Overall 8.5 Graphics 9.3 Sound 9.8 Addictive 9.8 Story 9.5 Depth 9 Difficulty 8.5
9.8
This game deserves a 9 benjaminscottsia
This a classic game that requires a lot of skill, if that's not you then don't play it at all. This is a very addictive
game that requires a lot of jumping around and hoping around. The sound track is One of the best for this game,
the sound fits for the game and type of game play. I also think that the story is pretty basic and easy to follow.
the game is in depth and detailed. I love the way the lava is so very detailed and creative for technology back in
the 1990's. The difficulty level can only be described by the if you hate jumping games (DON'T PLAY)! Also
make a mental note of finding things, this can be kind hard and tricky in this game. Overall this game
deserves a 9 in my opinion.
Me and my dad loves this game I remember the time me and my dad almost beat the game, what joy.
Graphics 9 Sound 9 Addictive 9 Story 8 Depth 8 Difficulty 10
Review Rating: 5/5
Submitted: 11-01-13
Review Replies: 1
9.5
The Lord of Deadside saberwolfxm
"I am the Lord of Dead side, Shadow born at the confluence of worlds to walk between. Live side is without the meaning that my partly living possesses here in Dead side, where the darkness is manifest at the edges of reason. As a god, I step forth upon the writhing, suppurating surface of the Dead side Serpent. What
sleep is here? What dreams there are in the unctuous coilings of the snake's mortal shuffling. Weapon in my hand, MY HAND, the arching deathblow at the End of All Things. The horror. The horror. I embrace it." -Guy Miller, Dead side Dreams
[co-creator of Shadow Man the game]
Welcome to Dead side, the dark and foreboding realm of the dead, a place of torment and madness, where lunatics and madmen rage unadulterated. A place where the very land itself is made from the decomposing flesh of it's inhabitants. It is a place that everyone, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, goes when they die. But for Michael Leroi and his Shadow Man alter-ego, this nightmarish hell is the place he calls Home.
Before I star the review let me give you some back story to help you understand the game and how Michael came to be the Shadow Man. Born in New Orleans Michael grew up in a family of four. A Mother, Father and a Brother who's name is Luke. After Mike graduated from high school he attended college where he studied English literature. For one reason or another he eventually dropped out and started gambling. With his money nearly gone, Mike moved to Chicago where he took a job as a taxi driver, while keeping secret from his family that he was no longer in college. One Night while on the job the passenger that Mike was ferrying was gunned down in a drive by shooting. Fleeing the scene Michael eventually lost his pursuers. Unsure what to do, Mike pulled over to check on his passenger. Realizing that he was dead , Mike looked through his belongings and found $20,000 dollars in a briefcase that the passenger was carrying. Instead of turning it in to the police Mike took the money an fled. Returning home to New Orleans Mike used his new found wealth to shower his family with gifts, even paying for his brother Luke's much needed operation. But the gang who the money belonged to tracked him down and threatened to kill him and his family if the money was not returned. Unable to repay the debt mike sought out a Bokor [Voodoo priest that practices both white/black magic] for protection. Eventually the gang returned. While sitting at a red light a car pulled along side them and opened fire. Every member of Michael's family was killed, everyone except Mike. Recovering from a coma Michael lost his memory and was later found by the Boker who turned him into a zombie slave that he used for assassinations under the name "Zero". One day Mama Nettie, a very powerful voodoo priestess arrived and took revenge on the boker(presumably for an assassination by Zero). Using the last of her powers Nettie forcibly implanted the Mask of Shadow, an artifact of voodoo origin into Michael's chest. From that moment, during the night or in Dead side the mask would emerge from his chest, turning him in to the Shadow Man, a African voodoo warrior with supernatural power to protect the world from threats that came from the spiritual plane. Michael would regain is memory and enter the service of Mama Nettie. One night Nettie had a prophetic dream where 5 serial killers under the command of a demonic entity known as "Legion"(alluding to the same demon that Jesus cast out in Mark 5:9 of the bible). This is where the game begins and also where this introduction will end. Please keep in mind that I have never played the Dream cast version, only on the PC,Ps1, and now the N64, so please remember that when I make comparisons from the other versions
