I have fond memories of playing this game as a kid on my Nintendo 64, so it was a no-brainer to get this PC version the moment it went on sale at GOG. Unfortunately Shadows of the Empire has aged terribly in terms of gameplay. The controls in the on-foot levels are terribly outdated and frustrating. Your character turns slowly, making it tough to move around and react to surprise enemies before taking damage. The gun aiming is slightly assisted but will consistently let you down - especially when the enemy is slightly above or below eye-level. You cannot aim manually and strafe at the same time, so you'll get blown to pieces standing still while you try to point towards your attacker (whom can always aim straight at you without any problems). And good luck running and jumping around cliff edges with the floaty Moon physics in this game. You will suffer plenty of senseless deaths as you slide off ledges like they are covered in grease. The longest level in the game, Gall Spaceport, is an absolute nightmare to navigate without hovering off ledges to your doom simply because you stepped downwards at a slight angle while getting shot at. And if you try to jump from train to train in the junkyard during a slight turn in the tracks you get to watch your character glide in slow motion towards to pool of death below. Only buy Shadows of the Empire for the nostalgia trip, the soundtrack, and the PC-exclusive 3D cutscenes. Chances are the gameplay will sour your loving memories of this one before long.
