I played it with a good freind of mine and we both really enjoyed parts of it. The atmosphere in the game is very dark. The mythological influences, the general style and above all, the internal worlds of the serial killers that you have to hunt down in the course of the game, are really well done. The music accompanies the whole thing very appropriately. Unfortunately, I found the level design absolutely insufferable. How often we got lost in this labyrinth of a game and sometimes wandered around pointlessly for hours on end is no laughing matter. I also found the German dubbing rather cringeworthy, but I do understand that it wasn't easy to capture the Lousiana atmosphere of the original in German. Gameplay was ok, but also frustrating at times when, for example, we fell down somewhere or some enemy did an abnormal amount of damage. Overall, it was a rather mixed experience, I would have preferred a more linear game progression.
Que jogaço, levei 23 horas pra concluir e pegar as 120 Dark souls. Recomendo demais quem gosta de jogos estilo Zelda, pois tem muitos segredos, vai e volta pra desbloquear algo que antes não tinha acesso. Sensacional, um dos melhores jogos que eu joguei esse ano.
Excellence would be an understatement. Perhaps the strongest example of a remaster today, Shadow Man Remastered features updated animations to restored locations and voice lines, to even brand new additional content; it gleams with polish and dedication so many games desperately need. One could go on and on about all that this game has done on a technical level but it's better to discuss how this game stands up on its own.
As exceptional a game it is, the bone structure is from an old school 3D Action-Adventure game from 1999...it comes with hiccups, even seeing as it has been overhauled for the modern day. Platforming is at the core of this game, when it works in tandem with the atmosphere and controls, it's outstanding. However it doesn't always achieve this, perhaps not even most the time; deceptive and tricky jumps plague some areas of the game, making it difficult for newcomers to jump in. Once mastered, the maneuvering in this game can be quite nice but it takes some going before that can happen. It can be frustrating failing jumps and falling into pits of lava or coal, for instance. Shadow Man Remastered knows how hard it's source material is however, sporting a quick save option (buried in a bindings menu but present nonetheless), and fast load times, as if to encourage the player to press onward in spite of the frustration.
Beyond the improved yet still held back controls of the game, it features a lovely, haunting a macabre atmosphere upheld by the expertly crafted and strange soundtrack by Tim Haywood, of which has been remastered and composed all over again.
There were no half measures taken here, Shadow Man Remastered is a painstaking work of art to radically change the feel of an old game. In many ways it succeeds, from the beautiful soundtrack, to the overhauled movement and controls (this used to be a tank controlled 3D game, about as annoying as it sounds). But others not so much, dated and sometimes downright unfriendly design can plague this game even still, but Shadow Man is Shadow Man, sinews, warts, skin tags and all. You'll get your money's worth as long as you're prepared to meet it part way.
As exceptional a game it is, the bone structure is from an old school 3D Action-Adventure game from 1999...it comes with hiccups, even seeing as it has been overhauled for the modern day. Platforming is at the core of this game, when it works in tandem with the atmosphere and controls, it's outstanding. However it doesn't always achieve this, perhaps not even most the time; deceptive and tricky jumps plague some areas of the game, making it difficult for newcomers to jump in. Once mastered, the maneuvering in this game can be quite nice but it takes some going before that can happen. It can be frustrating failing jumps and falling into pits of lava or coal, for instance. Shadow Man Remastered knows how hard it's source material is however, sporting a quick save option (buried in a bindings menu but present nonetheless), and fast load times, as if to encourage the player to press onward in spite of the frustration.
Beyond the improved yet still held back controls of the game, it features a lovely, haunting a macabre atmosphere upheld by the expertly crafted and strange soundtrack by Tim Haywood, of which has been remastered and composed all over again.
There were no half measures taken here, Shadow Man Remastered is a painstaking work of art to radically change the feel of an old game. In many ways it succeeds, from the beautiful soundtrack, to the overhauled movement and controls (this used to be a tank controlled 3D game, about as annoying as it sounds). But others not so much, dated and sometimes downright unfriendly design can plague this game even still, but Shadow Man is Shadow Man, sinews, warts, skin tags and all. You'll get your money's worth as long as you're prepared to meet it part way.
As a fan of the original Shadow Man comics, I was curious how this would turn out (even though it’s an adaptation of the version I hate). And… it’s good. Jank, kinda obtuse at times, but there’s a good sense of atmosphere despite the limitations, and the exploration’s good.
