If you've played the original Shift, or the even better update to that, Shift 2, then you probably will be thrilled to know that Tony (Antony Lavalle) has just released a third game in this fantastic series that takes the concept of negative space and turns it upside-down.
Shift 3 extends the familiar jump and run, puzzle-platformer formula by adding a few surprises to the mix. Inside you will find an auto-saving Adventure mode, new items to find and collect (including a PDA for maps and notes!), all-new puzzle elements, as well as an assortment of achievments to earn that round out this fine update. Oh, and a secret celebrity character to play as, too. If you ask me, it sounds like we're in store for more shenanigans from Tony in this game as well.
And when finished with Adventure mode, also included are 3 player packs of levels created by various players around the Web, all hand selected by the author. And, of course, the critically acclaimed "Shift-Ed" level editor is back and updated to Version 2.0.
This is one anticipated game update you won't want to miss.
Cheers to Sam, Blackyoshi7, Nicop, and Xtech for sending this one in! =)
Walkthrough Guide
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Well, I'm going to take a stab at an Adventure-mode walkthrough, because I'm procrastinating on several other things. Here we gooooooo!
CONTROLS:
Left/Right Arrow Key - Left/Right
Up Arrow Key - Enter Door
Space Bar - Jump
Shift - Shift
P - Pause Menu
TERMS USED:
Holeplat - Platform activated by key
Checks - Checkerboard blocks removed by lightbulb
Gravs - Gravity changers activated by touch
OPENING SEQUENCE:
ROOM 1:
Oh, dear. This does not bode well for you, my friend. Go right, press up.
ROOM 2:
The Space Bar will let you jump across the gaps. If this poses a problem for you, might I suggest a game with a slower pace? I hear that Solitare is a lovely way to spend time, don't you know. Go right, press up.
ROOM 3:
Do you feel Deja Vu? No? Okay then. Jump across the gaps and climb the staircase. Jump onto the platform and grab the key. The holeplat will swing into place, providing safe passage below to the next room.
ROOM 4:
Well, I'm stuck. I can't make that jump.
Hee. Go to the bottom of the staircase and shift. Fall down the ledge and shift again. Jump the gap to the platform and CODING ERROR 2-618 WALKTHROUGH TERMINATED
Nah, joking. Continue up to the platform behind the code and go in that door. (Honesty? I forgot about that explosion bit there when I was writing this, and I actually jumped a little.)
ROOM 5:
Okay, several things to note here. Firstly, directly above you is a spinning blob. That's a newspaper piece. They're tricky to get, and you'll need them later, but when we can get these, I'll guide you through them. I love you thaaaaaat much. :D
Let's do what we can, then. Run down and hit the icon that looks like the eject button on your betamax/VCR/DVD/Blu-Ray player. That's a grav. These will be your best frenemy. In any event, shift once you hit that ledge.
Now we get the fun choice. Here's the PDA in front of you. If you take it here, you'll get a map and the ability to make notes. Now, you've got me, so notes aren't really necessary. You can grab it if you want, but completing the game without the PDA gives you an achievement. Your choice. Grab it or don't grab it, and shift back to whitespace, exiting the level.
ROOM 6:
Well, there's two doors? WHAT!? I'm puzzled and confused. It's hopeless.
Nah, not really. We can only get to one of them for now, so shift and jump across to the door on the ledge.
ROOM 7:
Hm. Did you grab the PDA? Because the map shows two exits here. One must be sooper-sekrit. Shift and run to the far right edge of the whitespace. Shift and grab the key to the left. Fall down the pit to your right.
Try something with me. Shift into whitespace so you're standing in front of the holeplat staircase you created with the key earlier. Try standing on the middle holeplat-step and jumping to your left.
Yeah, super-sekrit. How awesome is that? We're back in room 5. Shift and you'll get the newspaper piece easily. ...Hm. Is this the ad we responded to in order to get here? Also, January 18th, 2032? I knew it was some crazy-bizarre dystopia! HUXLEY CALLED IT!
Ahem. Sorry. More importantly, note the star-24 marking. This will become important later. For now, press space and continue falling.
