What do you get when you put Akira Yamaoka, Shinji Mikami and Goichi Suda in a room together? Apparently, what they came up with is ‘Shadows of the Damned,’ a gore-filled, dark thriller that takes place in – you guessed it – hell. The main character, Garcia Hotspur is interesting enough, but its the demons, weapons and various challenges that will really peak your interests.
The game itself is fairly short, and aside from a few difficult boss fights you will find yourself breezing through the storyline. What is refreshing is the fact that ‘Shadows of the Damned’ is unapologetically offensive. If you cringe at toilet humor and find sexist jokes appalling, then you might just want to look at the latest titles from Disney. On the other hand, dedicated gamers will thoroughly appreciate the work of art that Suda, Mikami and Yamaoka have created.
While scouring hell for Hotspur’s lost girlfriend, Paula, you’ll need a couple of severed goat heads and an old demon named Johnson. The objective is to get past your arch enemy Fleming’s flunkies, avoid the shadows and make off with Paula before anyone notices. The trouble is that you are playing a character that is undeniably human while trying to make allies while in hell. ‘Shadows of the Damned’ is entertaining, inappropriate and highly addicting. If you are looking for a new game title to play after spending hours trying to beat the latest in the ‘Final Fantasy’ series, this one has your name written all over it.
