Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered Reviews
There's a lot to talk about with Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered. The wild world, the funny writing, the varied and tense gameplay, the rockin' soundtrack, the silly characters, the serious moments, or the awesome sense of progression, just to name a few enjoyable things. It only took me about 8 hours to finish the game and most of that was in one sitting. I have only played Shadows of the Damned once at PAX East 2024 earlier this year and it was such a great demo, the full game delivered all of that and more. Add in the New Game Plus feature that lets you keep your late game upgrades or the optional gyro aiming, and you have an incredibly arcade-y experience that keeps you laughing and blasting for hours. The game launches on October 31st and I can't recommend it enough. This is a punk rock gem that everyone can love.
Shadows of the Damned Hella Remastered brings the return of a classic that was previously stuck on old consoles, so that anyone can play it on modern platforms. It contains the original experience and content, with some slight extras and improved graphics and performance. So we have a definitive version of the game. It's a shooter with Mikami's personality and Suda51's crazy world, visual style and characters.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Ultimately, it’s a stupid fun action game driven by gore, a well-acted story, and a thick amount of creativity that looks better and acts better than it did back in 2011.
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a proper comeback of a niche classic that maintains the essence of the original while modernizing it enough for newer audiences. Despite its minor technical flaws, it is a top-notch action-adventure escapade.
Shadow of the Damned is a rough diamond, with its raw edges adding to its charm. While more could have been done to modernize the experience, this is still the best way to enjoy Garcia's wild adventure. Those who own the original have little reason to revisit this reissue, but for newcomers exploring these infernal streets, it's highly recommended.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered may be one of the wildest trips into the depths of hell you’ll ever take. It’s grotesque, it’s filthy, and it’s unapologetically crass—a fever-dream vision of the Underworld brought to life by some of gaming’s most creative minds. Just don’t forget to keep the light close, or the darkness might consume you whole.
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a great version of the original that offers limited but welcome updates such as resolution increases, faster load times and a much requested New Game+ mode. The unique grindhouse aesthetic and over the top humour remains as distinctive as they always were and it is here that the appeal of Shadows of the Damned lives or dies. If the absurd humour and over the top ideas are your cup of blood then this is an easy recommend even if you don't have nostalgic memories of the original. Get ready to grab your Johnson and kill some demons.
In the end, Shadows of the Damned was a game always deserving of being exhumed, hence why I’m relieved the remaster job performed here isn’t anything less than stellar. Garcia and Johnson’s spikey comradery still shines through all these years on, as does the entire game’s rock-and-roll attitude when it comes to gunplay, environments, bosses, and story. Throw in the cleaned-up visuals and silky smooth framerate, and Hella Remastered has instantly become the best way to play this bona fide cult classic. Name me another third-person shooter where your ammunition is literally made up of crunched-up bone pieces. Odds are you can’t, and it’s this roguish attitude that sees Mikami and Suda51’s first hellish collab comfortably stand apart from the action game greats of today.
As a remaster, Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered leaves something to be desired, offering minimal visual improvements, no graphics options on PC, and no gameplay enhancements. However, it's still a worthwhile purchase for fans of Suda51, Shinji Mikami, and third-person shooters., as the quality of the original experience still shines through, with its relentless pace, engaging story, memorable characters, and a dark humor that's hard to find in games today. Garcia Hotspur's war against Fleming to save Paula remains just as captivating now as it was in 2013.
Some extra content for the most avid Garcia Hotspur fans wouldn't have hurt, in addition to 4K, 60fps and New Game+, features that are welcome and that, after all these years, allow us to enjoy at its best a game with such an exaggerated and unique style that it has become a cult.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Not much of the original game changed in the Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered. Instead, this re-release opted to sharpen existing graphics, add motion controller support to aiming, and include a New Game+. Either way, Shadows of the Damned has aged surprisingly well, all things considered. This makes for a great deal at $25, no matter how you slice it.
Shadows of the Damned is the definition of a cult classic. The game is just fun, and I adore the wackiness I expect from Suda51 mixed with the core game design from MIkami. Toss in the excellent voice acting and score, and you have a game that should be a household name. Do not skip this title for a second time.
In my opinion, it is a recommended game, whether or not you are a follower of its creators. It is a different proposal, full of humor, shooting, demons and a lot of action. It may have aged a bit, but that doesn't detract from the fun, something that many of us forget when choosing a title.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Shadows of the Damned is still a fun romp dense with stimulating set-pieces and gimmicks. The battles are rowdy shootouts with aggressive naked monsters and dodge-rolling into them and smacking them around with Johnson is as tense as ever. Garcia’s controls are fluid and have exaggerated animations that reinforce the silliness inherent in the premise.
Shadows of the Damned - Hella Remastered is only a minor graphics update, offering players a chance to revisit this cult classic without old hardware. While it shows its age, the game's strengths remain its wild scenario, unique humor, and grindhouse-style trash appeal.
Review in German | Read full review
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a fun look back at the seventh console generation. It sometimes feels dated, has a narrative I skipped over, and can be clunky. But I can't deny how much fun I had with it. It has a world full of creativity I wanted to see more of. Gameplay elements that elevate the core loop are a lot of fun. And some creative set pieces and bosses I greatly adored. At its best, it feels like playing a horror movie, and I'm already on my next playthrough.
While some of the writing hasn't aged the best, everything else about Shadows of the Damned still feels great. It's a game from a different time, and one that won't be for everybody, but it's a gem that I can only hope will be rediscovered by the right crowd.
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a thrilling return to a cult classic, embracing its unique blend of campy horror and dark humor. If its goal was to revive interest in this wild journey, it has definitely succeeded.
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is outrageously fun, with Garcia’s romp through hell as good now as it was back in 2011. Don’t get me wrong, it can show its age in places and I have no doubt that the crude and outdated humour won’t be for everyone, but for me? It was an absolute blast to play, with the game looking and feeling better than ever with the remaster’s improvements.
I would still recommend Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered to all audiences. Those who have already played it, like me, will have the opportunity to relive a classic. And those who are unfamiliar will finally be able to experience the antics of Garcia and Johnson.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review