Review · Action · PlayStation 4 · Nintendo Switch · macOS
Shadow Blade: Reload
Reviewed: 08 May 2026
PlayStation 4 · Nintendo Switch · macOS · Linux · PC · iOS
Crescent Moon Games · 2015
Ludograph rating
B
Good
64 /100
Shadow Blade: Reload is an action game building creativity and hand-eye coordination through complex level design, with notable violence depicted in combat.
Growth (BDS)
48
Risk (RIS)
6
Daily limit
–
Age guidance
17+
Developmental benefits
| B1 | Cognitive | 0.66 | |
| B2 | Social-emotional | 0.03 | |
| B3 | Motor | 0.70 | |
Shadow Blade: Reload offers significant cognitive benefits, particularly in problem-solving, spatial awareness, strategic thinking, and adaptive challenge through its complex level design, traps, and enemy encounters. The inclusion of a level editor fosters high creativity. Motor skills like hand-eye coordination, fine motor control, and reaction time are heavily engaged by the fast-paced platforming and vicious combat.
Design risks
| R1 | Compulsion-loop pressure | 0.03 | |
| R2 | Monetization | 0.00 | |
| R3 | Social risk | 0.17 | |
The primary risks in Shadow Blade: Reload are related to content, with a high level of violence depicted through combat and descriptions of 'blood-stained hands.' While the game features leaderboards, the social risks are minimal due to the single-player focus and absence of stranger chat. Compulsion-loop design and monetization risks are very low, as the game is a one-time purchase with no microtransactions or manipulative engagement mechanics.
Content (not in risk score)
| R4.1 | Violence Level | 1.00 | |
| R4.2 | Sexual Content | 0.00 | |
| R4.3 | Language | 0.00 | |
| R4.4 | Substance References | 0.00 | |
| R4.5 | Fear / Horror | 0.33 | |
Content risk is displayed separately and does not affect the time recommendation.
Regulatory design checks · DSA — Assessed: meets criteria·GDPR-K — Not yet assessed·ODDS — Assessed: meets criteria
- DSA:What Ludograph checks: whether the game's design gives minors the transparency the EU Digital Services Act expects: plain terms, honest defaults, and clear reporting routes.: Estimated from review data. No dark pattern or child-targeting concerns found.
- GDPR-K:What Ludograph checks: whether age assurance and consent flows are designed for under-16s, in the spirit of GDPR Article 8.
- ODDS:What Ludograph checks: whether paid random-reward drop rates are disclosed, as required in China, Japan and South Korea.: Estimated from review data. No paid random-reward mechanics found, so drop-rate disclosure requirements do not apply.
These reflect Ludograph's assessment of the game's design practices against each framework's criteria, not a legal compliance determination.