I knew nothing of Shadow Man except for some screenshots and an extremely basic theming of Voodoo. I knew it had to be cool though, and that hard headed thought I formed helped me get through the beginning of this game. It starts really slow and aimless. You don't get a map so being dropped in the Deadside feels way more confusing than it actually is, and combined with you don't get any new powers for an hour or two, I felt like I would quit any other game; but I KNEW this had to be cool, and I'm glad I thought that.
Shadow Man's ties to voodoo and industry almost make it feel very Oddword, but instead of the humour, its way more sinister (one might even say edgy). The deadside levels are either these outside areas with tribal like buildings and temples, or inside a huge sprawling, maze-like industrial hell built to create an army. You do get to go to Liveside (living world) in 6 places, and they each have their own setting (prison, florida swamps, bayou).
The gameplay definitely feels like a mixture of Zelda dungeons, Tomb Raider platforming, and boomer shooter weapon variety (but not exactly boomer shooter gunplay). The Tomb Raider-ness made me go "Oh a game thats like old Tomb Raider that I can actually stand to play!" The weapons are neat, even if I didn't use most of them combat, but its fine because they also do puzzle stuff. The gunplay for me mostly consisted of holding the left mouse to charge pistol, and just doing that over and over. You can hold a voodoo weapon in your other hand and use that at the same time, but I found most of them not worth it to use except for one that just shot fire orbs, maybe the magic machine gun skull.
You collect Dark Souls to upgrade your pistol damage, and how much you can charge it. Basically once you start collecting these is when my brain clicked into "I gotta collect it all" mode and I started having fun exploring the levels. There are also Cadeaux, which is your less important collectable. They are used for upgrading your max health, and you need all 666 of them, and 120 Dark Souls, to get the super power-up. (Too bad the game has a bug that can just not count when you collect a Cadeaux and totally fuck up your collect-a-thoning. I ended up with 664/666, had to console command my way to the upgrade.)
The main character also feels completely unique, such a interesting guy.
Oh and let me talk about the fucking music, its so crazy. The music in levels will just be like an ambience, a backing track, and the music man will just put a bunch of sound effects into the track. The Playrooms will have children crying, drills drilling, and squeak toys going off. The Prison/Haunted Apartment levels will have the boss taunt you all throughout the level, but its apart of the music track. I really like it, it makes the game feel so dream-like and hypnotic, with the constant looping of these noises.
Overall this game wormed its way into my brain with its collect-a-thoning, its fun to explore levels, and its charming/fresh style.
Also the entire time I kept going "DAMN? This was on the N64?? I know this is a remastered that has content that wasn't in the N64 version, but even without that shit its super fucking impressive with how big these levels are.
Shadow Man's ties to voodoo and industry almost make it feel very Oddword, but instead of the humour, its way more sinister (one might even say edgy). The deadside levels are either these outside areas with tribal like buildings and temples, or inside a huge sprawling, maze-like industrial hell built to create an army. You do get to go to Liveside (living world) in 6 places, and they each have their own setting (prison, florida swamps, bayou).
The gameplay definitely feels like a mixture of Zelda dungeons, Tomb Raider platforming, and boomer shooter weapon variety (but not exactly boomer shooter gunplay). The Tomb Raider-ness made me go "Oh a game thats like old Tomb Raider that I can actually stand to play!" The weapons are neat, even if I didn't use most of them combat, but its fine because they also do puzzle stuff. The gunplay for me mostly consisted of holding the left mouse to charge pistol, and just doing that over and over. You can hold a voodoo weapon in your other hand and use that at the same time, but I found most of them not worth it to use except for one that just shot fire orbs, maybe the magic machine gun skull.
You collect Dark Souls to upgrade your pistol damage, and how much you can charge it. Basically once you start collecting these is when my brain clicked into "I gotta collect it all" mode and I started having fun exploring the levels. There are also Cadeaux, which is your less important collectable. They are used for upgrading your max health, and you need all 666 of them, and 120 Dark Souls, to get the super power-up. (Too bad the game has a bug that can just not count when you collect a Cadeaux and totally fuck up your collect-a-thoning. I ended up with 664/666, had to console command my way to the upgrade.)