[After stumbling upon the review rules I thought it best to claim the top as a reference even though it was written mainly from memory for the sake of avoiding a ban. I did however Use shadow man wiki and a 1999 interview that Guy Miller gave to IGN to check that I had the facts of the back story right and in the correct order. I don't want it to be considered plagiarism since there are only so many ways to tell a back story before you have to start making things up. The poem at the top of the page was written by Guy Miller and appears in one of the cut scenes in the game. As to why I put a back story in the review was because the the description in the game profile was a little vague. People in the comments section where wondering why mike used a teddy bear to cross over. To be clear to everyone mike isn't focusing on the teddy bear but on his brother Luke, whom the teddy bear belongs to. As he focuses his desire to see his brother again mike slips into dead side where his brother is. Crystal? Good! It also helps to add a short description to better understand a game review. Now as to the review below it's all me so if I get banned I can't help it because I did my best. Wow, so much legalese for a game review. I feel like I need to add a disclaimer about pregnant and nursing mothers as well as operating heavy machinery. ;)]
++++++++++Review++++++++++
============================
Graphics |9| Visually this version holds up guite will against the other versions. Some textures like the sky are a little more blurry than the Ps1. There is no dynamic shirt movement in this version either,however the overall textures of the character models as well as the environment textures seem to be better than the Ps1 version. Nothing compares to the PC version so it probably wouldn't be fair to compare it. Overall the visuals are nice, clear, and creepy. Textures like the flambeu doors made of stretched skin and the Dark Asylum that looks oddly like a cross between a medieval castle and a industrial age factory make for a very surreal experience. This is a stark contrast from the live side levels like the Bayou which is guite beautiful in it own right, even if it does have a sort of evil vibe to it. This also applies to the New York level, it in some ways looks guite nice and yet retains it's House of Horrors feel. Not to mention the actual enemies, some of which were human once, of those some have visible autopsy scars and other marks on there bodies that give a hint of how they came to be in dead side. Probably the creepiest enemy would be the two headed torso,that thing still freaks me out. All & all the visuals do a very good job of creating a chilling atmosphere and drawing you into the game world.
Sound |10| The sound is by far one of the best aspects of this game. Everything from the "Moonlight Sonata" playing in the intro to the sound of screaming of the True forms in their cage is great. One of the best gaming moments I ever had was doing battle with Milton T Pike (one of the Five) for the first time while The Doors song "This is the End" plays. That will always be in my top 5!! Every thing from the sound of footsteps running over hot coals, to the screeching of the shadow gun and mechanical hum of asylum machinery are done nicely. Much more when you trigger an event like waking up the sisters of blood from their slumber. I still dread the sound of their energy blasts. All I can say is that like the graphics it does good job of making the world a rich and believable place.
Addictiveness |10| 120 dark souls to find and multiple weapons and items to collect, everything from shotguns to sub machine guns, voodoo weapons and the all-powerful violator. All that and much more make this one of the most addictive games ever made. There is also carteux which are basically gourds but you can use them to increase your health if you offer them to the la on a alter in the temple of life. 100 carteux for every extra level of life with a max of five to obtain. There is also the reward for finding all the dark souls. If you manage to find every last one of the 120 you'll be able to open the level 10 coffin gate. What's behind it is a mystery because I'm not going to tell you. You wouldn't want to ruin the supprise any way would you? Needless to say it's well worth the effort. Not to say it's a chore or anything because it's not. It's actually very rewarding. Just think of it like Pokémon but with evil black worm looking things.
