The Shadows gameplay is similar to other Beat 'em up games such as Final Fight or Double Dragon, where the player controls The Shadow through several levels fighting against several enemies. The player has two bars; one is the life bar and a bar that allows the player to perform special attacks (invisibility, gun play, speed running, a dome shield that knocks out everyone who hits it). It also contains a driving stage where The Shadow battles Mongols on motorbikes (Maritech Labs), and roughly follows the plot of the movie.