The main character also feels completely unique, such a interesting guy.
Oh and let me talk about the fucking music, its so crazy. The music in levels will just be like an ambience, a backing track, and the music man will just put a bunch of sound effects into the track. The Playrooms will have children crying, drills drilling, and squeak toys going off. The Prison/Haunted Apartment levels will have the boss taunt you all throughout the level, but its apart of the music track. I really like it, it makes the game feel so dream-like and hypnotic, with the constant looping of these noises.
Overall this game wormed its way into my brain with its collect-a-thoning, its fun to explore levels, and its charming/fresh style.
Also the entire time I kept going "DAMN? This was on the N64?? I know this is a remastered that has content that wasn't in the N64 version, but even without that shit its super fucking impressive with how big these levels are.
YEAHHHHHHHH
Uno de los juegos más tétricos que he jugado en mucho tiempo. La atmosfera es opresiva y bastante oscura, lo cual...se me hace bastante extraño en comparación a otros collectathons de la época, aún así, siento que la vibra general que da este juego le queda a la perfección debido a que la historia también es bastante oscura. Eso es lo que más voy a recordar del juego...
PEEEEERO
TAMBIÉN TODO LO DEMÁS ES JODIDAMENTE GENIAL
LA MÚSICA, LOS GRÁFICOS, LOS PERSONAJES, EL GAMEPLAY, LA EXPLORACIÓN
TODO es genial en este juego. Tal vez el único problema es que el combate se puede volver algo monótono debido a que puedes solearte a la mayoría de los enemigos comunes con la Shadow Gun y dejas la gran mayoría de las otras armas para resolver los muchos puzzles que hay en el juego. No es algo malo, pero me hubiera gustado que el combate haya sido un poco más complejo y de paso las armas un poco más interesantes. También el backtracking puede llegar a ser cansado para ciertas personas...
Pero esto es básicamente un Metroidvania...si te gustan este tipo de juegos, vas a estar encantado con Shadow Man.
Llevo coleccionando y buscando juegos de N64 por años y JAMÁS había escuchado hablar de este juego hasta hace poco, honestamente me sorprende que este juego sea jodidamente excelente. Por favor, jueguenlo.
PEEEEERO
TAMBIÉN TODO LO DEMÁS ES JODIDAMENTE GENIAL
LA MÚSICA, LOS GRÁFICOS, LOS PERSONAJES, EL GAMEPLAY, LA EXPLORACIÓN
TODO es genial en este juego. Tal vez el único problema es que el combate se puede volver algo monótono debido a que puedes solearte a la mayoría de los enemigos comunes con la Shadow Gun y dejas la gran mayoría de las otras armas para resolver los muchos puzzles que hay en el juego. No es algo malo, pero me hubiera gustado que el combate haya sido un poco más complejo y de paso las armas un poco más interesantes. También el backtracking puede llegar a ser cansado para ciertas personas...
Pero esto es básicamente un Metroidvania...si te gustan este tipo de juegos, vas a estar encantado con Shadow Man.
Llevo coleccionando y buscando juegos de N64 por años y JAMÁS había escuchado hablar de este juego hasta hace poco, honestamente me sorprende que este juego sea jodidamente excelente. Por favor, jueguenlo.
Shadow Man is one of my N64 favourites. A big old Metroidvania with a proper maze of a world to explore, all wrapped up in a refreshingly adult setting. In fact, there's a real sense of maturity to Shadow Man in general - not just the themes and plot - but in the way it never holds your hand or throws waypoints up whenever you get lost. It is happy to see you lost for hours at a time, backtracking across Deadside to try to find that one tunnel you haven't checked out yet.
Controls are a bit of an acquired taste. The N64 original didn't have a now-standardised dual analog style scheme and they've tried to retrofit one to a modern gamepad and, for the most part, it has been a success. However, strafing in Shadow Man was something you could only do during combat in the original release and pressing jump while strafing performs a dodge jump which is, unsurprisingly, useless when you're platforming and it is very easy to accidentally do one of these and fall to your death. A frustrating compromise from the modified controls.
Nightdive, being the absolute kings of the remaster, have managed to recover the unique areas for the bosses that didn't make the cut in the original game. This has actual restored content that change the overall flow of the game from the original, which as a fan of the original was fascinating to see. Although I appreciate this sort of stuff is going to be a case by case basis, this is the sort of additional content I'd like to see added to a game in a remaster.