Story |10| This also is one of the best aspects of the game. You play as Michael Leroi(A.K.A Shadow Man) whose task is to stop the impending Apocalypse brought about by the Demon "Legion". To that end you'll Have Track Down Five serial Killers Who are trying to pierce the veil between Live side and Dead side to open a conduit through which Legion can send his army of true forms(juggernaut like creatures that stand about one story tall) each with a dark soul implanted in them. But eliminating the five won't be that easy, because each one has also been implanted with a immortal dark soul, making them nearly indestructible. Only the shadow man with his wraith blasting Shadow gun can separate these beasts from their immortal power and bring an end to their infernal existence once and for all. Along the way you'll have to explore the worlds of dead side and live side to find clues and artifacts as well as collecting dark souls to increase your shadow power so you'll be able to face them. Since your also immortal You can never truly die in this game but you can be sent back to the last checkpoint. Be sure to check in with nettie and Jaunty from time to time because you'll hear a lot more of the story if you do.
Depth |9| Another area this game shines. The amount of detail the makers but into this game is amazing. Everything from the design of the weapons to the thought put into the layout of Dead side and the Asylum make it all seem like it could really exist. And just because you "complete" an area doesn't mean your through with it. Some areas will be inaccessible until you find a certain gad (mystical tattoo)that allows you to touch, walk on, or be submerged in fire.
Difficulty |8| This is probably the one weakness of the game. The above mentioned layout of the game can get confusing. I've played this game multiple times on more than one system and I still get lost some times. The enemies can sometimes be a pain. Mostly the dubbies and the dead wings that usually appear in groups. It can get annoying later in the game when looking for a certain area and having to fight almost constant battles while doing it. My advice is to just run because they'll just appear again if leave and come back into the area. I also recommend you Google "shadow man map" to get a map that came with the game or from the strategy guide (I can't remember which one it came with). And If this is your first time playing I also recommend you make your own rough map since the other one I mentioned admittedly isn't that good. Believe me you'll be glad you did towards the end of the game when you have to do a little backtracking. One last thing, the last boss's second form is relentless. You will die.........over and over and over and over...........................
So in conclusion I'll say this. Very few games have ever captured my imagination as much as this one. The only exceptions being Final Fantasy 7 & 8 and Legend of the Dragoon. Those are the only three. Everything from the level design to the characters, story and especially the dark poetry make this one of the most memorable games I have ever played. If you can, I would seek out a pc copy from eBay or from Amazon since it's by far the best. I've also heard Steam is in talks with activision to sell it. Either way, no matter what version your playing, this is one game you do not want to miss. I highly recommend it.
Graphics 9 Sound 10 Addictive 10 Story 10 Depth 9 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 5/5
Submitted: 09-05-13
Review Replies: 1
10
Shadow Man Review Lilibi
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.
Graphics 10 Sound 10 Addictive 10 Story 10 Depth 10 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 4.5/5
Submitted: 11-25-12
Review Replies: 0
9.5
The Lord of Deadside saberwolfxm
"I am the Lord of Deadside, Shadowborn at the confluence of worlds to walk between. Liveside is without the meaning that my partly living possesses here in Deadside, where the darkness is manifest at the edges of reason. As a god, I step forth upon the writhing, suppurating surface of the Deadside Serpent. What
sleep is here? What dreams there are in the unctuous coilings of the snake's mortal shuffling. Weapon in my hand, MY HAND, the arching deathblow at the End of All Things. The horror. The horror. I embrace it." -Guy Miller, Deadside Dreams
[co-creator of Shadow Man the game]
Welcome to Deadside, the dark and foreboding realm of the dead, a place of torment and madness, where lunatics and madmen rage unadulterated. A place where the very land itself is made from the decomposing flesh of it's inhabitants. It is a place that everyone, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, goes when they die. But for Michael Leroi and his Shadow Man alter-ego, this nightmarish hell is the place he calls Home.
