This game is my all time favorite. I stil play it even now. I have played it countless times. I mean really. COUNTLESS times.

First of all, it is a platformer. There is a lof of jumping around, most of which requires skill. 

It is an RPG. You collect weapons and tiems, keys. You increase your life. You shoot things. You upgrade.

It's soundtrack is classy. You start of with moonlight sonata, there is Valles de regrets for the babie rooms. You get my point. Its soundtrack is made out of classical music that gives the game a certain atmosphere. It is an atmosphere that is a bit hard to describe, because it is unique. Its not horror movie style, but it is disturbing, the way a severely demented psychopath would sing a lovely lullaby and look on with loving eyes as he slowly strips the skin of a little 4 year of girl and leaves her to bleed to death in his living room.  Best way I could describe it. 

This game has amazing graphics for a  N64 game of its time. 

The story is really intriguing. From one of the primordial evils. It is told in a very voodoist way. Tarrot cards and all. Even the tarrot cards are disturbing. You can really get into the storry of this game and into the background to every level you visit. The asylum singlehandedly game me the definition to what Asylum meant when I was a little girl. Ever since, I can't think of an asylum other than the one in this game. 

It's a very addictive game in my opinion. Considering I have replayed it so many many times I can recite the whole entire gameplay from my head to perfection. From the incentive of finding new weapons and upgrades to get to places you could not get to before. To the much advanced for its time combination of platformer elements and horror theme. 

It makes me very very sad at times when I realize that I will never be able to play another game like this. No other game has ever been made like this. So classy, yet disturbing. A mix of silent hill and mario. I mean, many times the walls on some of the temples seem to be made of human skin sowed together. How creepy. I have many fond memories of this game. It was what turned me into a gamer. What united my family. I remember when I was 9, me and my dad would take turns playing this game while my mom watched us giving us tips. Even my mother who does not like games makes an exception for this. I cant believe this game is not more popular. It's a masterpiece I grew up with. I can say, instead of Zelda, or Mario, or any such famous childhood games. I grew up with shadow man then progressed to silent hill, (Which is the closest I could get in atmosphere, but the fact that I could not jump from wall to wall in silent hill made me unable to ever complete any of the games) . 

In conclision. I love this game. I think every one should try this game. I think they should make another shadow man.