Deadside remains a brilliant place to roam, full of winding passages and critical routes that are hidden in the same way secrets are in other games. I can imagine this could frustrate, but being able to get completely immersed in this world and slowly progress, like putting together a big jigsaw, has continued moments of satisfaction as you push to a conclusion.
Controls are a bit of an acquired taste. The N64 original didn't have a now-standardised dual analog style scheme and they've tried to retrofit one to a modern gamepad and, for the most part, it has been a success. However, strafing in Shadow Man was something you could only do during combat in the original release and pressing jump while strafing performs a dodge jump which is, unsurprisingly, useless when you're platforming and it is very easy to accidentally do one of these and fall to your death. A frustrating compromise from the modified controls.
Nightdive, being the absolute kings of the remaster, have managed to recover the unique areas for the bosses that didn't make the cut in the original game. This has actual restored content that change the overall flow of the game from the original, which as a fan of the original was fascinating to see. Although I appreciate this sort of stuff is going to be a case by case basis, this is the sort of additional content I'd like to see added to a game in a remaster.
Deadside remains a brilliant place to roam, full of winding passages and critical routes that are hidden in the same way secrets are in other games. I can imagine this could frustrate, but being able to get completely immersed in this world and slowly progress, like putting together a big jigsaw, has continued moments of satisfaction as you push to a conclusion.
game's got good vibes but the collectible chasing for progression got too annoying
Expert environmental design, though the upscaled graphics made me miss some details and hints, thinking it was added details for the remaster. A challenge with its Open design, but a very enjoyable adventure.
🚨 New Conmancore game alert 🚨
A mad combination of Tomb Raider, Metroid Prime, Ocarina of Time, Silent Hill, Quake, and Donkey Kong 64. Do you enjoy every single one of those games? Welcome to Deadside. If not, you might want to steer clear of the Shadow Man.
Shadow Man is the voodoo-themed comic-adaptation 3D metroidvania collect-a-thon from hell, dripping with atmosphere and filled with random bullcrap to find and gather up (not nearly as many as DK64 but you do need to return to levels multiple times, even if you don’t want to 100% the game like I did). I got lost a couple times, and I can see some taking issue with its labyrinthine level-design, its wealth of collectibles, its relative lack of enemy variety, and I suppose the all-dark-all-the-time environments, but I thought this game was a constant vibe machine.
I loved exploring and backtracking through the underworld to discover new areas, climbing through the game’s temples and discovering secrets and upgrades. The liveside (real world) levels were especially atmospheric, taking you from sticky Louisiana bayous to even stickier London subways and New York apartments. Each one is inspired by real serial killers like Jack the Ripper or films like Silence of the Lambs, and the game is filled to burst with interesting background details and environmental storytelling.
I’m shocked I had never heard of the game (or comic) before, because it aligns almost perfectly with what I enjoy about my favorite fifth-generation titles. Some of the collectibles are called Dark Souls…
Shadow Man is even bald. Bald, I tell you! Representation win. Truly a Conman certified classic.
A mad combination of Tomb Raider, Metroid Prime, Ocarina of Time, Silent Hill, Quake, and Donkey Kong 64. Do you enjoy every single one of those games? Welcome to Deadside. If not, you might want to steer clear of the Shadow Man.
Shadow Man is the voodoo-themed comic-adaptation 3D metroidvania collect-a-thon from hell, dripping with atmosphere and filled with random bullcrap to find and gather up (not nearly as many as DK64 but you do need to return to levels multiple times, even if you don’t want to 100% the game like I did). I got lost a couple times, and I can see some taking issue with its labyrinthine level-design, its wealth of collectibles, its relative lack of enemy variety, and I suppose the all-dark-all-the-time environments, but I thought this game was a constant vibe machine.
I loved exploring and backtracking through the underworld to discover new areas, climbing through the game’s temples and discovering secrets and upgrades. The liveside (real world) levels were especially atmospheric, taking you from sticky Louisiana bayous to even stickier London subways and New York apartments. Each one is inspired by real serial killers like Jack the Ripper or films like Silence of the Lambs, and the game is filled to burst with interesting background details and environmental storytelling.
