On June 21, 2011 Grasshopper Manufacture launched Shadows of the Damned. This is a third-person action game with an over-the-shoulder camera, which, despite the oversaturation of titles with these features, at that time, shined because of the creative team that was in charge of its development. Shadows of the Damned was produced by Shinji Mikami, written by SUDA51 and the game’s bosses were designed by the mangaka Q Hayashida (Dorohedoro). Now, after more than a decade in the freezer, Grasshopper Manufacture brings back Garcia Hotspur. So in our review of Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remasteredwe will tell you if Mikami and Suda’s journey has survived the test of time.
A “Psychological Action Punk Thriller”
The story of Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered It’s pretty simple. We play Garcia Hotspur, a Mexican demon hunter who has to travel to hell to save his girlfriend who has been kidnapped by Fleming Whatshisfaces, the Lord of the demons. In this adventure we will not be alone. Since, Garcia is accompanied by his travel companion and multipurpose tool named Johnson. The interesting thing in Shadows of the Damnedbeyond its story, is how the world, the enemies and especially the relationship between Garcia and Johnson are presented to us. Played by Steve Blum and Greg Ellis respectively.
To save Paula, Garcia and Johnson must cross a gloomy village that is illuminated by an imposing castle, in which Fleming Whatshisfaces is supposed to be holding the demon hunter’s girlfriend captive. Under this creative scenario, similar to that of The Castle by Franz Kafka, Garcia and Johnson must fight demons while avoiding darkness. During this trip we learn through Johnson’s stories or stories the history of the places we visited, some of their customs and the tragic stories of each of the chiefs of Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered. All this with the unique style and humor of SUDA51.
An action-packed ride without brakes
In Shadows of the Damned we have access to three firearms and one melee weapon. Each of these weapons can be upgraded with red gems, which are hidden in different places in the game. It should be noted that red gems can also be obtained by exchanging them for 75 gems with Christopher. Each of these weapons serves different situations and some are key to some of the final boss fights.
The enemies are not so diverse in Shadows of the DamnedIn compensation, the game offers us different types of situations along with combat. Thus, as we kill the different waves of enemies, we find some platform areas, some puzzles or mini-games of shooting at giant targets or areas where the game seems like a Shmup. However, the areas of Shadows of the Damned —despite their great design— they are quite linear. In this way, all the weight of the fun lies in the action. Although this is not entirely bad, it can become repetitive during long periods of play.
Sex, humor and violence at 60 FPS
If something shines in the dark Shadows of the Damned They are your final bosses. Since, the game gives us a background of each of its stories in the form of a story narrated by Garcia or Johnson. In addition, the confrontations with final bosses—in addition to being fun and original—have a memorable soundtrack. All this is something that the game already had at its time, but thanks to Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered Now you can enjoy it at a better resolution and 60 FPS. Unfortunately, this improved frame rate makes some of the animations look “strange.” However, it is not something that affects the gameplay and it has been on a couple of occasions during the first time we played the game.
A sober and fair remastering
Maybe for some Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered It is a missed opportunity to improve some aspects inherited from the original version of the game, such as the low intelligence of the enemies or polishing the combat mechanics a little more. However, it should be noted that the sound, textures and graphics in general of this remastering give it a “modern” feel. In addition to the costumes, the new game plus and the graphical and performance improvements, Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered It does not have any other news. However, for its reduced price of $25 dollars—approximately 110,000 COP—you cannot ask for more.
Review made with a digital copy of Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered for Steam provided by Grasshopper Manufacture. The game is also available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series.
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