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Shadow Man
Click Box pic (above)
to buy this game.
While I liked Nocturne,
it often seemed lacking of that "little something extra";
static backgrounds and limited exploration potential was a noteworthy
thorn in its side. Shadow Man, a well-designed
3D game by Acclaim, is a similarly dark-atmosphered title, with
a fully navigatable 3D engine, superior special FX, and humongous
game maps that rival Tomb Raider. In short, this
is a potential must-buy for fans of the thriller genre.
The story involves a mild-mannered African-American in New
Orleans by day, yet by night he becomes...Shadow Man,
the hero of Deadside (sort of like the Land of the Dead; imagine
a grimmer Grim Fandango!). His mission: an unknown
power has possessed certain serial killers of Earth history,
and used them for a prophesy of world damnation (yes, another
1999 release involving an apocalypse prophesy). It's up to Shadow
Man to enter Deadside, gather up strength, then use that
strength to defeat each of these 5 maniacs, and, eventually,
the mastermind of this evil himself.
This
game's selling point is definitely its visual FX. Every 3D-accelerated
bell and whistle is in use, for a technicolor marvel...not even
the dark atmosphere (and textures) of the game can keep the special
effects from being like fireworks. Your default weapon blasts
spirit energy which often whirls around villains for a particularly
eerie effect. When defeated by the spirit energy, a demon will
burst with rays of light, until it finally glows into nothingness.
The result is a visually stunning special effect...and this is
only one of many!
As for the game itself, it's interface is not unlike a Tomb Raider clone,
with some intriguing (and often welcome) game interface changes.
One added game engine perk; you can rotate the camera angle a
full 360 degrees (not unlike Darkstone),
so your angle of vision can be changed at will. In addition,
ShadowMan is a super hero, who can withstand any
fall from any height, unlike other games whose "heroes"
seem to have glass jaws, or even butts (in Nocturne,
falling a few mere feet meant instant death). You even help Shadow
Man become stronger, with added special powers; fire and lava
are soon overcome by special artifacts you discover, if
you search hard enough (a nice touch).
Searching for every nook and cranny in the game leads to intriguing
rewards, where you are often given a "secret area"
message. After these messages appear,a special section of the
main menu is updated, with special animations, added effects,
and alternate game styles. This is not unlike the rewards given
for completing missions in the Nintendo 64 smash hit, Goldeneye.
A small sample of possible rewards given for "secret areas";
a "Roswell" option that makes all enemies aliens, and
an option to play the game as Nellie (how about playing as Jaunty
the snake? That would be interesting...though I never found such
a secret).
Now I must (as always) mention the minuses. The game's areas
are a little too non-linear, making you have to return
to the same areas a bit too much. Although a vodoo doll in your
posession allows you to warp to special locations at will, it's
still too easy to get lost, very quickly. A map is included
in the game box, though it's very basic. Explore, explore, and
reexplore is the object here, and if you don't explore
areas thoroughly enough, you'll only be visiting them again and
again until you do. This is a jump for joy for adventure game
fans, though some might get frustrated.
Other minor gripes involve the game engine itself. For one,
no multiplayer; sorry. Second, some enemies are a little too
tough, and they regenerate once you re-enter a
game map, making all your work defeating them pretty useless.
Admittedly, ammunition is re-generated as well, though
it still seems like an unusual game design choice. As for the
first game engine flaw you'll notice; data files are outrageously
divided, so get ready for a loooong install, which has
to copy onto your drive approximately --no joke-- over 7,500
files!
Even
so, this game's 3D visuals pull this game way over the top. It's
adventure game elements will keep explorers searching for quite
a few days. It also has a nice overall look and feel; similar
to a modern Batman movie, with a voodoo edge to
it. After all, what video gamer doesn't want to save the
world from an apocalypse prophesy...again?
To buy this
game (PC version),
click here
Also available for the following game systems (click
on system name to order): Playstation
, Nintendo
64 , Dreamcast
| All text, Title
graphics, and pix not of reviewed product, are created by TECHtite,
copyright 2000; all rights reserved. Screen captures & box
cover art of program reviewed are used only for the purpose of
review, and by no means represent any affiliation with TECHtite
and the distributors of that product. For further "legalese"
& disclaimers, click here... |
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