Shadows of The Damned follows the demon hunter and the ultimate good-looking Garcia Hotspur as he fights his way through hell in order to help his dear friend Paula. Have you not heard of this previously?
No. There isn’t any. It is impossible to say that you are able to comprehend the concept behind the Suda 51 game (or Suda 51 trip, as the box appropriately describes it) without playing it at least once. This review may be a bit stale. Shadows of the Damned is insane, both inside and outside. Similar to the other Suda titles, Shadows of the Damned is akin to none other. It’s this distinctive, powerful insaneness that makes the Suda games impressive and vital. In short, if you’ve never played Suda51 before, you should. Suda51 game before making an effort to learn about it– you won’t regret it. And then revisit. This understanding must be crystal clear. Otherwise, I could speak Latin.
However, Damned is the most convincing of Suda’s titles which, again, doesn’t say anything, but its basic premise can be summarized for the inside of the package. Paula Garcia’s lover is abducted by Fleming, one of the demons who is Lord of All, and now you have to battle with all the creatures of hell in order to find Fleming and free the damsel.
The first thing that came out when the entry into hell was the word hell. The setting. Gamers have gone through hell many times; however, not this one. The unique environments of games I frequently like to think of them as similar to walking through an amusement park. Everything you see, from the textures of the earth to the glimmer of the street lamps, contribute to the impression of a fantasy setting. With the acclaimed Akira Yamaoka of Silent Hill fame in charge of the sound department, it shouldn’t take you long to be wholly immersed in Damned’s world. Hell is the location for the entirety of the game, and I have never found myself exhausted by similar settings; every “Act” is genuinely fresh and introduces a new twist on the game. Sometimes the rules are put out with the dimensions, and then you’re playing a side-scrolling game—Yup, Awesome.
It’s simple to say Damned a shooter. You utilize a gun, it shoots bullets, and hell, monkeys, drop. However, it’s not really like an actual shooter. It’s more intense and visceral than any shooter, which is something to be praised. It didn’t have the same effect as the typical run and gun feeling, but it created its own road and was rewarded with a massive profit. The weapon at your disposal is also your partner in hell, Johnson the former-demon-talking-skull. Johnson changes form to three different weapons, which evolve with the progression of the game. The red gems you collect throughout your game are utilized at any time to improve the passive characteristics of the guns. The outcomes are substantial, but they’re not thrilling. There is also the option of a melee attack. And… That’s it. A little sluggish; however, it works pretty well. Combat, like the game’s design, is new and thrilling up to the point of ending. The final part of the game is 10 hours of gameplay, and this is Damned’s Achilles heel.
In a field that typically offers players several hundred hours of gaming and entertainment, a single 10-hour or less of experience does not cut it. There’s a hard mode as well as trophy awards, but not including them would be insulting. In addition, there’s nothing. And, what’s more, I don’t think that the story is long enough as it was well-paced and ended on a grand note, but that simply does not have the right amount. I’m not suggesting that you use stale methods to increase the life of the game, such as the recycling of environments, but it is at least providing the player with an extra bit of value. A survival mode for the boss with additional unlocks, such as clothes, weapons capabilities or anything else. The first No More Heroes encouraged multiple games by introducing unrelated and seemingly useless collectables. It did feel like something you could work on and anticipate following the credits. I believe it’s an entirely unavoidable flaw, and it’s a shame that a truly unique and original game can be played with such limited replayability.
To summarize:
It’s not a secret that if you’re a fan of Suda 51 or games that challenge the norm, This game is perfectly suitable for you. I’m not afraid to recommend the game to people who are in its genre, but to anyone who is considering the gamble of putting down $60, it’s going to be an unreliable gamble with there’s nothing between. The Shadows of the Damned has the goods, but not enough of them.