Work your way back to room 7. You should be at the door you entered. Repeat the instructions from above so that you're back in your pit. Shift and collect the lightbulb. The checks around the key will clear. Shift back into black and hit the grav. Walk all the way right and then all the way left so that you hit the grav in the corner. Shift into white and collect the key. Something's happened somewhere. Standing where the key was, shift into black and go through the door we came in.
Also, wow, this was verbose.
ROOM 6 (again):
You see it, don't you? We've got us a platform, we do! Drop onto the holeplat and run left. We can't do anything yet as far as the newspaper piece goes, so jump over the spike pit and enter the black door.
REACTOR ROOM:
This is the reactor room. This is the main branching point for the game. The door you came in will lead back to the opening sequence, and the three doors ahead of you will go to paths 1, 2, and 3. I'll refer to rooms in these paths as 1-x, 2-x, or 3-x. You don't need to do these in any specific order, so pick whatever is appealing to you.
See that blocked off door? That's the final door. We need to get keys to remove those holeplats. Those will be in--you guessed it--paths 1, 2, and 3. Those are our goals. Hoorah.
PATH 1:
ROOM 1-1:
Go through the door for path 1. From the door, shift into blackspace and drop down to the bottom. Jump onto the block next to you and shift into whitespace. Jump to the platform to your left and grab the key.
That door rudely slammed in your face. Harumph! Drop down to the bottom, as far as you can go. Shift into black and hit the grav. Run to your left. Jump on the corner block, and then to the whiteblock to your right. Shift on that block.
Drop down to the platform below you and shift into the blackspace so that you can grab that grav. Hit it, and then run off the ledge to the bottom right corner. On that whiteblock, shift into whitespace. Hit the grav and go through the door.
ROOM 1-2:
Jump onto the blackblock and then onto the blackblock jutting out from the larger blackspace. Shift and hit the grav. Shift back into the main whitespace and go right. Jump left until you get to the T with the key. Shift and grab the key.
Hit the grav on the far-left. Run down towards the next key. Congrats! We've got our reactor room key. We've got to work our way back, so go back to the door we entered.
ROOM 1-1 (again):
Working our way back. Shift and drop down the black tunnel. Shift into whitespace and drop down to the door. Go right and collect the grav. Go down to the door. Congrats!
PATH 2:
ROOM 2-1:
Go through the door for Path 2.
Ooh, certain death! I'm so scared! Screw the game! Let's run down the staircase to your left, shift, and hit the grav directly above you. Shift into the door! WE TAKE WARNINGS FROM NO MAN!
ROOM 2-2:
I stand corrected. Well, I've wasted your time. Let's go back.
ROOM 2-1 (again):
Sorry. Hey, if you wanted a speedrun, you wouldn't be using a walkthrough as you go, right? Calm down, buddy.
Shift into blackspace and go right. The gravs will take you to safety. Shift back into whitespace.
Now, the tricky bit. You'll need to hit the three gravs on the fly. Remember that you'll need to change directions in mid-fall. Work your way to the flat safe space next to the spikes.
Shift into blackspace and hit the grav to your side. Don't touch the one that you will land next to; instead, shift into whitespace and collect the key. From where you are, shift, run across the holeplat, and shift again to get to the door.
ROOM 2-3:
Hm. I see two doors over there. Which shall we get? Let's find out! Shift into blackspace and go to the lowest point you can. Shift into whitespace. Go left and hit the left-grav. Jump onto the blackspace clump in the bottom-left corner and shift into that, grabbing the grav there. Shift into whitespace and drop down all the way towards the key.
Well, that's a mean little trick, game. One door's blocked off! Scoff, bother, offense! Jump up in front of the door. Be careful here; don't touch the grav in front of you! Shift around it so that you'll shift directly onto the other grav. Shift around the badgrav again and go through the door.
ROOM 2-4:
You know, I abhor jump puzzles. Srsly D:
Well, it's a relatively simple jump puzzle. Jump right all the way, then jump left. Shift into the blackspace on the far left and drop down so you can shift and get to the door.
Familiar, no? Go right and get your reactor key. Go back left and get back into 2-4.
