Shadow of the Beast Reviews
Shadow of the Beast präsentiert sich als solides Remake, versteift sich aber zu oft auf den Nostalgie-Faktor und vernachlässigt vor allem den Gameplay-Bereich. Nostalgiker und Fans der Serie werden mit einer soliden Geschichte und sehr viel Fanservice beglückt, aber für Neueinsteiger bietet der Titel leider im Gesamtbild etwas zu wenig und hinterlässt keinen bleibenden Eindruck. Wer dennoch einen schönen und vor allem brutalen Side-Scroller mit einer netten Geschichte für Zwischendurch sucht, sollte mit Shadow of the Beast trotzdem seinen Spaß haben.
Review in German | Read full review
A game that had the potential to not only evoke memories of a classic franchise, but also stand alone on its own two feet, Shadow of the Beast stumbles and doesn't quite live up to the potential it clearly has. There are some lovely looking areas and when the combat sticks, it's enjoyable. The problem is that there are more moments of pure frustration than delight, including control issues and that unfathomable decision to force you to unlock native language subtitles. If you're after a blast of nostalgia and nothing else, however, the original 1989 title is included in the game as an unlockable, but this remake doesn't really add much to the legacy of the franchise.
Shadow of the Beast hits many right notes for that old-school difficult feeling, even with infinite lives. It's been made more accessible for all walks of players, but that doesn't mean all players are rewarded equally, pushing for practice and building those skills all while giving extra pats to those who tame the beast. It's a rather brilliant method for bringing an old-school difficult game in front of more people.
Not all remakes are successful, but Heavy Spectrum's new take on Shadow of the Beast is a triumph across the board. It has enough nostalgic throwback to draw in fans of the original, but plenty of updates for a new audience. I sincerely hope we can count on them and Sony to return to the lands of Karamoon for Shadow of the Beast II.
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
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 good looking game, but ultimately the game comes off as a failed tribute to the original that puts all its money on the wrong horse. Heavy Spectrum’s work on the designs and narrative is admirable, but ultimately Shadow of the Beast is merely a shadow of the original.
Shadow of the Beast's recreation leaves no room for modern ideas
A surprisingly fun platformer that'll keep you hooked with its fluid combat and varied boss fights.
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.
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.
In trying to re-invent a classic that was never really any good to begin with, Shadow of the Beast becomes a cautionary tale about how nostalgia is sometimes better left in the past.
Heavy Spectrum's affectionate, idiosyncratic reboot summons the spirit of the original Shadow of the Beast, as well as some of its faults.
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.
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 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 a passion project that works and runs really well. It still manages to somehow hold that classic platformer feel and style.
Sony is quickly making the PS4 the de facto place for mid-tier gems with the likes of Alienation, Firewatch, Helldivers, and Transistor available on the PlayStation Store. Shadow of the Beast simply doesn't pass muster. A little more time spent tweaking its controls and technical issues may have resulted in a better game but as it stands, it's one you can safely avoid.
We just wonder whether it'll appeal to new fans at all when there are better brawlers out there already.
A stunning work of imagination that turns the shallow spectacle of the original into a gorgeous-looking action game with real depth and replayability.