- Publisher: Grasshopper Manufacture , NetEase Games
- Release Date: Oct 30, 2024
- Also On: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
- Unscored
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Oct 25, 2024There’s a lot to talk about with Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered. The wild world, the funny writing, the varied and tense gameplay, the rockin’ soundtrack, the silly characters, the serious moments, or the awesome sense of progression, just to name a few enjoyable things. It only took me about 8 hours to finish the game and most of that was in one sitting. I have only played Shadows of the Damned once at PAX East 2024 earlier this year and it was such a great demo, the full game delivered all of that and more. Add in the New Game Plus feature that lets you keep your late game upgrades or the optional gyro aiming, and you have an incredibly arcade-y experience that keeps you laughing and blasting for hours. The game launches on October 31st and I can’t recommend it enough. This is a punk rock gem that everyone can love.
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Oct 30, 2024Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a wild ride that embraces its weirdness. Offering a mix of campy horror and dark comedy that’s rarely seen in games. If this remaster gives a new audience the chance to experience Garcia Hotspur’s journey in 2024, then it has more than accomplished its mission. Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a welcome return for a cult classic that deserves another moment in the spotlight.
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Oct 25, 2024Some extra content wouldn't have sucked in addition to 4K, 60fps and New Game+, features that are welcome anyway. Playing Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered, however, one gets the impression that the light technical dusting is not a matter of laziness, but rather of necessity turned into virtue. Behind a refresh that still doesn't hurt, in fact, there may be the awareness that touching up more deeply the technical foundations of an action-adventure with a powerful artistic direction and a crazy, visionary, deliberately exaggerated and grotesque style, would have turned out to be an unforgivable own goal. And now, thanks to this remastered, we all know what Garcia Hotspur is capable of doing for one mistake too many.
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Oct 25, 2024As a remaster, Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered leaves something to be desired, offering minimal visual improvements, no graphics options on PC, and no gameplay enhancements. However, it's still a worthwhile purchase for fans of Suda51, Shinji Mikami, and third-person shooters., as the quality of the original experience still shines through, with its relentless pace, engaging story, memorable characters, and a dark humor that's hard to find in games today. Garcia Hotspur's war against Fleming to save Paula remains just as captivating now as it was in 2013.
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Nov 26, 2024A trip to the bowels of hell was insane a decade ago and has lost none of its charm. However, it is a game for nostalgic players and will not appeal much to younger players.
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Nov 14, 2024Shadows of the Damned Hella Remastered is a gleefully stupid action game full of dick jokes, which you'll either find refreshing or horrendous.
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Nov 1, 2024Everything good about the game is still just as good in 2024 as it was in 2011, which means that, as remasters go, this one has probably achieved exactly what it set out to do.
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Oct 25, 2024Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a surprisingly satisfying romp through Hell, as long as you plug your ears.
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Oct 30, 2024Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered brings Suda51’s cult classic to new life with enhanced visuals, a darkly humorous narrative, and intense demon-slaying action. The remaster preserves the original’s unique style while adding some welcome refinements. Although the combat can be repetitive, the game’s atmospheric puzzles, challenging boss encounters, and compelling underworld setting make for an unforgettable journey through hell. Garcia Hotspur’s quest to rescue his girlfriend, Paula, pushes both him and players to their limits, and the result is a devilishly entertaining experience that fans of the genre will appreciate.
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Oct 30, 2024Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is just as offbeat and captivating as it was when it originally came out 13 years ago. The story works partially because of how it isn't afraid to be funny and gross, and the lack of malice sells the game, even if the humor doesn't strike a chord for some people. The gameplay is fine enough that the rough edges can be ignored at times. It sounds just as good as before and looks much better, but one can't help wishing that more care had been taken to create something more than a barebones port of the original.