I’m shocked I had never heard of the game (or comic) before, because it aligns almost perfectly with what I enjoy about my favorite fifth-generation titles. Some of the collectibles are called Dark Souls…
Shadow Man is even bald. Bald, I tell you! Representation win. Truly a Conman certified classic.
"And into Asylum – like a great, black engine roaring to eternity, ravaging the already benighted landscape with its savage, malevolent presence. And within, the legions of the truly damned. Insanity, sheer and stark and once in human form, now gutted and torn by eons of glutted indulgence. This is what the tandem cycle of random violence breeds. A vengeful black hit-sludge with a grudge hath brought the reaper you've sown in the goo of your guilt, as the créme-de-karma is roosting home to harm ya. It always ends up boning the poor. The horror. The horror. I embrace it." - Michael LaRoi, Shadow Man
You can file Shadow Man under "games I've never heard of until they've been remastered." I am not normally in the mood for a late 90s third person search-action game, but I guess I found out about this one at the right time, because in the moment, I was. Maybe it's because everyone I know is enjoying (or attempting to enjoy) Metroid Prime: Remastered, leaving me with an unsatisfied search-action itch. You may be willing to shell out 40$ for that game, but I'd prefer to spend my money on a shirtless Cajun man who shoots fireballs out of a skull in hell. We're built different.
Having zero experience with the original release of the game means I have no appreciation for what was changed. This puts me in a bit of an odd position, because I know Shadow Man Remastered made a fair number of tweaks, including restoring a whole lot of cut content, but with zero frame of reference for how the game played at the time, it's difficult to hold it to the same standards I would have in 1999. Michael doesn't control great, he'll sometimes veer off in the opposite direction you're holding the stick, mapping the lock-on to R1 means clawing the controller awkwardly when using a dual-wielded weapon on R2, and sometimes he just rolls for no reason, and for all I know this is a consequence of trying to retain the feel of the game but map it for dual analog controls. Conversely, the map selection screen will helpfully list what you're missing in each area to prevent you from ever becoming truly directionless (something that would otherwise be incredibly easy given the game's structure), and I have no idea if that was part of the original experience or an invaluable quality of life change for the remaster, but it's good and I appreciate it. Shadow Man Remastered is just a mixed bag like that.
It would be wrong of me to not draw attention to the fact that Night Dive provides plenty of options for tweaking the look and feel of the game to your tastes, so the aforementioned issues I had with the default control scheme can be somewhat alleviated. You have less control, however, with the in-game content. In true search-action fashion, you'll need to collect various key items to progress further into the game, but you'll also need to accumulate power from Dark Souls scattered throughout every level to power up your primary gun and open up sealed "coffin gates." Checking How Long to Beat, Shadow Man Remastered will take you, on average, a little over 20 hours to complete. I came in at about 18, and I think the game has no business being over 12. This isn't due to the amount of content added - in fact I think a lot of that is good and the game would be weaker without it - so much as it is due to Dark Soul hunting becoming progressively more tedious. There was a certain point where I found myself looking at the level select screen, seeing things like "find 2 Dark Souls" and asking myself if I really needed to as like, a requirement to beat the game. Just a bit too much of that if you ask me.
That's not to say Shadow Man's core progression is inherently bad or anything, it's just a tad excessive. For the majority of the game, you'll find yourself getting the same dopamine hit you would in Metroid or Castlevania when you open up a whole new area tucked away in a previously explored location. I also found Shadow Man's story to be engaging and charmingly corny. I remarked to my friend, Larry Davis, that the writing reminded me of the sort of over-the-top dialog you'd find in an early 2000s comic book - edgy and verbose. That's when I was told that Shadow Man was based on a comic book series written by Garth Ennis, and it all made sense. Apparently, Ashley Wood good their start drawing Shadow Man, too. Very interesting, everything I just said.