Before I star the review let me give you some backstory to help you understand the game and how Michael came to be the Shadow Man. Born in New Orleans Michael grew up in a family of four. A Mother, Father and a Brother who's name is Luke. After Mike graduated from high school he attended college where he studied English literature. For one reason or another he eventually dropped out and started gambling. With his money nearly gone, Mike moved to Chicago where he took a job as a taxi driver, while keeping secret from his family that he was no longer in college. One Night while on the job the passenger that Mike was ferrying was gunned down in a drive by shooting. Fleeing the scene Michael eventually lost his pursuers. Unsure what to do, Mike pulled over to check on his passenger. Realizing that he was dead , Mike looked through his belongings and found $20,000 dollars in a briefcase that the passenger was carrying. Instead of turning it in to the police Mike took the money an fled. Returning home to New Orleans Mike used his new found wealth to shower his family with gifts, even paying for his brother Luke's much needed operation. But the gang who the money belonged to tracked him down and threatened to kill him and his family if the money was not returned. Unable to repay the debt mike sought out a Bokor [Voodoo preist that practices both white/black magic] for protection. Eventually the gang returned. While sitting at a redlight a car pulled along side them and opened fire. Every member of Micheal's family was killed, everyone except Mike. Recovering from a coma Micheal lost his memory and was later found by the Boker who turned him into a zombie slave that he used for assassinations under the name "Zero". One day Mama Nettie, a very powerful voodoo preistess arrived and took revenge on the boker(presumably for an asassination by Zero). Useing the last of her powers Nettie forcebly implanted the Mask of Shadow, an artifact of voodoo origin into Micheals chest. From that moment, during the night or in deadside the mask would emerge from his chest, turning him in to the Shadow Man, a African voodoo warrior with supernatural power to protect the world from threats that came from the spiritual plane. Micheal would regain is memory and enter the service of Mama Nettie. One night Nettie had a prophetic dream where 5 serial killers under the command of a demonic entity known as "Legion"(alluding to the same demon that Jesus cast out in Mark 5:9 of the bible). This is where the game begins and also where this introduction will end. Please keep in mind that I have never played the Dreamcast version, only on the PC,Ps1, and now the N64, so please remember that when I make comparisons from the other versions
[After stumbling upon the review rules I thought it best to claim the top as a referance even though it was written mainly from memory for the sake of avoiding a ban. I did however Use shadow man wiki and a 1999 interview that Guy Miller gave to IGN to check that I had the facts of the backstory right and in the correct order. I don't want it to be considered plagerism since there are only so many ways to tell a back story before you have to start making things up. The poem at the top of the page was written by Guy Miller and appears in one of the cutscenes in the game. As to why I put a backstory in the review was because the the description in the game profile was a little vaque. People in the comments section where wondering why mike used a teddy bear to cross over. To be clear to everyone mike isn't focusing on the teddy bear but on his brother luke, whom the teddy bear belongs to. As he focuses his desire to see his brother again mike slips into dead side where his brother is. Crystal? Good! It also helps to add a short decription to better understand a game review. Now as to the review below it's all me so if I get banned I can't help it because I did my best. Wow, so much legalese for a game review. I feel like I need to add a disclaimer about pregnant and nursing mothers as well as operating heavy machinery. ;)]
++++++++++Review++++++++++
============================
Graphics |9| Visually this version holds up guite will against the other versions. Some textures like the sky are a little more blurry than the Ps1. There is no dynamic shirt movement in this version either,however the overall textures of the character models as well as the enviroment textures seem to be better than the Ps1 version. Nothing compares to the PC version so it probably wouln't be fair to compare it. Overall the visuals are nice, clear, and creepy. Textures like the flambeu doors made of streched skin and the Dark Asylum that looks oddly like a cross between a midevil castle and a industrial age factory make for a very surreal experiance. This is a stark contrast from the live side levels like the Bayou which is guite beatiful in it own right, even if it does have a sort of evil vibe to it. This also applies to the New York level, it in some ways looks guite nice and yet retains it's House of Horrors feel. Not to mention the actual enemies, some of which were human once, of those some have visible autopsy scars and other marks on there bodies that give a hint of how they came to be in dead side. Probably the creepiest enemy would be the two headed torso,that thing still freaks me out. All & all the visuals do a very good job of creating a chilling atmosphere and drawing you into the game world.
