Shadow of the Beast

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Shadow of the Beast had its start as an old Amiga title way back in the day, and admittedly, it’s a game that has not aged well and is also a bit polarizing. Some hold the old title incredibly close to their childhood, while others may be more critical. That also has rung true for the reboot, where I’ve seen impressions from others range from incredibly positive to incredibly negative. Fortunately, I fall under the former, and feel that this is one hell of a reboot. A high level of polish, excellent soundtrack, and simple yet visceral gameplay all blend together into a package you should consi...

From the way it relies on setting and music to tell the bulk of its story, to its use of simple mechanics on the way to score-based mastery, Shadow of the Beast takes old things and makes them feel decidedly less old. Walking to the right and killing everything that gets in your way may sound dull and straightforward, but here it’s elevated through thoughtful presentation, and combat that has more depth to it than initially meets the eye. Long after its many blood-soaked dismemberments fade from my memory, I’ll remember just how alien and otherworldly it felt between the fits of violence.

Shadow of the Beast does quite a few things right and I can appreciate its different battle system and lovely world. Its also still annoyingly frustrating sometimes and currently overpriced.

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.

I'm probably being more harsh on this game than it deserves, but for the price point there is an enjoyable title here. You just need to give it time to grow on you. Hopefully gamers out there can look past the flaws that I seem to be hooked on.

While the savage combat in Shadow of the Beast shines, the lackluster platforming tarnishes what could have been something special.

Shadow of the Beast somehow takes fast and brutal action and makes it feel slow and clunky. The game isn't terrible by any means, and even has some very enjoyable visuals, but there's just too many frustrations to make it feel like a fun, cohesive experience.

Shadow of the Beast is enjoyable, its combat smooth and rewarding, but high-score chasing isn't going to keep many players around for long once the credits roll.

Throwing Shade