Shadows of the Damned

Shadows of the Damned is unapologetically adolescent, but instead of trying to be cutely ironic and wink at players, the humor comes off as genuine, playful, and fun. Even if you don't find the idea of a sniper rifle called "the Big Boner" funny, you should still enjoy the solidly designed shooting and bit of thought required to play the game. Grasshopper has finally come into its own, and I hope it carries this momentum (and Mikami) forward to whatever project is next.

I guarantee you won't know what's going to happen until it has, and more often than not the results are hilarious. If you want to experience a game that's different from everything that's come before it, Shadows of the Damned is for you. It's a tasty concoction of horror, humor, gore, and naughty bits that's guaranteed to make you laugh, scream, and beg for more.

Shadows of the Damned has a lot going for it, and a few drawbacks as well, but the point to take away is that it's just a really fun game to play through.

Shadows of the Damned is a primordially charged adventure into hell with sexuality and violence turned up to 10. Pleasantly disturbing, humorously shockingly and never boring, gamers with an acceptance for the weird will want to have this game in their collection.

Suffice to say, if you can live with the juvenile humour and mental blank slate which makes up Garcia's education, Shadows of the Damned is an awesome game with great gameplay and graphics and it's a hell of a lot of fun.

Shadows of the Damned balances strong gameplay with artistic delights to create a mesmerizing experience.

Shadows of the Damned doesn't quite hit the heights of either Suda51 or Mikami's history, but as long as you're willing to accept the sometimes vulgar humour there's an experience well worth its weight, and comes to a clever climax finale around the 10-12hour mark that leaves me hoping there's enough demand to warrant a sequel.

If you've got any interest in this kind of insanity, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Oh, and leave the drugs and alcohol behind-the game is trippy enough already.

There is absolutely nothing to keep Shadows of the Damned in your system except for achievements; it's made to be played once, then fondly remembered, like the action movies it's based upon. It's still very much worth checking out, but it's impossible to give an unqualified recommendation.

A guilty pleasure worth telling your friends about...provided its their kind of game, obviously.

The game features a pretty weird setting, a badass main-character, awesome sounds and entertaining gameplay. Only the oldschool graphics and the highlight-free story lower the score, but all in all it's a pretty cool survival action game.

The design, style, attitude, and bearing of the game is great; it's loaded with a certain swagger that is to be expected from Shinji Mikami and Suda 51. There's even a fair amount of genuine comedy...your gun's name is "Johnson," after all.

One of those games which will be loved by old-school gamers thanks to its great gameplay, hilarious humour and overwhelming charm.

A truly unique, absurd action game that no one should miss. With the help of Shinji Mikami, Suda 51 has delivered his most palatable experience to date.

This game is fantastic. It's also very divissive. Some people will love the dry humor and bizarre enviroments, while others will will feel it's a boring mess of boss fights and too much talking. Personally though, this is a gaming milestone. Go get it.

Shadows is certainly not for everyone. Still, it's far more accessible and appealing to the mainstream than Grasshopper's last few games, while remaining super-satisfying for their faithful following.

In the hearts of these developers, Damned finds it salvation. [Aug 2011, p.77]

There isn't much replay value left after defeating Shadows of the Damned (about 8-10 hours), but I found myself back at it just to take in the experience of digesting this mishmash of action and terror ideas and trying to figure why I was so entertained. Perhaps I should stop asking so much and just appreciate what I see sticking on the wall.

Takes solid gameplay and pairs it with a hilarious story. Shadows of the Damned varies the gameplay enough to keep you engaged, and the story will have you craving for the next witticism from Johnson. Poor enemy and boss design is the only thing holding this game back from being a hit.

Shadows of the Damned is everything you'd expect from a Grasshopper game, made better by the collective experience of Akira Yamaoka and Shinji Mikami working together with Suda51. It's pure pulpy, cult grindhouse fun, with some excellent action mechanics and awesome sound and music throughout.

Although being made by Suda 51, Mikami and Yamaoka, Shadows of the Damned lacks a bit more of ambition. It's a really fun game, but it also has some flaws that prevent it from being excellent.

Shadows of the Damned is an entertaining, bizarre, and absolutely hilarious experience. Don't miss out on this trip.

Shadows of the Damned is a Road Movie made game. You watch and play it, enjoying the fun an politically incorrect humor, over-the-top atmosphere and appealing characters. Too bad some shortcomings like camera issues, a rather short campaign and some lack of exploration undermine its otherwise enjoyable formula.

Shadows Of The Damned provides eight hours or so of some of the best third person shooting we've seen for ages – it's well produced, expertly paced and deliciously funny.

You'll still be thrilled by this original, amusing and brilliantly playable horror game.

Shadows of the Damned is one of those games that needs to be experienced. The wacky version of Hell, the cool characters, and the totally insane action combines to create a game that is a blast from start to satisfying finish.

And yet, despite Shadow of the Damned being a more approachable adventure than the typical Grasshopper creation, it's what you see and hear over the course of the 10-12 hour campaign that really sticks with you.

I'd recommend it in an instant to fans of the developer's past works, and just as fast to those looking for a fresh, fun shooter with a penchant for the eccentric.

In many ways Shadows of the Damned doesn't seem polished and well-refined, but Grasshopper's game is still a lot of fun, gore and charisma.