There's also some really great and totally superfluous stuff you can find in the item menu, like a dossier that provides an incredible amount of information on The Five (the game's core group of antagonists), as well as a very thoughtfully designed document that pours over the engine block and other hellish machines found in Deadside. All of your targets are appropriately creepy and off-kilter, and they all seem to be based on both real and ficticious serial killers, like Avery Marx, who is clearly inspired by Ed Gein, or Victor Batrachian, who has a lot of Hannibal Lector in him. The small cast of supporting characters are also a lot of fun, and I wish the game gave you more reasons to visit them. Mama Nettie, a voodoo priestess who apparently has to straddle Michael as part of her rituals (hot) is great, and I love Jaunty, a top hat wearing skeletal snake that speaks in an Irish accent (hotter) who is Mike's confidant in Deadside, and who works as a perfect foil to his overwrought narrating. Michael himself always feels like he's about to slip into full Xavier: Renegade Angel mode every time he pontificates about the nature of Deadside and his role within its hierarchy, and his line "The Dark Souls are MINE!" will forever be entombed in my mind.
Despite my fairly middling rating, I think a lot about Shadow Man Remastered is going to stick with me for the better. Still, some poor design elements coupled with its length ultimately make this a game I find pretty average overall, the sort of game I can say I had a good enough time with but which I'm also unlikely to return to. Anyway, I'm looking forward to Night Dive's remake of System Shock, which I'm sure is coming any day now... Mhm, definitely happening thismonth uh, this May, I mean um, this year. fuck, god danmit
You can file Shadow Man under "games I've never heard of until they've been remastered." I am not normally in the mood for a late 90s third person search-action game, but I guess I found out about this one at the right time, because in the moment, I was. Maybe it's because everyone I know is enjoying (or attempting to enjoy) Metroid Prime: Remastered, leaving me with an unsatisfied search-action itch. You may be willing to shell out 40$ for that game, but I'd prefer to spend my money on a shirtless Cajun man who shoots fireballs out of a skull in hell. We're built different.
Having zero experience with the original release of the game means I have no appreciation for what was changed. This puts me in a bit of an odd position, because I know Shadow Man Remastered made a fair number of tweaks, including restoring a whole lot of cut content, but with zero frame of reference for how the game played at the time, it's difficult to hold it to the same standards I would have in 1999. Michael doesn't control great, he'll sometimes veer off in the opposite direction you're holding the stick, mapping the lock-on to R1 means clawing the controller awkwardly when using a dual-wielded weapon on R2, and sometimes he just rolls for no reason, and for all I know this is a consequence of trying to retain the feel of the game but map it for dual analog controls. Conversely, the map selection screen will helpfully list what you're missing in each area to prevent you from ever becoming truly directionless (something that would otherwise be incredibly easy given the game's structure), and I have no idea if that was part of the original experience or an invaluable quality of life change for the remaster, but it's good and I appreciate it. Shadow Man Remastered is just a mixed bag like that.
It would be wrong of me to not draw attention to the fact that Night Dive provides plenty of options for tweaking the look and feel of the game to your tastes, so the aforementioned issues I had with the default control scheme can be somewhat alleviated. You have less control, however, with the in-game content. In true search-action fashion, you'll need to collect various key items to progress further into the game, but you'll also need to accumulate power from Dark Souls scattered throughout every level to power up your primary gun and open up sealed "coffin gates." Checking How Long to Beat, Shadow Man Remastered will take you, on average, a little over 20 hours to complete. I came in at about 18, and I think the game has no business being over 12. This isn't due to the amount of content added - in fact I think a lot of that is good and the game would be weaker without it - so much as it is due to Dark Soul hunting becoming progressively more tedious. There was a certain point where I found myself looking at the level select screen, seeing things like "find 2 Dark Souls" and asking myself if I really needed to as like, a requirement to beat the game. Just a bit too much of that if you ask me.
That's not to say Shadow Man's core progression is inherently bad or anything, it's just a tad excessive. For the majority of the game, you'll find yourself getting the same dopamine hit you would in Metroid or Castlevania when you open up a whole new area tucked away in a previously explored location. I also found Shadow Man's story to be engaging and charmingly corny. I remarked to my friend, Larry Davis, that the writing reminded me of the sort of over-the-top dialog you'd find in an early 2000s comic book - edgy and verbose. That's when I was told that Shadow Man was based on a comic book series written by Garth Ennis, and it all made sense. Apparently, Ashley Wood good their start drawing Shadow Man, too. Very interesting, everything I just said.
