level design to be clever; the 2D plane can look different from how the 3D plane looks like even though they are located in the same screen. Moreover, the distinction between both planes is done flawlessly.

The story can be confusing to some people, especially if you prefer to have one that is told clearly. Some dialogues mainly show the shadow and the girl's characteristics and how they feel, but it's never clear what they have gone through and what really happened. Moreover, a third voice will also be heard from time to time to add to the confusion. However, if you are the type who likes to speculate, you'll have a blast figuring out the story.

Gameplay
As a platformer game, Shady Part of Me runs smoothly—jumping between platforms is never made difficult and there are no timing-based mechanics that will ruin your playthrough either. Moreover, there is a rewind feature that will redo your action a few seconds backward, similar to how it is in Braid (my review). Unlike that game, this game never integrated the rewind feature into the puzzles, and it was there solely to help you focus on the puzzle instead of the platforming elements.

The puzzles have different main mechanics in each act, but the main concept is still the same. It revolves around shadows, where you need to help the shadow and the girl cross the area through the use of switches, levers, and boxes. The shadow needs a balance between light and shadow—the latter works as a platform for her to step on while the former works as a walkable area. Meanwhile, the girl is afraid of the sun. You need to ensure that she's walking around the shadow—even though the platform is wide enough for her to walk on.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2427857106

The use of levers, switches, and boxes will be heavily used in the game, which will help you to manipulate the shadows in the area. You need to ensure that both the shadow and the girl can reach the exit safely before you can finish the level. Each level can be finished quickly, although some levels might require you to use your brain to solve.

The game doesn't stop with the puzzle, though. There are also some collectibles that are either well-hidden or located in tricky places. The latter ones require you to use the puzzle at the level you are in to reach it, which will require extra effort and thinking to do. The game will let you know which one you missed from the collectible in the menu, although you need to guess which level it was on. Luckily, you can load in any level that you are in quickly.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3460755008

Length and Difficulty
I finished the game in 4.8h. The game will force you to use your brain to think of the solutions, although it won't be too hard to solve. However, there are no in-game hints or whatsoever that can help you when you are stuck, although there are several guides and walkthroughs that you can consult already.

I like how Shady Part of Me ensures that the platforming sections won't hinder you from enjoying the game. Each jump is made compact and it ensures that you won't miss any jump. If you even miss it, the game even has a rewind function to help you recover. The puzzles themselves are challenging to solve, which is great for those who enjoy playing puzzle games.