If it wasn't for the not-for-everyone grind house aesthetic of the game and the short play length, Shadows of the Damned would be a slam dunk recommendation. If you want some grindhouse and road movie in your game, this is the experience just for you. Even if you're a horror fan who's looking for something a little less serious than Dead Space of the latest F.E.A.R. title, you may just find what you're looking for here as well.

That most rare of jokes - one that's still funny even after the 50th time you've heard it. [Issue#207, p.88]

Like the best games in Grasshopper works, Shadows of the Damned contains excitement enough to keep players in their seats. It's a prominent exercise in teenage horror movie's homage in the form of a very funny third person shooter.

Even though Shadows of the Damned is relatively short game (10+ hours), it's actually quite satisfying and even when you died more than a dozen times, you just want to continue playing because every chapter that you play offers something uniquely different, whether through its demon fights, puzzles or power-ups.

The game offers a funny presentation. But after a few hours the gameplay of Shadows of the Damned becomes boring and repetitive. Don't expect a fresh, new action game experience.

Shadows of the Damned plays homage to its film inspirations through an obscure and mature presentation, but the actual game mechanics lack the same sharp punch as the artistic direction.

Given the amount of puzzles tied to light and darkness I would risk a statement that has the Shadows of the Damned been developed using the fantastic Alan Wake's engine, it would be outstanding. What other game offers you gross visions of hell flavored with crude humor? Where else can you find a horse pooping spheres of darkness? Or an infernal lord called Fleming? [July 2011, p.78]

Shadows of the Damned will not be appreciated by everyone, but if you love Grindhouse, horror, action, Resident Evil, or all of the above, click yes and grab a copy of Shadows of the Damned. It's a weird, crazy, bloody good ride into hell that you have seen, and have not seen both at the same time that all result in one word...Groovy!

I honestly don't know what the deal is with Shadows of the Damned. Great names produce a fairly good game - we should be happy. But despite that I feel something's not quite right. It's just like being fooled by Banksy's "Exit Through the Gift Shop". But maybe it's a good thing? Reservoir Dogs' ending left us with a feeling that something is off as well. My intuition tells me to smile: Electronic Arts introduced a new franchise to the market and that's a dying habit. I recommend Shadows of the Damned only to those that can keep a healthy distance to the world of video games.

Shadows of the Damned is more than the sum of its rough parts, a rollicking gamers' game which brims with personality and individuality amid a muddy ocean of po-faced shooters. Experience it before its relegation to the status of 'cult classic'.

An ordinary shooty adventure, dressed up in a bizarre plot. With knob gags. [Aug 2011, p.82]

We're not entirely sure who's going to play this game, or even who it's ultimately suited for. People who are fans of Mikami and Suda will no doubt snap it up without a thought, and so will those who are tired of the 'usual' slew of action games. Sure, Shadows of the Damned has character and shows of incredible, grotesque and inventive beats, but as a game it's left lacking. [August 2011 p70]

The game delivers what you might expect from two iconic developers. Unique story, plenty of grindhouse-style visuals and slightly lackluster gameplay. Fans of these auteurs will be pleased. Parents of impressionable youths will not.

While it may initially grate, and the writing definitely misses more than it hits, Shadows of the Damned is a solid, snappy third-person shooter that retreads old ground with a... erm... unique style.

Shadows of the Damned will make you laugh and cry at the same time. The funny conversations and the cool grindhouse style will put a grin on your face but the weak gameplay might cause you to throw your controller against the wall sometimes.

The all-star cast behind Shadows of the Damned sporadically shows how creative, passionate and talented it is, but doesn't dig deep enough when it comes to game design. The game remains bizarre and stylized, and it works for a literal ride to hell.

Although its artistic and visual merits are unquestionable, Shadows of the Damned's gameplay flaws reduce the experience's quality much more than expected.

A mixed bag. On one hand: a unique design and some great visuals. On the other: quite linear gameplay and a painted on attitude.

But as a weird tour through a Hell we haven't seen before, with a love for subject matter that neatly sidesteps the likes of other Grindhouse-inspired games over the last few years, Shadows of the Damned is an experience that's worth having... for a particular audience.

The game coaxes out hearty chuckles and swear-laden outbursts in equal quantities, but there's no denying that the resulting blend of emotions make for a memorable experience.

Perhaps unwittingly, Shadows of the Damned accomplishes what it set out for, by providing a B-level experience in video game form. It has more than its share of groan-worthy one-liners and irritating gameplay mechanics, but there's enough oddness and variety for it to pull in a cult following.

This game is a collaboration between a few great developers, but the quality isn't that we were hoping for. The gameplay is repetitive, the graphics aren't really good, the humor is a bit cheesy and the swearing is a bit too much. Besides that the game can be fun to play, but that says everything.

Possibly the most disappointing aspect of Shadows is that we know these developers could have made this awesome. [Aug 2011, p.102]

The game mechanics are solid, bosses are satisfying creatures. The Suda 51/Mikami/Yamaoka trio clearly have a lot of ideas on their plate, but the games' infantile humor and macho bravado goes a little too far, and the end result lacks the magic that's promised in the beginning.

Very Japanese in spirit and construction, Shadows of the Damned made efforts to adapt to Western productions, but it's still below the current standard of games in its class.