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[mujun]

Just did the running, turret, turret, turret and 2d sequences, one after another. This game has definitely dropped a lot in my opinion after that.

Terrible terrible game design and lazy/badly thought out to boot. On two occasions if not three you have trial and error instant/quick death scenarios followed by long loads to get back into the game and then you have to watch cut scenes again. The first giant boner one was irritatingly long. I almost gave up on the game.

The 2d part and running parts add nothing and the turret parts smack of lazy game design.

 

[Wizpig]

The first giant boner one was irritatingly long. I almost gave up on the game.

Er, really? that cutscene is like 10 or 15 seconds long, i failed that part like 5 times and didn't even get mad at the game (it was my fault for sucking at aiming; also this may backfire but let me say that buying a Grasshopper videogame expecting AAA gameplay and level design is not a smart thing to do).

What i mean by "backfire" is that people could say "stop defending them".

What i mean, though, is that i love this game even if it's definitely not a level design or game design monster. it's always like this with Grasshopper and/or SUDA games.
You buy it knowing what to (not) expect.

"I failed a part a couple times, so i almost gave up on the game"... jeez, the "disposable videogames" generation.

 

[Creamium]

In act 4-3 and god damn do I ever love this game. The gunplay is so much fun and they keep giving you new weapons to toy around with. My upgrades are erratic and all over the place because I keep hopping from one weapon to the next, they're all fun to use. Doing a hard runthrough after this for sure, game has its hooks in me. So far only the only disappointment was the

Spoiler

Big Boner segment, can't see why they made you suffer through that 3 times

And yeah, boss fights could've been better I guess. Small complaints though, love it to bits.

 

[JumpingTheGun]

4-3 is one of my favorite levels...

 

[mujun]

Er, really? that cutscene is like 10 or 15 seconds long, i failed that part like 5 times and didn't even get mad at the game (it was my fault for sucking at aiming; also this may backfire but let me say that buying a Grasshopper videogame expecting AAA gameplay and level design is not a smart thing to do).

I've never played a Grasshopper game. I also didn't realize I had to enter a game with certain expectations

I'll admit I have low tolerance for that kind of stuff, it really pisses me off. Why can some games load instantly when you die (not to mention have intelligent checkpoints) while others just don't get it. Really brings down what is otherwise, a cool game.

 

[Samus4145]

If anyone is interested I will be streaming SotD tonight starting on Act 4-6 at around 9-930pm EDT. If anyone wants to watch it will be here.

It's sad that the game doesn't seem to be generating any interest at all. Personally I think it's awesome.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

I'm not sure what it is about this game, but it's just one of those games that just makes me so happy. I've had a lot of fun with games In general recently, but when something like this comes along and manages to be so totally and utterly unique in such a oversaturated genre it makes me so damn happy.

I just finished the chapter in the murky lake (My Dying Concubine?). I'm enjoying the upgrade system. Saving for a while, finally finding Christopher (who is hilarious, by the way) and loading up on red gems feels great. After an earlier boss fight, I realised that I really ought to upgrade my light shot fire rate, and I did, and it's really changed the way I'm attacking each combat situation. Rapid-fire light shots followed by precision pistol shots is my current go-to, but at the same time my panic-button (OH GOD SWITCH TO SHOTGUN AND MELEE ARGH) feels great too.

Oh, and I know it's a small thing, but I really, really like the weapon colour-coding. The torches coloring changing based on weapon selection is ingenious.

 

[Tokubetsu]

I'm not sure what it is about this game, but it's just one of those games that just makes me so happy. I've had a lot of fun with games In general recently, but when something like this comes along and manages to be so totally and utterly unique in such a oversaturated genre it makes me so damn happy.

I just finished the chapter in the murky lake (My Dying Concubine?). I'm enjoying the upgrade system. Saving for a while, finally finding Christopher (who is hilarious, by the way) and loading up on red gems feels great. After an earlier boss fight, I realised that I really ought to upgrade my light shot fire rate, and I did, and it's really changed the way I'm attacking each combat situation. Rapid-fire light shots followed by precision pistol shots is my current go-to, but at the same time my panic-button (OH GOD SWITCH TO SHOTGUN AND MELEE ARGH) feels great too.

Oh, and I know it's a small thing, but I really, really like the weapon colour-coding. The torches coloring changing based on weapon selection is ingenious.

"Boy, my heart goes out to that gal with the floatation issues."

