Thirteen years may not seem like a long time in the grand scheme of things, but the video game industry has changed dramatically since 2011. During the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 era, we saw the creation of new game genres, as well as cool twists on existing genres, as creative talent continued to emerge. Willingness to drive new ideas within shorter, cheaper production cycles.
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Suda51 calls Shadow of the Damned the equivalent of Super Mario Inferno
We spoke with game creators Goichi Suda and Shinji Mikami about the upcoming Shadow of the Damned remake and their careers.
This is not paradise—layoffs, studio closures, and toxic behavior are nothing new in this industry. In fact, Suda51 and Shinji Mikami’s original Shadow of the Damned It underwent numerous edits and changes from publisher EA before its initial release. However, those years still feel very different from the creative bankruptcy and pessimism we experience now.
Every now and then you can find great original games from big developers. For example, Capcom’s Kunitsu-Gami is one of my favorite games of the year, with a very original concept.
These are some of my thoughts as the protagonist, Garcia Hotspur, walks through dark streets, dives into catacombs, and deals with vicious monsters. Shadows of the Damned: Hela Remastered takes us back to a time when third-person shooters and action games were popular, yet distinct enough from each other to deliver a diverse and memorable experience.
Add in cheesy but hilarious dialogue, unexpected scenes where wild stuff happens all the time, and satisfying combat that makes you want to take down every enemy in the most disgusting way possible, and you’re ready for something very unusual matter.
It’s still the damn shadow you remember
If you’ve never played any of Grasshopper Manufacture’s adventure games, imagine this: you’re a demon hunter on the trail of your wife, Paula, who was kidnapped by a demon lord. Paula appears from time to time wearing only white underwear, acting seductive and helpless. She seems to occupy the exclusive role of mentally torturing the protagonists, as she is always screaming and being dismembered to death, only to be resurrected the next time they meet.
Along the way, you’ll have pun-filled conversations with a floating skeleton named Johnson, who can transform into a demonic torch, a pistol (named “Boner”), a machine gun, or a shotgun. In a cringe-worthy example, Garcia ignored Johnson’s calls for caution in the face of danger, telling him, “I’m a Mexican, not a Mexican.”
Expect lots and lots of sexual jokes and imagery, like Garcia holding a torch like an erect penis while lying on the ground, failing.
Sex sells, but who’s buying it?
If you have a high tolerance for crude humor and terrible puns, this might be the game for you. But if not, I’m afraid you won’t have a great time in Shadows. This type of writing is everywhere, throughout the constant dialogue between characters and the story you read before facing each major boss.
The use of sexual themes was already dated at the time, and the classic trope of the damsel in distress was taken to ridiculous levels, and I think new viewers will find these attitudes especially dated now in 2024.
However, this time around I found there were more layers to Paola’s character – sadly off screen, with Garcia telling some heartwarming anecdotes that gave her a more active role before the events of the game took place. The sexual imagery that kept popping up in different scenes and in some weird situations – at one point you had to walk past a giant, almost naked version of Paola to get to your destination – also gave me a different feeling than I had at the time .
It feels like the game’s vulgarity is there not only as a means of humor, but also to mock the whole concept of sexual obsession and paint Garcia’s journey into a tall tale. It feels more real when our protagonist ignores suggestive neon lights and sounds and reminds us that there are things he likes about his wife besides her attractiveness.
The overall plot is still nothing to write home about, and according to director Suda51 it’s just his twisted version of Super Mario Bros., but it’s been a while since I’ve had such silly fun in a video game.
A classic shooter with some twists
Combat becomes tense and exciting as you acquire upgraded weapons, like a shotgun that shoots flying skeletons or an eight-barreled submachine gun that stalks enemies. The melee aspect is still as clunky and unresponsive as before, and it’s never clear if you’re close enough to an enemy, but the guns are the highlight.
Thematically, Shadow plays a lot with the contrast between light and dark, and this is baked into the gameplay: Darkness can invade your combat, making enemies invulnerable, and dealing damage over time to Garcia. You leave the area or solve the problem.
This mechanic also appears in almost every boss fight, with charming enemies, like a guy who only curses at you and, for some reason, transforms into a giant bird. Each encounter comes with a gimmick, usually letting you hit them in a specific location and use the darkness to your advantage. Unfortunately, some battles go on for too long, resulting in grueling and repetitive encounters, but others manage to find a balance between creativity and excitement.
Hela remake? More like an available port
In classic Suda51 fashion, the remaster doesn’t run that well – I experienced multiple FPS drops on the PS5, which is surprising because that doesn’t happen when the screen is filled with monsters, and It’s in specific scenes that don’t feel too dense. That said, my experience was mostly smooth, and a higher frame rate is a very welcome addition to a shooter like this.
The 4K support is great too, with characters and settings generally looking better than ever. However, if you pay attention to the details, you’ll also notice poor textures that apparently haven’t been touched since 2011, and are full of distracting aliasing.
The new costumes are a nice touch, although some clearly had more effort put into them than others (one of which is just a shirtless Garcia), and the New Game+ mode is something fans have been asking for since the original launched. It’s a shame it doesn’t offer more difficulty modes, as Shadows is a very simple game. Playing the game on its hardest difficulty provided some challenging moments and kept me entertained throughout the seven-hour campaign, but it was nowhere near the test of skill I’d hoped to face.
One costume is a sweet reference to Ocho Corazones, the main antagonist in another Suda51 game, Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes.
Shadows of the Damned: Hela Remastered is a nice throwback to an era that feels more distant by the day, but it’s still an adventure you’ll want to complete in one go from start to finish. Unfortunately, the remaster ended up being undercooked, with some lacking features and issues holding it back from being a better package.
Played on PS5.
- Still funny
- Combat feels responsive and engaging for the most part
- Outstanding art and sound design
- technical issues
- Some encounters can turn into a chore
- Adding a harder difficulty mode is a missed opportunity