Shadow of the Beast

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
64

Mixed or average reviews - based on 60 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 60
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 60
  3. Negative: 5 out of 60
  1. Gamer.nl
    May 25, 2016
    45
    Shadow of the beast is a fighting game that evolves around getting high scores. Fighting is not too dynamic, levels aren't so well designed and the pretty cool story gets killed off brutally. There is not much to love about Shadow of the Beast.
  2. Critical Hit
    May 16, 2016
    45
    In trying to re-invent a classic that was never really any good to begin with, Shadow of the Beast becomes a cautionary tale about how nostalgia is sometimes better left in the past.
  3. Gameblog.fr
    May 16, 2016
    40
    This Shadow of the Beast first succeeds in seducing fans of the original game with its art direction and treasures from the past to unlock. But it quickly appears to be clunky and outdated in its mechanics.
  5. Game Revolution
    May 18, 2016
    30
    Shadow of the Beast is as dull as it is brown, which is to say extremely. The platforming is clunky, the AI is bad, the story requires multiple playthroughs, the game defies its own logic, and it reeks of other laughably awful design decisions. Don't bother with this beast.
  6. Polygon
    May 16, 2016
    30
    If Shadow of the Beast is in any way effective, it's as a cautionary tale of the dangers of nostalgia.
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These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation.

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  1. The A.V. Club
    May 19, 2016
    Shadow Of The Beast is so wholeheartedly immersed in the design sensibilities of a bygone era—not the rehabilitated and domesticated principles of permanent death and procedural generation that have become so common today, but ancient trends better left undisturbed like painful restarts and progress-halting puzzles—that it transforms into a refreshingly alien experience, if not an entirely enjoyable one.

Awards & Rankings

99
#99 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2016
83
#83 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2016

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 169 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 115 out of 169
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 169
  3. Negative: 32 out of 169
  1. MightyM
    May 17, 2016
    10
    If you play this game mashing the attack button you've failed! The combat is really intricate once you get used to the fact that it's aboutIf you play this game mashing the attack button you've failed! The combat is really intricate once you get used to the fact that it's about considered timing. With the amount of secrets to find and unlock, and all the psygnosis references for old school players, the replay value is high! I've enjoyed going back into the levels and getting better at combat as I discover more. I really don't understand what the low score reviews are talking about, I think they just haven't understood that this is a proper game that requires skill to play. I love it and hope they make a sequel!… Full Review »
  2. CandyVenom
    May 17, 2016
    8
    Shadow of the Beast returns with a good game that has its flaws like the very long loading times and the platforming is a bit weird but youShadow of the Beast returns with a good game that has its flaws like the very long loading times and the platforming is a bit weird but you can get used to it quite fast.

    Good things:
    -Offers a good challenge if you're playing the game on the hardest difficulty
    -Good amount of hidden secrets and collectibles and various endings to have replay value
    -The visuals are very pretty and you will be amazed by some backgrounds
    -The music is as good as it was in the past games
    -Good amount of violence without being too gore for people that likes violence

    Bad things:
    -The combat might be too simple, you have one button to attack so you will see yourself constantly pressing Square, you can press the touchpad or R1+L1 to do special attacks but you will see yourself using Square most of the times
    -The platforming doesn't feel right, Aarbron jumps when you press X unlike many people says but when falling it feels very clunky
    -The movement some times also feels kinda clunky, specially when you want to turn or walk just one step you may find Aarbron walking two or three steps instead of one as you intended
    -The game sometimes doesn't explain its mechanics well enough, like the first boss you encounter you will probably face him like the rest of the enemies and you will probably find how to deal with it after you died since the game doesn't give you a hint by any way until you fight it for some time

    Still is a good game and for those who loved the original one it comes inside the game so you're basically buying two games paying only for one, for any who loved the original and its challenge they will love this new entry, i hope Sony doesn't ditch the Shadow of the Beast series and keeps making new entries with bigger budget.    … Full Review »
  3. kraster
    May 17, 2016
    8
    This game is nowhere near as bad as the negative reviews would have you believe. The presentation is top notch with excellent visual designThis game is nowhere near as bad as the negative reviews would have you believe. The presentation is top notch with excellent visual design and a great soundtrack. Combat is deeper than would first appear. The whole point of the combat is to rack up high scores so simply mashing the attack button will yield a low score.
    High scores allow you to purchase upgrades and other unlockables and also give you bragging rights on the leader boards. There are also lots of branching paths, different endings and secrets that add a great deal of replayability to the game. There are a few flaws that have been mentioned. Platforming is quite clunky (but not downright awful). Some of the scenery gets in the way of combat and the actual rhythm of combat takes a little getting used to because it's not adequately explained. Overall though it's a very good game at a very good price.    … Full Review »
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