 

[ToyMachine228]

It's sad that the game doesn't seem to be generating any interest at all. Personally I think it's awesome.

Well when I made the OP a week before the game came out no one even knew it was coming out. And now we're 35 pages in. So...Better than nothing.

 

[kliklik]

I misread it as the 5-head shot one.

Well it does work for the 5 head shot one. I did it like you said and got the trophy, so thanks! =D

http://videogamewriters.com/this-is-not-a-shadows-of-the-damned-review-14704

This pseudo not-review makes me sad.

Remember when No More Heroes had dick jokes about the lightsaber? MAN, WHAT A CRAPPY GAME!

That's weird. It didn't seem to me like the dick jokes were that pervasive. They were more towards the beginning of the game. And they're fairly non-threatening and inoffensive. Hell, I'd find puns more offensive. And I actually thought SotD was one of the most mature games I've seen in how it handled nudity.

What I really don't get is his description of the game as buggy, broken, and a barren landscape. That was really not my experience at all. I thought we had switched to a Fallout non-review for a minute there =P

In act 4-3 and god damn do I ever love this game. The gunplay is so much fun and they keep giving you new weapons to toy around with. My upgrades are erratic and all over the place because I keep hopping from one weapon to the next, they're all fun to use.

I think that's really a key to enjoying the game. If you play methodically and with a repetitive tactic, which is successful and encouraged in many western games, you'll probably enjoy it a lot less. To get enjoyment out of Japanese games, it seems like a lot of them require you to approach it with an experimental, change-your-approach attitude and reward you for it.

I'm not sure what it is about this game, but it's just one of those games that just makes me so happy. I've had a lot of fun with games In general recently, but when something like this comes along and manages to be so totally and utterly unique in such a oversaturated genre it makes me so damn happy.

I agree with this. I'm so glad games like this are getting made even though it really surprises me. The EA Partners thing is toast now though, right?

Have you played Alice? I'm wondering if I should get that too. It looks like another unique game, but the mechanics of it don't look as solid.

 

[Salih]

I am pretty sure i am not the only one that can't get the feeling out of the head that this game is kinda like a dumb-down version of RE4: There are rarely semi open-world places to discover, headshots are rewarded by getting a one-shot-kill yet there is so much ammo everywhere that you really don't need to save any, the upgrade system of your weapons and healthbar is simplified, only 3 fire-weapons to use, no inventory, no treasures to find, combine and then to sell and most of all: no unlockables, no new-game+.

i know Mikami worked on both games, but i was expecting so much more from a gameplay perspective. i did enjoy Sudas role in this game: the characters are great, the dialogs are mostly well-written, the cutscenes are well-made and the shortstories about upcoming bosses were worth listening to.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

Have you played Alice? I'm wondering if I should get that too. It looks like another unique game, but the mechanics of it don't look as solid.

Yeah, I've played and highly recommend Alice. It has very, very strong fundamental platforming and combat systems. The combat has a defensive, Bayonetta-lite focus, the enemies all have really well planned visual and audio clues to let you know both what they're doing and how damaged they are and each of the four weapons feel really nice.

The secondary collectible focus is actually handled well. You find items to upgrade weapons, unlock art and open up secret passages. It's a N64->PS2 design ethic presented through the lens of a 2011 game, and they really managed to make it feel satisfying, while never forcing you to break pace.

Many people will tell you you should play Alice for the visuals alone, and man, the atmosphere is really cool, but the game itself is really well refined on a zoomed in level, if a little drawn out here and there when you zoom out and look at the bigger picture.

That being said, it's a much different experience. I really loved it, but compared to SOTD, it pushed a whole other set of buttons. Apples and oranges and strawberries, I suppose. Oh, and -- uh -- teeth.

 

[kliklik]

@Rez - thank you very much for that post. I'll buy it right after I finish with SotD.

I am pretty sure i am not the only one that can't get the feeling out of the head that this game is kinda like a dumb-down version of RE4: There are rarely semi open-world places to discover, headshots are rewarded by getting a one-shot-kill yet there is so much ammo everywhere that you really don't need to save any, the upgrade system of your weapons and healthbar is simplified, only 3 fire-weapons to use, no inventory, no treasures to find, combine and then to sell and most of all: no unlockables, no new-game+.

