Shadow of the Beast
A bold reimagining of the 1989 Amiga classic, Shadow of the Beast unveils a universe where futuristic technology and anceint empires dwell side by side. Without pity; without mercy. Take control of the beast Aarbron and unleash an unstoppable tide of brutality on all who stand between you and your vengeance.
Tear your way through entire armies, exploring ancient lands in search of the evil mage Maletoth. Draw strength from slaughter; spill the blood of armed regiments and monstrous hordes alike to fuel your frenzy and unlock brutal new attacks and takedowns. Bring out your dead! Devour the souls of fallen friends to gain powerful enchantments or summon their shadows to aid in battle. Collect arcane talismans to augment your skills and master Aarbron’s brutal techniques to cut down your enemies.
Gameplay of Shadow of the Beast combines platform and action elements, with the introduction of combos. Players have to defeat enemies. This can be achieved by counter-attacking to strike them down; shield-wielding foes must be ducked behind in order to defeat them. It features a traditional health bar, combos through quick-time events, and traps inside dungeons. The game features the parallax scrolling from the original title, now in 3D. The original Shadow of the Beast is included in the remake as an unlockable extra. An “infinite lives” mode was added to make the original game easier to play.
Shadow of the Beast Review
Of the numerous reboots, remakes, and remasters this generation has brought us, this one may just be the most drastic. Originally released in 1989 on the Commodore Amiga, Shadow of the Beast was well received and lauded for its mind-blowing visual fidelity. Heavy Spectrum’s modern take on the hard-as-nails classic has been a long time coming. However, we’ve finally got our claws on it, and it’s intriguing to see not only the differences between the old and the new, but also the similarities.
It takes a bit of getting used to, with almost too many abilities and moves to wrap your head around, but once it clicks, you’ll feel unstoppable, with no encounter ending in anything less than a veritable bloodbath. Your basic attack is on just one button, but simply spamming square will net you a poor score. Even the timing of your basic attack is important; if you strike just as a golden glint shines from an enemy’s weapon, you’re guaranteed a kill, and you earn more points for doing so. You can also block, counter, stun, throw, and get behind your opponents, and mastering all of these will mark the difference between a bronze and a platinum award.
Outside of combat is where the game fares slightly worse. Each level is fairly lengthy and can contain many pathways for you to explore. The platforming itself is a little stiff, and we often found ourselves taking fall damage and mistiming jumps. It’s a shame, as the hidden routes are great, often leading to collectibles or rare health pick-ups. Fortunately, it’s not a complete deal breaker, and, like the combat, simply takes some time to acclimatise to – just for different reasons.
With many nods to the original games and a compendium of retro unlockables, this re-imagining of Shadow of the Beast is a game not just concerned with moving forward, but with looking back in detail at its forebears. Stilted platforming and a short story don’t prevent the deep, satisfying combat and multifaceted levels from being worth experiencing more than once. And when you’re done, the very first game awaits in all its glory for you to discover – maybe for the first time.
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