Shadow Blade: Reload

Shadow Blade Reload is your typical 2.5 action adventure where you follow a simple and typical story across 7 regions. Each region contains between 5 and 7 stages with some of the final stages being bosses. You go through obstacles, fight enemies, collect Kanji & orbs and you get scored at the end based on factors like how many enemies you defeat, how much stuff you collect and how fast you are.
The game’s biggest selling point has got to be the controls. It feels amazing with a controller. Not only because you’re super fast but you can jump infinitely as long as you touch a wall. It might sound broken but the levels are generally designed with that in mind, especially when you play on 2 harder difficulties. The environments change significantly with more obstacles and enemies. The game is a joy to play and it’s kept engaging. Other aspects like graphics, sound etc. are fine. They might not impress compared to what’s available on the market, but they’re done with care.
In terms of flaws, most are real nitpicks. You need to install a program on PC in order to view the cutscenes, luckily the installation program is found in the game’s folder. There are also some minor visual bugs on very rare occasions like going to spots you’re not supposed to.
I had lots of fun playing the game and I can definitely recommend it to fans of action adventure Ninja games. You really do feel like a Ninja with how fast and powerful you can get. The normal price of around €8 is 100% worth it. It took me 13 hours to complete the game 3 times and get all the achievements. There are different type of achievements such as collect all kanji, do certain actions a couple of times and complete the game on all 3 difficulties. The latter was mostly the fun kind of challenge. All achievements felt pretty well balanced in terms of grind not going too far and reasonable things being asked to do.

First played this game back in 2012 on mobile. Still amazing game on every aspect. Great games never get old.

Shadow Blade: Reload is an exhilarating side-scrolling action platformer that demonstrates how rewarding precision-based gameplay can be when paired with responsive controls and thoughtful level design. Developed and published by Dead Mage, the game revolves around speed, agility, and skill, placing players in the role of Kuro, a young ninja tasked with restoring balance to a world threatened by the collapse of an ancient alliance. While the story remains relatively simple, it provides enough motivation to support the intense gameplay, allowing the action and level design to remain the primary focus throughout the adventure.
The campaign takes players through a variety of visually appealing environments inspired by both traditional Japanese culture and modern industrial settings. This blend creates a unique atmosphere that separates the game from more conventional ninja adventures. Each stage is carefully constructed to encourage fluid movement, requiring players to leap across hazards, scale walls, avoid deadly traps, and defeat enemies without sacrificing momentum. Rather than slowing the pace with lengthy encounters or excessive exploration, every level encourages mastery through continuous movement and precise execution.
Movement mechanics are undoubtedly the game's greatest strength. Kuro possesses an impressive arsenal of ninja techniques including wall-running, double jumping, climbing, and rapid attacks that flow naturally into one another. The controls are exceptionally tight, ensuring that every success or failure feels earned. As players become more familiar with the mechanics, they begin chaining together movements with remarkable speed, transforming each stage into a fast-paced obstacle course that rewards both reflexes and planning. This satisfying sense of progression makes replaying levels enjoyable as players strive for cleaner and faster completions.
Combat complements the platforming instead of overshadowing it. Enemies are positioned strategically to disrupt movement and force quick decisions, creating encounters that feel integrated into the environment rather than isolated battles. Players are encouraged to dispatch opponents efficiently while maintaining forward momentum, reinforcing the game's emphasis on speed. Boss encounters introduce additional variety by testing mastery of movement and attack patterns, preventing the gameplay from becoming repetitive over the course of the campaign.
The level design consistently introduces new mechanics, environmental hazards, and enemy combinations that keep each stage feeling fresh. Hidden collectibles and secret pathways encourage exploration without compromising the game's brisk pacing, while multiple difficulty settings offer a satisfying challenge for players of varying skill levels. Those seeking an even greater test can tackle Hardcore and Master Class modes, where precise timing and flawless execution become essential. These higher difficulties significantly extend the game's longevity and provide meaningful goals for dedicated players.
Visually, Shadow Blade: Reload delivers an attractive presentation with colorful environments, detailed backgrounds, and smooth character animations. The game's 2.5D perspective enhances depth while maintaining clear visibility during high-speed gameplay. Effects such as lighting, particle animations, and dynamic environmental elements contribute to the overall polish without distracting from the action. Every animation communicates movement clearly, allowing players to react quickly even during the most chaotic sequences.
The audio design effectively supports the fast-paced gameplay with energetic music that enhances tension and excitement throughout each mission. Sound effects are crisp and impactful, giving weight to every sword strike, jump, and environmental interaction. Although the soundtrack may not be especially memorable outside the game itself, it succeeds in maintaining an engaging atmosphere that complements the constant action.
An impressive feature included in the package is the built-in level editor along with Steam Workshop integration, allowing players to design, share, and experience community-created stages. This significantly expands the game's replay value beyond its main campaign, offering an endless supply of fresh challenges for those who enjoy mastering its mechanics. Combined with achievements, leaderboards, and other Steam features, the game provides plenty of incentives for players to continue improving their performance long after the story concludes.
The game does have a few limitations. Its demanding difficulty may frustrate players looking for a more casual platforming experience, especially during later levels where precise timing is mandatory. The narrative also takes a back seat to gameplay, offering limited character development and focusing primarily on supporting the action. However, these shortcomings are relatively minor when considering the game's primary objective of delivering a fast, skill-driven platforming experience.
Overall, Shadow Blade: Reload stands out as an expertly crafted action platformer that excels through responsive controls, intelligently designed levels, and exhilarating gameplay built around speed and precision. Its satisfying movement system, engaging combat, attractive presentation, and extensive replay value make it an outstanding choice for fans of challenging platformers and ninja-themed action games. Dead Mage has delivered a polished experience that remains consistently entertaining from beginning to end while offering enough depth to reward players willing to perfect their skills.
Rating: 8/10

I enjoyed this fast-paced old school 2d platformer. Totally feels like you are playing as a capable ninja!

Firstly, make sure you have LAV extensions installed if you want to watch the animated videos that tell the story during the game. The install folder has an exe you can run, and it works, but I would install the basic K-Lite codec pack which includes this and more and is up to date, and I can confirm 100% unlocked the game videos.
I have a soft spot for this game as it does exactly what I want out of an action platformer - that being responsive, focused harcore action without being OTT like speed run type "super speed" titles and focusing on combat, i.e., destroying the enemies, on top of the platforming pitfalls you must navigate.
Looks good, sounds good, controls well, cheap and worth every cent, this is my type of game. There are hidden bonuses but it's not one of those games you will be wandering endlessly and wondering where to go next, which is precisely what I love about it. Just a straightforward and challenging action game.
Oh, it has native 4K support and controller remapping as well as a simple hints page explaining all the movement and attacks available to you. Unfortunately it's one of those older games that doesn't recognise LT and RT, and that is a real shame when I am using a controller with digital triggers, as I find them much easier (cause they are larger) to use, therefore I would have loved to assign dash to RT rather than RB. I will try enabling Steam, input for the game and see if I can work around it that way next time I play it.
BTW there is also an option called Xbox one controller for windows, and I have no idea what it deos when enabled, other than disable the d-pad of my Elves 2 Pro or 8bitDo M30. I haven't been able to use the 8bitdo on this one, as RB on that controller exposes itself as LT to the OS, and was therefore unusable, but this was before I understoo d about Steam custom game control profiles, so hopefully can work around it next time and use my favourite controller for 2D games.
Still, it's a cheap and SUPER fun Shinobi/Ninja Gaiden style action game and I recommend it.