But wait a sec. Something bothers me about those four blocks to your right. Do me a favor; jump those for me? (If you miss, don't bother going all the way back up; just hit the spikes. You'll respawn at the top door.)
AH-HA! MYSTERIOUS DOOR! EL PUERTO MISTERIOSO! I DON'T KNOW SPANISH! Go through it.
We're back in the certain death room! Get this key. Hm, it looks deliciously possible now, doesn't it? Go back through the door and run back down to the bottom-right door in 2-4.
ROOM 2-3 (again):
Run into the grav on your right, the one we avoided earlier. Shift directly onto the grav in the blackspace you landed on. Go down to the far left of this space and shift. Land on the jutting-out part of the pyramid-thing in the middle of the screen. Shift onto that grav. Jump all the way right and hit that grav. Run right and hit the final grav. Shift into whitespace and go through the door.
ROOM 2-1 (again?!):
Shift and run across the holeplat for me. Hit the grav we dodged earlier and shift into whitespace. We need to do the platjumping again, but in reverse this time. Jump over the spikes and make your way to the grav over the door. Don't go through the door.
Go back to the certain death door.
ROOM 2-2 (again):
Run right, hit the grav, and get your clipping. That family... it looks like you guys! And that text... it's got misspellings! And that red writing... that's a smileyface-18! That'll be significant later. Press space to continue falling. Hit the grav and go back through the door.
ROOM 2-1 (ye gods):
Make your way back to the starting point, same way as earlier. Did this really need a separate entry? No, no it didn't. But it has one anyway.
PATH 3:
ROOM 3-1:
Go as far right as you can, jumping as you go. Shift and collect that key. Shift again into whitespace, and run left. Go up that staircase and shift at the top of it. Drop down and hit that grav. Run off the ledge and aim for that pit in between the spikes. Shift and jump over the spikes to your left, hitting the grav in the bottom-left corner. Jump onto the blackblocks, shift, run down the pit, shift again, jump up on the blackdoorblock, shift, go through the door, etc, etc, etc.
ROOM 3-2:
Run and jump left onto the blackblock with the grav. Shift again and run left. Shift and go right, landing on the whiteblock in the corner. Jump onto the whiteblock above the key. Shift and get the key, then drop onto the grav and go through the door.
ROOM 3-1 (again):
We can now get to that other door. Shift and jump across to the grav in front of the spikes. Jump up the staircase, shift, drop down so that you land on the nook in the cliff next to the door. Shift and drop down to the door.
ROOM 3-3:
Do you feel Deja Vu? No? Okay then. Jump across the gaps and climb the staircase. Jump onto the platform and grab the key. That's a reactor key. Tee hee, it's a little screw-you. But... something bothers me about that door. Do me a favor? Jump back to the top of the staircase and shift. Jump up, and... AHHHHHHH, YOU TRICKY FIEND! Jump up and grab the key. Shift and go through the door. Go through and grab the newspaper piece. Shiny newspaper, how I love thee. Heart-33? Let's make a note! Leave here. Work your way back to 3-3's entry door.
ROOM 3-1 (again?!):
Drop down to the bottom-left door.
With the paths done, it's time to charge forward! Onto:
THE FINAL AREA
Go through the final area door. Run right, get the grav. Run right, and get the key. Run left, and get the grav.
STOP.
Something's changed somewhere. Let's go back. Run left, down to the first door. Run left again in the reactor room towards that grav. Shift a bit until you're on the door in the opening sequence.
ROOM 6:
Ah-ha. Go right, get the grav. You can work it out. Plus-71? Nice. Go back to the reactor room. Go back to the final area door.
Repeat the sequence, but go through the other door.
Climb the tower.
Go to the top. Shift if you want to; the game will let you retry.
The sequence is:
Heart 33
.
Plus 71
.
Star 24
.
Smileyface 18
.
Enjoy the end sequence. You've won.
That's the end of it. My time in this walkthrough was 4082.3 seconds. Granted, I was writing. Heh. Enjoy the game. Play the level packs, make your own, get the achievements. Rock on!
--MDen
Posted by: M. Den | July 3, 2008 8:01 PM