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Oct 28, 2024Really, Hella Remastered is probably the best example of a video game that knows that it’s a video game and runs with it to the point where it almost falls off a cliff. The involvement and expertise of Mikami and Suda prevents it from careening towards the ground, but it’s still a solid game at the end of the day. The gameplay has aged surprisingly well, and the visuals have finally outgrown the limitations of its seventh generation console bretheren. Just be sure to leave any high brow notions at the door and enjoy the ride.
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Oct 25, 2024Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is not for everyone. While its over-the-shoulder action and moody vibes previously established the original as a cult classic, its overly edgy style, poor optimization, and derivative gameplay make this version feel more like a dark shadow compared to the industry great.
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Oct 25, 2024Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a remaster of one of the craziest games ever made and the fact that it's potentially reaching out to new gamers who will get an experience they've never had before can only be a positive thing - and as I said, it's priced very reasonably.
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Oct 25, 2024Although it’s pretty bare bones, Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered definitely does gamers a service by bringing a cult classic to current consoles. Some of the 2011 original’s action and humor doesn’t quite live up to our fond memories of it. On the whole, Grasshopper Manufacture’s surreal action game remains weird and entertaining.
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Oct 25, 2024Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered lacks the impact of Suda51 and Mikami’s Killer7, the mechanical depth of Mikami's RE4 and Vanquish, and the uncompromised vision of Kurayami Dance. However, getting lost in what SotD isn't also means losing sight of what it is. Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a delightful B-movie romp that can be knocked off in a weekend, and there's still value in that. Diving into hordes of enemies with Garcia's upgraded abilities and assorted takedowns can be very fun, even if extra details like headshots feel like they could be tightened up. If it sparks some good word-of-mouth, perhaps today’s leaner shooter landscape will do Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered some good.
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Oct 25, 2024Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a refined version of the 2011 cult classic. The visuals are smoother, the game mechanics feel more natural, but aside from the minor face lift and some new costumes, this is exactly how we remember it. Outside of New Game+, all the changes and updates to Shadows of the Damned ar minor. This is great news for purists who love the original how it is, but it also makes some mechanics feel dated. For players who are fine with average game mechanics and enjoy juvenile humor, however, Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered remains a good enough time that's worth revisiting. It might not be an incredibly deep game, but there's still something satisfying about decapitating demons with a sentient shotgun.
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Oct 25, 2024It’s juvenile ridiculousness for its own sake, and even as things get a wee bit repetitive in the game’s later hours, that gleeful, sick sense of play goes a long way toward making one wonder what weirdness awaits around the next corner.
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Mar 21, 2025Shadows of the Damned is back from oblivion and looks surprisingly fresh. Unfortunately, the remaster turned out to be too ascetic.
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Apr 24, 2025Shadow of the Damned: Hella Remastered keeps the original’s charm but fails as a proper PC remaster due to minimal effort and outdated design.
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Oct 25, 2024I gave Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered a fair chance to win me over, but I feel the same way I did when I played it back in 2011: underwhelmed. It’s just now, all these years later, I’m a lot better at analyzing its problems and communicating them. It doesn’t help that the remaster is barely a remaster at all. The buddy relationship between Johnson and Garcia as well as Garcia’s devotion to Paula have their charm, and the dick jokes do a lot of heavy lifting. However, it’s difficult to get over just how grey and humdrum the underworld is.
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Oct 25, 2024Shadows of the Damned Hella Remastered is a crude, mean-spirited, and dangerously unfunny trip down memory lane with a grating cast, middling gunplay, and only the most minor of visual enhancements.
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Oct 25, 2024Shadows Of The Damned: Hella Remastered will no doubt please fans of the original, as it doesn't touch the demonic meat and bones of the original besides giving them a bit of a face lift. For those coming in fresh, it's a fairly good time, but only until you start noticing its nastiness. I respect its zaniness and its double-A feel from yesteryear, but I also despise how its characters and its world portray women. I wish that attitude had been tossed in the bin and 'remastered' instead, honestly.