Shadowgrounds

A sequel, Shadowgrounds: Survivor, was released in 2007 and focuses on three separate characters trying to survive the alien onslaught shown in the first game.

Players explore indoor and outdoor facilities in order to complete a usually linear series of tasks (usually of the "FedEx" or "get to Point B" varieties, though other tasks include disarming force fields, enabling a radio transmitter, or fixing various broken machinery), while clearing the area of a chain of progressively more powerful creatures.

Players can also pick up weapons and ammunition and health packs and destroy a large number of crates (another cliché of the genre).

Finally, there are PDAs and computer terminals scattered through the maps that serve to loosely advance the plot with some optional exposition.

Cooperatively, one player controls Tyler via the keyboard and mouse, and one to three more can play as unnamed characters, using gamepads attached to the same computer.

On the way there, they discuss Tyler's past, how he was previously in charge of a security team, before being blamed for an accident involving faulty equipment.

Tyler is tasked by Lieutenant Dan Baxter with various different missions, before being reunited with Jane and sent to restore the ISERCom facility so that a message can be sent to any nearby space ships.

He and Jane do manage to rescue Dr. Harold Weiss, an IGTO research scientist, who informs them of the unfortunate news that the Provectus had already been shot down.

Tyler and the rest search the stricken ship and eventually find and rescue Colonel Roger Smith, who despite the crash is still defiant and confident that they can take down the alien's mothership.

Upon reaching the centre of the ship and defeating a final boss, the last of the Ancient ones, they are approached by the aliens' collective consciousness who inform them of the real reasons for the invasion and the danger they are posing to themselves and the whole Solar System.

The AMEW bomb was based on technologies that they had developed many years before, utilizing an energy source so powerful that it could destroy stars.

[5] While the game was generally praised for its successful recreation of classic top down shooter gameplay, it was criticized as being somewhat repetitive as well as being sometimes overly difficult, especially due to its lack of a standard saving system.

The game's music and sound effects were praised; Lordi guitarist Amen played guitar on the official Shadowgrounds soundtrack, which was composed by Ari Pulkkinen.

GamingOnLinux reviewer Hamish Paul Wilson commented, "despite its faults, Shadowgrounds remains an admirable action romp with enough attractive elements to make it worthy of a measured recommendation.