By Graham Taylor
Cost:
$9 and 10 hours
Year:
2011
Shinji
Mikami is known for defining an entire genre of survival horror. Goichi
“Suda51” Suda is known for his quirky, comedic style. Put these two in charge
of one game, and you get something magical. But we can just call it Shadows of the Damned.
Shadows of the
Damned
excels in combining the strengths of both men. It is a “punk rock psychological
action thriller,” according to Mikami, that plays from an over the shoulder
third-person shooter perspective. If you can’t tell from that description, it
plays like Mikami’s Resident Evil 4
but with Suda’s off-beat, over-the-top storytelling (see No More Heroes or pretty much any of his other works). The game
never takes itself too seriously, filling itself to the brim with vulgar jokes
and terrible puns. Shadows of the Damned focuses one-hundred percent of its efforts on
fun, and it really shows.
The
game follows Garcia Hotspur, a demon hunter whose girlfriend, Paula, was
kidnaped/killed by Fleming, the Lord of Demons. Fleming offers to release her
and restore her life if Garcia agrees to repent for his demon slaying. Garcia
declines, and instead decides to take matters into his own hands and pursue the
lord into the underworld, slaying armies of demons to get to him. By Garcia’s
side is Johnson, a sharp-tongued demon gun/torch/motorcycle all-in-one
multi-tool sidekick.
With
that in mind, Johnson can turn into three different types of firearms to be
used against enemies: a revolver, shotgun, and submachine gun. These sometimes
get major upgrades after certain boss fights, getting more powerful as the game
progresses. Johnson also functions as a torch for melee attacks and lighting
surrounding areas.
Garcia’s
main opposition are zombie-like demons that attack by simply running towards
and hitting him, though there are some variations of them, such as armored
demons. There are also a collection of mini-bosses and VIPs, the game’s big bosses
that Garcia also must fight through. VIPs are especially fun, and anyone who’s
played a Suda51 game before can attest to the fact that he can get rather
creative with boss designs. These bad boys will range from a gluttonous
musician to a demon whose only dialogue is profanity, and that’s just
scratching the surface.
More
dangerous than any enemy is the darkness mechanic, and this is where the game
really shines.
When
inside an area affected by darkness, Garcia’s vision will be limited, and he’ll
take constant damage. Enemies inside the darkness become shrouded, becoming
more powerful and immune to normal attacks, even after they leave the area.
This adds depth to the combat, as well as allowing for some unique puzzle
solving.
The
underworld setting of the game is interesting as well. Starting in a 17th
century Victorian-style city, Garcia will continue his adventure through
sprawling castles, gloomy moors, and satanic cities, all rich in detail. The
diversity is nice, and when mixed with the darkness, there are a lot of levels
that you won’t soon be forgetting.
Sadly,
Shadows of the Damned is not perfect
and it does suffer from a few setbacks, mostly in the graphics department. The
game itself looks ok, but it’s nothing to write home about. Everything looks
fine from a distance, but get too close and it gets ugly. Certain areas will also
have a noticeable effect on frame rate, though it never gets bad enough to
affect gameplay.
Movement
in the game can also be a bit stiff and limited, as Garcia’s only movements
consist of either running for dodging, no sort of climbing or vaulting
fixtures. Aiming also takes some getting used to, because no matter what
sensitivity it is set at, it always feels off by just a bit. This can lead to
some difficult situations early on in the game until you get the feel for it.
Despite
these problems, Shadows of the Damned
is still an otherworldly ton of fun and deserves to be picked up. The banter
between characters is humorous, and the story is campy but entertaining. Pair
that with solid gameplay and a rocking soundtrack (from the composer of the Silent Hill series, Akira Yamoaka
interestingly enough) and you’ve got yourself a -- dare I say it -- damned good
game that will leave you smiling all the way through.
Images: 8 Bit Chimp, Significant Bits
