The collaboration between three of gaming’s most prominent Japanese developers didn’t receive as much attention as one might expect. Outdone by the many FPS and RPGs that dominated the latter half of 2011. To any videogaming hobbyist worth their salt, uttering the names Goichi Suda (aka SUDA 51), Shinji Mikami and Akira Yamaoka in the same sentence would certainly raise a degree of interest. That all three have worked together to create a single experience would most likely conjure thoughts of groundbreaking works. Thankfully, Shadows of the Damned doesn’t disappoint.
Shadows of the Damned if You Do, Damned if You Don’t
Shadows of the Damned is unquestionably a game designed for the core demographic. Right at the start, after the rewarding of your decision to purchase the game but before any gameplay has even begun, the player is asked to choose their control method and aiming speed from a menu that offers no indication of what the result of your decisions will be. You’re expected to know how fast you like your reticule to move based upon the force you apply to the analogue stick. And also to what degree that would be on an the entire scale of screen resolution. It’s a challenge before any challenges have begun.
This is not a game that can be played for 30 minutes during an evening once a week. It’s a game intended to be played for several hours on consecutive evenings. Thankfully, it’s so compelling that it’s a fight to resist from doing so.
The game’s tutorial is a fantastic piece of design. Building tension in a flash, it still affords the room to get to grips with the controls. It’s right at this early point when the influences of it’s three creators is evident. From the gruesome, obscure rock stylings of SUDA 51 to the stilted movement and precise aiming demands familiar from Shinji Mikami’s work on the Resident Evil series. Cast as the fascinatingly self-assured demon hunter Garcia Hotspur, the player is thrown headfirst into a chase through a demonic world to save his girlfriend, Paula. Aided by a former demon with the ability to transform into an array of vicious weapons, players must take down hordes of enemies and solve a number of different puzzles. Often at the same time.
I Believe in a Thing Called Love
One of the key features of Shadows of the Damned is its darkness mechanic. Frequently throughout the game the player will succumb to areas of Darkness. In these areas, after a short time, the player’s health begins to drain. Equally as potentially damaging as it is needed to solve certain puzzles, the Darkness can be disbanded by utilising your weapon’s secondary function on the correct environmental object – once you’ve found it, of course. The necessity to return to the light quickly whilst requiring the Darkness at regular occasions brings to mind the light/dark mechanic of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. Though Shadows of the Damned does of course present its own original take.
Enemies can become enveloped in the Darkness, providing them with invulnerability against basic weaponry. Assaulting them with your close-combat torch or your weapon’s secondary function to remove the Darkness brings to mind Alan Wake. However, Shadows of the Damned is most certainly more successful in near-every respect. The pacing of the game is masterful, flitting between combat and light puzzle solving, tension and more optimistic moments. The variety in the gameplay is very impressive; even if the game does fall into the realm of kill-every-enemy to proceed on occasion, there are enough alternative moments of interest to keep the balance heavily on the positive side.
Influentially Influenced Influencer
Shadows of the Damned is clearly influenced by Tarantino. Evidence lies in the delivery of its plot through the intricate communication between characters as enemies. Furthermore, the cunningly chosen camera angles during cut-scenes and the drained greyscale colour template demonstrate that everything from Reservoir Dogs to Death Proof has been used as inspiration for the world and the behaviour of the characters within. Yet somehow Shadow of the Damned manages still to become bigger than all of that. SUDA 51’s own trademark is evident in the art house feel of the horrific violence. And then again in the constant sexual references and innuendo. While Shinji Makami has clearly brought his expertise from the Resident Evil series to not just the suspension (which, yes, does mean the controls feel very familiar), but also the game’s pacing. This latter point simply cannot be praised enough.
The technical presentation of Shadows of the Damned is immaculate. Iterated to the point where glitches are entirely absent and the only moments in which you will loose your way are those when you haven’t been paying enough attention, every moment is a concentrated delivery of the precise atmosphere and intricate detail that keep the player on edge. Never is there a discouraging encounter, no matter what the story might suggest. The localisation is spot-on. Quintessentially British colloquialisms such as ‘B.O.’ used perfectly in terms of meaning, tense and character. The soundtrack is also frequently stunning. Everything from the elevator music during loading delays to the obscure rock influenced orchestral tracks during boss sequences has obviously been iterated to within an inch of it’s life. In doing so it delivers an atmosphere that’s just right for the specific moment.
Best Game of 2011?
As positive as this analysis has been, Shadows of the Damned isn’t perfect. There is the occasional difficulty spike and a few moments of padding can be a downbeat, but remain brief. However, when compared to the competition, these blemishes are easily forgiven. Shadows of the Damned is basically Alan Wake done right, within the twisted universe of a leather-clad Harley Davidson riding Deadly Premonition. It’s intelligent, witty and obviously a labour of love for all of its sharply dressed intricacies. Shadows of the Damned is videogame design genius distilled. It simply can’t come any more highly recommended for fans of the survival horror genre. Not only is the game a frontrunner for the best release of 2011, but it’s also one of the best titles on the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 generation.
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