Code Shifter
| Code Shifter | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Arc System Works |
| Publisher(s) | Ark System Works |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo Switch PlayStation 4 Windows Xbox One |
| Release | PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One
|
| Genre(s) | Action Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Code Shifter is a 2020 action-platform video game both developed and published by Arc System Works. The game was released worldwide on January 30, 2020, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It was released on January 29, 2020 in North America, and a day later in Europe, for the Nintendo Switch.
Plot
The story takes place in a video game development studio named 'Awesome Rainbow Corp.' In the game, you play as Stella, a video game developer working for said studio. Stella is currently developing a new fighting game. As Stella is about to finish developing the game, she discovers newly-found glitches in the game. Stella develops a debug program called Code Shifter. You send Stella's debugger avatar, Sera, into various files through Code Shifter to combat flaws that appear as platforming stages in order to fix the glitches in your game.[1]
Gameplay
In the game, you control Sera, Stella's debugger avatar, inside her new fighting game, to combat flaws and fix glitches in the game. In these stages, you find data on other fighters (from Ark System Works' other works) which you can use to turn yourself into 2D 8-bit versions of them.[1] The game also has a 'Colorful Fighters' game mode featuring a brawler mini-game that allows up to 4 players to fight against each other.[2] After every stage, the player is allowed to roam around the studio as Stella. Here, the player can talk to other developers[1]
The game uses 30 characters from 11 of Arc System Works' other works, such as Guilty Gear, River City Girls, BlazBlue, Wizard's Symphony, Double Dragon, Jake Hunter, Birthdays the Beginning, Inferno Climber, Prism of Eyes, and Kunio-kun.[2]
Reception[3]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | NS: 55/100[4] XONE: 58/100[5] |
| OpenCritic | 19% recommend[6] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| 4Players | 5/10[2] |
| Destructoid | 5/10[7] |
| IGN | KR: 6/10[3] |
| Nintendo Life |   [8] |
| PCMag | (NS)  [1] |
| Pure Nintendo | 8/10[9] |
The Nintendo Switch version of Code Shifter received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregation website Metacritic.[10] The game also received a 19% critic recommendation average from review aggregation website OpenCritic.[6]
A few critics stated that the levels were dully or poorly staged, condemning the repetition of designs and backgrounds.[2][7] A few critics compared the Nintendo Switch version of Code Shifter to another Nintendo Switch game, namely Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.[1][2][8]
Many critics criticized the 'Colorful Fighter' game mode, stating that it has "rigid controls and stiff movement",[1][7] whereas one critic stated that it was "funky" and "turbulent".[2] Matthias Schmid for 4Players complemented the absence of microtransactions within the game.[2]
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d e f Greenwald, Will (February 21, 2020). "Code Shifter (for Nintendo Switch) Review". PCMag. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Schmid, Matthias (February 12, 2020). "Code Shifter (Plattformer) - Kampf gegen verbuggte Spiele". 4Players (in German). Retrieved September 9, 2024.
- ^ a b Lee, Donghun (February 11, 2020). "'코드 시프터' 리뷰". IGN Korea (in Korean). Ziff Davis. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
- ^ "Code Shifter Nintendo Switch critic reviews". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
- ^ "Code Shifter Xbox One critic reviews". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ a b "Code Shifter Reviews". OpenCritic. Valnet. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
- ^ a b c Andriessen, CJ (February 16, 2020). "Review: Code Shifter". Destructoid. Gamurs. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
- ^ a b Vogel, Mitch (February 11, 2020). "Review: Code Shifter (Switch) - This Forgettable Franchise Crossover Is A Missed Opportunity". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
- ^ Gould, Trevor (February 29, 2020). "Review: Code Shifter (Nintendo Switch)". Pure Nintendo. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
- ^ "Code Shifter". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 9, 2024.