Lately I've been in a sort of retro mood, on the little free time I have I've been playing Outcast (first time playing it, impressed with the graphics and the sad realization that the AI of a 11 year old game is way better that the one in most modern games) and Shadowman.
I originally played Shadowman on the Nintendo 64 (I still have the gamepack and the console, those things last forever) and now Im playing the PC version, which has better textures and WAY better sound.
Shadowman is an action/exploration game, like Tomb Raider (maybe a bit more like Soul Reaver). It's incredibly moody and both the sound and level design are twisted and delusional, further enhancing the oppressive feel of the underworld.
You play as the Shadowman, quoting wikipedia he's "an African American man by the name of Michael LeRoi, a former English literature student made into the Shadow Man, a voodoo warrior", he sort of reminds me to SandMan in the way he belongs to a realm beyond life and death.
The game is hard, platforms are extremly punishing and enemies are creepy things that runat you and can kill you fast. Checkpoints are also few and far in between but it never feels frustrating, in fact, it increases the tension and makes enemy encounters much more scary since there's a tangible risk at hand.
This is all thanks to the fact that controls are responsive, and that the game is smart enough to know that platform sections and fights should be separate things.
The level design is amazing, you are in the spiritual plane known as Deadside (the place when everyone goes when they die), so levels are incredibly twisted and fucked up, but cleverly designed.
The sound design is also another highlight. The music is amazing, if not one of the best things in the game (specially the Asylum levels), and the sound effects are spot on.
I dont know who had the idea of giving a crazy running zombie that comes out of nowhere a cheetah scream but it works motherfucker, it really works.
Anyway, it's cool moody exploration game, It's really old so graphics are kinda shit (but who cares?) and if you manage to find the game somewhere you should give it a try.
Alex-
