Shadows of the Damned Review

[Cameron Baxter]

the review was a little harsh but it did nail the key points two things i would have mentioned is the music score is amazing! and as a negitive the 2D side scroler is just frustratingly slow (also i wish there was a survival mode or something like resi 5 mercenaries because hell seemed really underpopulated and i wanted to spray my johnson on hordes of enemies)

but still a solid game gotta be at least a 4 outa 5

 

[The Random One]

Before we go any further, you may want to give serious thought to how you feel about dick jokes. Lots and lots of dick jokes.

Jejeje. Es un bicho.

Pero seriamente But seriously, this game is what Duke Nukem should have been. Or at least could have been. But every time I see the 'Welcome to Hell' neon sign I think of the joke they missed by not having it say 'Abandon all Hope'.

 

[Grahav]

Worth a rent. Like a quick trip to hell.

 

[Dr.Panties]

It's a decent game.

Pros: -interesting visuals and warped concepts
- raises a chuckle now and then
- solid, though not innovative combat
- excellent soundtrack

Cons: - unskippable cutscenes are unskippable! That's bullshit.
- camera can feel a little quirky
- replayability suffers due to no extra modes or unlockable difficulties/features
- some of the humour falls very flat
- graphics are not excellent

Bottom line: I was expecting more from Mikami (RE4, and my absolute favourite shooter, Vanquish), but it is still a solid, fun game with a cool schlock aesthetic. 7.5/10

 

[Rad Party God]

Sounds quite interesting.

Somehow, this reminds me a lot of the first Devil May Cry, maybe because of the monster designs or the "castle" level design. Maybe for both.

 

[Shadeovblack]

Was about to find somesite to buy this game from, but then I saw it's console only. Nevermind.

 

[Waaghpowa]

You forgot to mention it's a Suda 51 game! I personally love his stuff, mainly because he appears to have full creative control of his games, essentially doing what he wants. Killer 7 is still one of my favourite games of all time and I really want to get this one.

 

[Susan Arendt]

You forgot to mention it's a Suda 51 game! I personally love his stuff, mainly because he appears to have full creative control of his games, essentially doing what he wants. Killer 7 is still one of my favourite games of all time and I really want to get this one.

I didn't forget, I left that out on purpose, because while it means something to people who know his work, it's utterly irrelevant to those that don't.

But folks chiding me for not mentioning the soundtrack are absolutely right to do so - it's excellent, and perfectly suited to the game. Almost worth the price of admission by itself.

 

[duchaked]

if I had time I would totally check this game out...but I seem to have even less of that than money for games :/

especially come September and onward

 

[Tallim]

-'Lets take this pole for a stroll.'-

Did they really just.... yeah, they did...

Not sure about this game, I hear many mixed things about it. Some people say it mixes things up so often it's amazing, some say the controls are horrid. This needs a demo, or perhaps a spot in the bargain bin sometime down the road.

Side Note: When will the video review parts be in HD?? Ever?

I had no real problem with the controls. They aren't super tight but they are far from terrible. The only real issue I had is for the 2D shooter sections which don't have a separate Inverse Y option :/ Pressing down to shoot up in that situation is just really alien and going into options to change it is a pain.

If you have mixed feelings about getting it wait for a bargain or rent. It's worth the trip just for the aesthetics and soundtrack and countless movie references.

 

[Vibhor]

Suda51.
I don't think people need anymore reasons to buy this game.

 

[John the Gamer]

Games should give you an option;
- Jump after girl into the pits of hell, blow shit up for girl and then die in the process. or:
- Don't jump after girl, get a new girl, stay on earth to blow shit up and have fun.

Why do I have to go in and save a girl I don't know? Let the player-character do it whilst letting me control a sane person or something. Maybe you should let the player take control over the Demon-king-guy? That would be fun.

 

[Sabazios]

You forgot to mention it's a Suda 51 game! I personally love his stuff, mainly because he appears to have full creative control of his games, essentially doing what he wants. Killer 7 is still one of my favourite games of all time and I really want to get this one.

I didn't forget, I left that out on purpose, because while it means something to people who know his work, it's utterly irrelevant to those that don't.

That's like saying it's irrelevant to know if a film was done by Kubrick or not. The context is important for understanding what the game is, and explaining its idiosynchrasies, and if this is standard fare for these developers. If they don't know, then they should know. If this was a site for people who didn't care, it'd be IGN.

 

[Kerob]

Games should give you an option;
- Jump after girl into the pits of hell, blow shit up for girl and then die in the process. or:
- Don't jump after girl, get a new girl, stay on earth to blow shit up and have fun.

Why do I have to go in and save a girl I don't know? Let the player-character do it whilst letting me control a sane person or something. Maybe you should let the player take control over the Demon-king-guy? That would be fun.

I think companies find the really cliche corny stuff to be satisfying..

 

[silasbufu]

I think it's one of the best games I've played in some time now. And what strikes me is that I have no idea why. It's just massive fun, something many game devs forgot about.

 

[Susan Arendt]

You forgot to mention it's a Suda 51 game! I personally love his stuff, mainly because he appears to have full creative control of his games, essentially doing what he wants. Killer 7 is still one of my favourite games of all time and I really want to get this one.

I didn't forget, I left that out on purpose, because while it means something to people who know his work, it's utterly irrelevant to those that don't.

That's like saying it's irrelevant to know if a film was done by Kubrick or not. The context is important for understanding what the game is, and explaining its idiosynchrasies, and if this is standard fare for these developers. If they don't know, then they should know. If this was a site for people who didn't care, it'd be IGN.

This site isn't just for people who care about that sort of thing, it's for everyone, even people who have no idea who Suda51 is. If you happen to be well informed enough to know who he is and what that means with regard to game design, that's fantastic, and you're better educated than a lot of people who play videogames. But I don't write reviews only so that the hardcore audience will understand them - that's just plain not fair to folks who might want to expand their gaming horizons. I try very hard not to reference other games when I do reviews - stuff like "the inventory system is reminiscent of such and such" - because if you've never played such and such, that comment is utterly meaningless for you. I don't assume that the people reading my reviews come into them with a vast knowledge of gaming past what they do and do not enjoy, though a lot of people who hang out on The Escapist undoubtedly do know far more than that.

Given your example, for a lot of people it would be utterly irrelevant to tell them that Kubrick directed a movie, because they wouldn't be able to tell you any other movies he'd done, or even if they could, they may never have seen them. Saying "it's by Kubrick" is great shorthand, sure, but only helpful if you already know what that means. More people will be able to understand what you mean if you take the time to actually spell out the qualities of the film that "it's by Kubrick" conveys.

To say that "if they don't know, they should know" is forcing your personal values and priorities on other people. They can enjoy a great deal of really fun games without knowing a single thing about who makes them.

 

[CrawlingPastaHellion]

Heh, blaming a shooter for being repetitive is like blaming ice-cream for being sweet.

 

[The Wooster]

Heh, blaming a shooter for being repetitive is like blaming ice-cream for being sweet.

As much as I adore Shadows Susan does have a point. The gunplay does very little to distinguish itself from it's spiritual predecessor Resi 4. While a few of the upgrades add a little pzazz, the exploding bubble charge for example, the core combat is very basic.

Of course some people would call that a virtue. Like most of Suda's game Shadows seems like a title with all the fat stripped away. Leaving only the core, fun, parts.

I highly recommend it.

CONFIRMED.