Sound |10| The sound is by far one of the best aspects of this game. Everything from the "Moonlight Sonata" playing in the intro to the sound of screaming of the True forms in their cage is great. One of the best gaming moments I ever had was doing battle with Milton T Pike (one of the Five) for the first time while The Doors song "This is the End" plays. That will always be in my top 5!! Every thing from the sound of footsteps running over hot coals, to the screaching of the shadow gun and mechanical hum of asylum machinary are done nicely. Much more when you trigger an event like waking up the sisters of blood from their slumber. I still dread the sound of their energy blasts. All I can say is that like the graphics it does good job of making the world a rich and believable place.
Addictiveness |10| 120 darksouls to find and multiple weapons and items to collect, everything from shotguns to sub machine guns, voodoo weapons and the all-powerful violater. All that and much more make this one of the most addictive games ever made. There is also carteux which are basicly gourds but you can use them to increase your health if you offer them to the loa on a alter in the temple of life. 100 carteux for every extra level of life with a max of five to obtain. There is also the reward for finding all the dark souls. If you manage to find every last one of the 120 you'll be able to open the level 10 coffin gate. What's behind it is a mystery because I'm not going to tell you. You wouldn't want to ruin the supprise any way would you? Needless to say it's well worth the effort. Not to say it's a chore or anything because it's not. It's actually very rewarding. Just think of it like pokemon but with evil black worm looking things.
Story |10| This also is one of the best aspects of the game. You play as Micheal Leroi(A.K.A Shadow Man) whose task is to stop the impending Apocalypse brought about by the Demon "Legion". To that end you'll Have Track Down Five serial Killers Who are trying to pierce the veil between Liveside and Deadside to open a conduit through which Legion can send his army of true forms(juggarnaut like creatures that stand about one story tall) each with a dark soul implanted in them. But eliminating the five won't be that easy, because each one has also been implanted with a immortal dark soul, making them nearly indestructable. Only the shadow man with his wraith blasting Shadowgun can seperate these beasts from their immortal power and bring an end to their infernal existence once and for all. Along the way you'll have to explore the worlds of dead side and live side to find clues and artifacts as well as collecting dark souls to increase your shadow power so you'll be able to face them. Since your also immortal You can never truely die in this game but you can be sent back to the last checkpoint. Be sure to check in with nettie and Jaunty from time to time because you'll hear a lot more of the story if you do.
Depth |9| Another area this game shines. The amount of detail the makers but into this game is amazing. Everything from the design of the weapons to the thought put into the layout of deadside and the Asylum make it all seem like it could really exist. And just because you "complete" an area dosen't mean your through with it. Some areas will be unaccessable until you find a certain gadd (mystical tattoo)that allows you to touch, walk on, or be submerged in fire.
Difficulty |8| This is probably the one weakness of the game. The above mentioned layout of the game can get confusing. I've played this game multiple times on more than one system and I still get lost some times. The enemies can als be a sometimes be a pian. Mostly the dubbies and the deadwings that useually appear in groups. It can get annoying later in the game when looking for a certain area and having to fight almost constant battles while doing it. My advice is to just run because they'll just appear again if leave and come back into the area. I also recommend you google "shadow man map" to get a map that came with the game or from the strategy guide (I can't remember which one it came with). And If this is your first time playing I also recommend you make your own rough map since the other one I mentioned admittedly isn't that good. Believe me you'll be glad you did towards the end of the game when you have to do a little backtracking. One last thing, the last boss's second form is relentless. You will die.........over and over and over and over...........................
So in conclusion I'll say this. Very few games have ever captured my imagination as much as this one. The only exceptions being Final Fantasy 7 & 8 and Legend of the Dragoon. Those are the only three. Everything from the level design to the characters, story and especially the dark poetry make this one of the most memorable games I have ever played. If you can, I would seek out a pc copy from ebay or from amazon since it's by far the best. I've also heard Steam is in talks with activision to sell it. Either way, no matter what version your playing, this is one game you do not want to miss. I highly recommend it.
Graphics 9 Sound 10 Addictive 10 Story 10 Depth 9 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 3/5
Submitted: 09-05-13
Review Replies: 5
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