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Retro|Spective 111: Shadow Man

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    Retro|Spective 111: Shadow Man




    History in Games:
    1999 - Shadow Man
    2002 - Shadow Man: 2econd Coming


    Overview:

    Based on the comic books series, this short lived series following a legacy of individuals who take on the mantle of Shadow Man - a voodoo powered warrior fighting beings from the dead. Both were third person action titles that received reasonable receptions upon release but Activision was unable to push this into becoming a major franchise on a long term basis. Structurally the game followed the Mario 64 model of having players unlock levels by collecting items, this extended the lifespan of the title for players which was something reviewers weren't always keen to see as a positive.







    Share your thoughts and memories of Shadow Man

    #2
    The PS version was rather awful.

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by Neon Ignition View Post
      but Activision was unable to push this
      Wasn't it made by Acclaim?

      Personally I feel this game was overshadowed by Soul Reaver.

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        #4
        I've played around 50% of the N64 version, but never went back to finish it.

        Graphically and atmospherically it's highly impressive, giving it a gloomy, foreboding feel. The full-speech audio really stood out at the time too, great voice acting (again, not a given back in 1999), though one of the things I remember most was that I found the sound effect of the main gun irritating.

        The downsides are that the controls and character animations (at least in the N64 version) are clunky. The Dreamcast and PC versions are probably where you should go first. But as a whole – and the game's biggest flaw in my opinion – was that it was painfully obvious this was an of-the-era designed PC game, not a console game: so there's bad pacing, simplistic gameplay, massive/confusing open worlds with limited sign-posting. Just another one of those cases where you can see so much energy and love was put into the aesthetic design, but forgot to design an actual, y'know, videogame.

        I'd like to have finished it, but I probably won't go back to it because I know I would be lost.
        Last edited by Tetsuo; 04-11-2019, 13:00.

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          #5
          I really liked the game and loved the setting but it was too hard with some of the levels too big and also too confusing and the controls were broken. I had it on the N64. Its a shame were never got a sequel that was able to fix some of the issues.

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            #6
            I remember playing through this and actually enjoying it. But I didn’t actually join the party until the Dreamcast version came out, as I think the DC version was a decent port with smoother visuals than the typical blurry mess the N64 would throw out for textures.

            I remember being quite at edge playing the game as it had quite a few scares, but the levelling up system and upgrades kept me entertained enough to see it through to the end.

            The music was quite good from what I remember and the darker adult theme was a nice change for the time. It was quite cinematic in parts.

            One of the Irish voice overs really impressed me, as I had never heard an Irish accent in a game before.

            I remember looking forward to the sequel, but I think it was reviewed badly and I passed on it.

            112

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              #7
              I remember playing the N64 version back in 2000, it took me a bit to get into (it runs at about 12fps and isn't the most elegant-looking game) but I ended up caning it 100% and pulling an all-nighter to finish it.

              Had a very strange, unique vibe and LOTS to explore. I got the DC version a year later on the cheap but never felt an urge to do a second playthrough. Deffo looks waaay better than the N64 version. Waaay not waaaaaaaaay, though. It could've been beefed up more.

              Always remember the main baddie saying "b0ll0cks". Was quite shocking at the time!!!!

              Comment


                #8
                Had the second game since I got a PS2 back in 2001 but, again, I never really began it properly but it seemed OK, if a lot brighter in atmos.

                Does it follow the same Zelda-style mechanics? I remember it having a more generic, shootery vibe and it put me off a bit but there was still plenty of dormant curiosity.

                Anyone finished it and can report back???

                As for the PS1 version, it's 'very ambitious'. Runs at like 9fps. But you can't say the atmospheric bayou opening bit doesn't pack a punch. It was always very atmospheric, even at such a low framerate.

                Comment


                  #9
                  "Hello there, Michael. How's death treatin' ya?"

                  Gotta give it up for Jaunty.

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