There's also some really great and totally superfluous stuff you can find in the item menu, like a dossier that provides an incredible amount of information on The Five (the game's core group of antagonists), as well as a very thoughtfully designed document that pours over the engine block and other hellish machines found in Deadside. All of your targets are appropriately creepy and off-kilter, and they all seem to be based on both real and ficticious serial killers, like Avery Marx, who is clearly inspired by Ed Gein, or Victor Batrachian, who has a lot of Hannibal Lector in him. The small cast of supporting characters are also a lot of fun, and I wish the game gave you more reasons to visit them. Mama Nettie, a voodoo priestess who apparently has to straddle Michael as part of her rituals (hot) is great, and I love Jaunty, a top hat wearing skeletal snake that speaks in an Irish accent (hotter) who is Mike's confidant in Deadside, and who works as a perfect foil to his overwrought narrating. Michael himself always feels like he's about to slip into full Xavier: Renegade Angel mode every time he pontificates about the nature of Deadside and his role within its hierarchy, and his line "The Dark Souls are MINE!" will forever be entombed in my mind.
Despite my fairly middling rating, I think a lot about Shadow Man Remastered is going to stick with me for the better. Still, some poor design elements coupled with its length ultimately make this a game I find pretty average overall, the sort of game I can say I had a good enough time with but which I'm also unlikely to return to. Anyway, I'm looking forward to Night Dive's remake of System Shock, which I'm sure is coming any day now... Mhm, definitely happening this
Very unique worldbuilding and protagonist. Easy to get lost in, I don't recommend it for the impatient. Highly recommend if you love taking your time combing through each corner of the gameworld. Nearly a metroidvania but from the start you have access to a lot of area. Getting items makes it easier to traverse through the world.
A well deserved remaster to an amazing timeless classic.
This review contains spoilers
Shadowman is the final boss of backtracking. There are over a dozen "stages", but these are chopped up into a few types of stages. These feel connected only by the tissue of your own memory because the game's winding and confusing labyrinthine structure sets you up to distrust that memory. You will feel constantly stressed that you have forgotten something, discovered something too early, or are not interacting with something correctly. It's pretty brilliant.
Oppressive exploration in 3D spaces was big around this time I guess. DOOM kicked it off and Shadowman would not have been out of place as a doom clone, but being on consoles in 1999 it also embraced the console zeitgeist, the collectible platformer. It's a really adept mix of both.
The key to this feeling of oppressive exploration is that it is mostly smoke and mirrors. Shadowman is not as punishing as it appears. Enemies dont respawn unless you fast travel, you can even be killed by a boss and retain the damage you've done to it. Levels can b confusing but are never overlong, and Shadowman himself reacts to the buttons you're pressing (not a feat every game of this era accomplished) so platforming is rarely frustrating. Most importantly, not every collectible needs to be collected to complete the game's story.
How's that story by the way? It's pretty cool. The VA work is surprisingly good for 1999 and there's lots of corny gothic-themed dialogue . Shadowman's main villains are a gaggle of serial killers, whom you track down to their themed lairs (which gives a fun excuse to put hell's vengeance into a suite of goofy or creepy locales). The vibes in this game are top notch.
Really, Night Dive can keep making N64 remasters if there's still gems like Shadowman out there.
Oppressive exploration in 3D spaces was big around this time I guess. DOOM kicked it off and Shadowman would not have been out of place as a doom clone, but being on consoles in 1999 it also embraced the console zeitgeist, the collectible platformer. It's a really adept mix of both.
The key to this feeling of oppressive exploration is that it is mostly smoke and mirrors. Shadowman is not as punishing as it appears. Enemies dont respawn unless you fast travel, you can even be killed by a boss and retain the damage you've done to it. Levels can b confusing but are never overlong, and Shadowman himself reacts to the buttons you're pressing (not a feat every game of this era accomplished) so platforming is rarely frustrating. Most importantly, not every collectible needs to be collected to complete the game's story.
How's that story by the way? It's pretty cool. The VA work is surprisingly good for 1999 and there's lots of corny gothic-themed dialogue . Shadowman's main villains are a gaggle of serial killers, whom you track down to their themed lairs (which gives a fun excuse to put hell's vengeance into a suite of goofy or creepy locales). The vibes in this game are top notch.
Really, Night Dive can keep making N64 remasters if there's still gems like Shadowman out there.
Nightdrive kill it with another amazing remaster however, if you haven't played Shadow Man back when it was released you might not enjoy how dated the gameplay is. If you're a fan of N64 Era action adventure games then you'll love it.