Shadows: Awakening Reviews
Shadows: Awakening presents a few interesting ideas and a surprisingly large, diverse world. Unfortunately, the game's ambitious vision is undermined by a host of basic storytelling, combat, and technical issues. Those desperate for some fresh hack ‘n' slash fun will find things to like about Shadows: Awakening, but the game is easily eclipsed by Diablo and any number of other, better, action-RPGs.
Shadows: Awakening provides an excellent starting point for players new to the Heretic Kingdoms saga.
Still, the developer deserves props for doing something genuinely interesting in a staid genre. Shadows: Awakening is familiar enough, but it has some enjoyably unique mechanics that help to elevate it, and a world to explore that's genuinely captivating. It would be great to see the developer get a chance to do more with this franchise.
One of the better dungeon crawlers out there right now, Shadows: Awakening's dimension hopping gameplay help separate it from other efforts in the genre.
Shadows: Awakening is a fun Action RPG that does not bring anything new to the table, but manages to stay fresh and engaging due to its great character and gameplay design.
Review in Persian | Read full review
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Shadows: Awakening and hope that the developers eventually work on a sequel that irons out all of its issues.
Shadows Awakening is a solid ARPG with a deep lore and engaging story. Tragically, a few outdated elements bog down its fun and unique combat system.
If you like puzzles, exploring the maps will be the most entertaining and will make us be attentive to our environment.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Shadows: Awakening proves that loot-focused action-RPGs can feature a deep narrative with meaningful side quests. The unique party system works in unison with the combat mechanics, allowing you to put together a devastating combination of attacks. Featuring a lengthy narrative, and reason to play through multiple times, this unassuming title may be the sleeper hit you have been looking for.
Shadows Awakening is a very interesting role-playing and action game. Although it has the topics of the genre and it can become a bit repetitive, its bet for the change of dimension, the puppets and the directness that results in its proposal not only makes it a very enjoyable title; it is also outlined as a great option for those who want to introduce themselves in the genre with something direct and addictive.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
شخصیت‌های بازی، از NPCها گرفته تا شخصیت‌های قابل بازی در حد قابل قبولی قرار دارند و از همین حد هم فراتر نمی‌روند. صداگذاری این شخصیت‌ها نیز نسبتا خوب است اما وقتی برای بار هزارم دیالوگ‌هایی (البته بیشتر به مونولوگ شباهت دارند) مثل " do I have to do everything myself? " یا " This challenge require a stronger warrior " را می‌شنوید فقط می‌خواهید سریعا آن‌ها را خفه کرده و بازی را mute کنید!
Review in Persian | Read full review
But even so the by-product of this is more micro-management and loot scrubbing duties placed on the player, that isn't helped by an overall pace that feels too slow.
Shadows: Awakening has a lot of promise, but is held back by some clunky controls and awkward combat situations. While the realm swapping gimmick and multiple characters to switch between on the fly are certainly nice, there isn’t really anything else that truly sets it apart. If you’re up for something a little easier or different than Diablo, or you want an introduction to the genre, Shadows: Awakening would definitely interest you, although you may want to wait for it to go on sale.
That doesn't take away from the fact that I enjoyed nearly my entire time with it. Those that pick it up will likely not be disappointed; it is just getting someone to take the plunge that could cause problems. This is the kind of game that would have benefitted from being just a bit cheaper at the outset.e
Heretic Kingdoms remains a franchise with great potential, so I'm very curious to see where developers are going to go from here. Obviously, there's room to improve the formula, but I'd like to see something new as well.
Painstakingly average, there are too many other games that one could play that can do what Shadows: Awakening does, and better.
Shadows: Awakening is sure to offer ARPG fans something meaty to chew on between Diablo III seasons and Path of Exile leagues.
Kalypso Media have created a really good game that's worth playing if you're a fan of the genre. It's got a lot of replay value and has found a way to differentiate itself from other games in the genre.
It's nice to see a 3d ARPG that's not made by Blizzard get the bombastic sprawling fantasy epic feel fairly right. There are a few things that grate (the purple prose for one) in the game, and there's not many bugs that I've been able to detect - no broken quest chains or triggers that failed. Everything has been smooth sailing barring the dropped frames now and then, and even they don't actually spoil the game. The dual world and puppet mechanics provide a big draw to the game for me, and I'm looking forward to seeing a lot more of the different characters as I progress through the huge game before me. There's a lot of dialogue to listen and read, so if you're into lore-rich worlds, you've come to the right place. The bonus here is that much of it is narrated by Tom Baker.
Shadows: Awakening doesn't do much that is new or interesting, but it does achieve a mostly enjoyable ARPG experience that will appeal to diehard fans of the genre.