|
Last June saw the release of an interesting title with a ton of ambition and plenty of big names to back it up. Shadows of the Damned comes from the creative minds of Suda 51, the man behind off-the-wall titles like Killer7 and No More Heroes, and Shinji Mikami of Resident Evil fame. The game features egotistical Mexican demon-hunter Garcia Hotspur and his wise-cracking sidekick Johnson, a floating skull who can transform into a variety of weapons. Hotspur's girlfriend, Paula, is captured by the demon-lord Fleming and the pair must enter the underworld to rescue her.
This bizarre set up leads to a game that is equal parts hilarious, irreverent and disturbing. It also stands as one of the most stylistically original titles in recent memory. On top of the crazy setting is a solid third-person shooter with interesting weapons, cool boss fights and plenty of crazy mechanics, like shooting goat heads to light up an area.
Hit the jump to hear why Shadows of the Damned is a title that you might have missed.
You might be thinking up front that Shadows of the Damned sounds like a game that's not for everybody and this may be true. If you're the type of person that that shies away from games featuring a demonic setting because they tend to go too disturbing or too disgusting, know that this is not one of those games. Now if the game was approached in a different light some of the elements in this game could be downright upsetting but the entire game is presented completely tongue-in-cheek.
Take for example, the game's taunting of Garcia. Paula is a constant figure in the game and she shows up in almost every chapter, with almost every appearance ending in some horrible fate besetting her including decapitation, drowning and plenty more. At first it might seem harsh, but as it continues the way the game handles her definitely becomes amusing. Not silly enough for you? When Johnson transforms into a gun his primary form is the Boner. Imagine the jokes. As if this weren't enough he also becomes upgraded in the game to transform into the Hotboner and eventually the Big Boner. Yep, there's nothing being taken seriously here.
An evil demon you must fight? Nope a gentle redneck named Christopher who loves the tastes of gems.
None of the charm of this game would work if it weren't for the two main characters. Garcia Hotspur (or as he commonly refers to himself, "Garcia !@% Hotspur") is your standard Latin lover who wants only to please his woman. His goal in the game is mainly vengeance but he also has a slightly twisted sense of humor, leading to plenty of funny lines. The real star of the game, however, is Johnson. The floating skull acts as your guide and also your conscience as you travel through the underworld. Johnson is crass and very inappropriate but also loveable at the same time.
Style is definitely the reason you should play this game but there is also a decent third person shooter inside Shadows of the Damned. Johnson transforms into a pistol, machine gun and shotgun and each can be upgraded throughout the game. The combat also has a hint of Alan Wake with an emphasis on light and dark. You'll need to remove darkness from enemies to harm them and in many sequences you will be engulfed in darkness, which serves both to defeat bosses and solve puzzles. The bosses are also great, offering cool creatures and interesting ways to dispatch them.
The combat is fun but the best action comes during the many interesting boss fights.
The action in Shadows of the Damned isn't always great but it's good enough to get you from point A to point B. The real prize of playing this game is just to see the crazy world that has been dreamed up. Whether you're feeding strawberries to babies to open a door or reading a disturbing tale of a kid obsessed with flying, playing Shadows of the Damned is a joy. It doesn't have the great graphics or polish gamers are used to seeing but it stands as one of the most original and bizarre games around and something you should look into playing.
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed