Shadow of the Beast
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Critic Reviews for Shadow of the Beast
Heavy Spectrum's affectionate, idiosyncratic reboot summons the spirit of the original Shadow of the Beast, as well as some of its faults.
A stunning work of imagination that turns the shallow spectacle of the original into a gorgeous-looking action game with real depth and replayability.
A reimagining of a cult classic is beset by uninspired level designs and unrefined combat.
Shadow of the Beast takes the original Commodore Amiga's platform-combat gameplay and brings it bang up to date with plenty of exploration, and a more sophisticated fighting system. The result is a thoroughly enjoyable platform game that features an interesting story, entertaining combat, and excellent audio-visuals. The main campaign doesn't take too long to beat, but the game packs enough secrets and unlockables to keep you coming back for more.
Shadow of the Beast is as dull as it is brown, which is to say extremely. The platforming is clunky, the AI is bad, the story requires multiple playthroughs, the game defies its own logic, and it reeks of other laughably awful design decisions. Don't bother with this beast.
I've never been very good at games that have you mastering combos and chasing high scores, so I'm quite surprised just how much I enjoyed chaining together attacks in Shadow of the Beast. The game, whilst quite short, just begs to be played over and over as you chase scores and unlock secrets, and the inclusion of live feeds which pop up and tell you when one of your friends has beaten your score is a clever way to keep you playing. Storytelling annoyances aside, it's a solid and polished game with just the right amount of nostalgia for us oldies.
Shadow of the Beast is a small and passionate videogame, perfect for nostalgic players, but that doesn't stand out for any particular feature. An enjoyable entertainment, while it lasts.
Review in Italian | Read full review