I agree with you about the upgrade system and unlockables and such, but RE4 wasn't really survival horror either - there was ammo everywhere in that game too. And headshots weren't really rewarding there either once you got to the enemies that had those tentacle things poppin out when you blew off their head. Oh surprise! You just made the enemy more challenging! But yes, RE4 was a phenomenal game, especially in the way it felt continuously fresh and threw new experiences at you over what was a surprisingly lengthy game.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

After trying the cabin-front chase over and over and over again, smashing through the cabin into that black dude was totally unexpected and awesome.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

After trying the cabin-front chase over an over an over again, crashing through the front door with my eyeball and staring

Spoiler

another hunter in the face was totally unexpected and awesome.

I love this stupid game. It's so stupid. Someone made a game for me.

 

[ToyMachine228]

On the final boss battles on my second time through. I'll be 49 of 50 with only the Legion Hunter achievement left when I finish this run.

 

[ToyMachine228]

Just finished my second play through. A few bits I have previously forgot to mention or just noticed in my second time through.

-

Spoiler

We may or may not ever see a sequel but who is the person on the phone that calls Garcia in the final cutscene? Fleming or someone else?

- I just noticed that

Spoiler

During the bowling mini-game every time you don't get a strike one of Paula's heads rolls out of the machine.

Fucking great.

- Did I see Seamus Blackley's name in the credits?

And one final note...I fucking love killing demons.

I will play through on Legion Hunter at some point, not sure when.

 

[icespide]

loving the game so far. gone through a couple paula chase sequences so far and they do indeed suck

 

[Tokubetsu]

loving the game so far. gone through a couple paula chase sequences so far and they do indeed suck

Don't worry, there's only two or three of those...they're not that bad. The big boner segments were really the only part that had me going "eh" and the end bits of the last two 2D segments.

 

[Dizzle24]

loving the game so far. gone through a couple paula chase sequences so far and they do indeed suck

They are a lot easier with the use of Light Shot. :Þ

 

[D2M15]

They are a lot easier with the use of Light Shot. :Þ

It's strange that the chase sequences aren't saddled with the rest of the game's EA-mandated 'HERE'S HOW YOU DO THIS PART' Johnson asides.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

They are a lot easier with the use of Light Shot. :Þ

WHAT

 

[BeautifulMemory]

Echoing the complaint about the bigboner apart. Left a sour taste in me

 

[D2M15]

Echoing the complaint about the bigboner part. Left a sour taste in me

That's what she said HEYYOOOO---

 

[Himself]

The Big Boner left more of a briny taste in my mouth but hey I like raw oysters so I'm not complaining.

 

[Wizpig]

Ooohh shit the

Spoiler

final boss

for Act 4.

Suda, Mikami, or whoever is behind this...

Spoiler

why must you troll players so hard? budget something something? with EA behind? i doubt it...

Don't get me wrong, it was cool. but i expected, uh, something different

That's weird. It didn't seem to me like the dick jokes were that pervasive. They were more towards the beginning of the game. And they're fairly non-threatening and inoffensive. Hell, I'd find puns more offensive. And I actually thought SotD was one of the most mature games I've seen in how it handled nudity.

What I really don't get is his description of the game as buggy, broken, and a barren landscape. That was really not my experience at all. I thought we had switched to a Fallout non-review for a minute there =P

Don't tell me man.
Also the fact that "hey, this is not a review" but it totally reads like one pissed me off.

The game isn't bad just because it has dick jokes. jeez.

You know what? i didn't think i'd ever say this, but Sterling from Destructoid actually made one heck of a good review for this game.

ps. yeah the game is a "dumbed down" version of Resident 4, methink. but more fun in some aspects.
Never played Resident Evil 5, i guess it has less linear levels than SotD, but that's not really a problem in my book.

Just like No More Heroes 2 i appreciate these Grasshopper games a little less than those where SUDA is the actual director (Killer 7, FSR, No More Heroes) but still... you gotta love this team. :$

 

[Jarmel]

They are a lot easier with the use of Light Shot. :Þ

Wait what the fuck. Really? Why the fuck would they not mention this?

 

[icespide]

They are a lot easier with the use of Light Shot. :Þ

mind blown. fuck

 

[kliklik]

Don't tell me man.
Also the fact that "hey, this is not a review" but it totally reads like one pissed me off.

It makes me wonder just how much of it he played before delivering that article (because of course, to write a review, you're generally expected to beat it. This reads like a review but as a "non-review" it presumably doesn't carry the prerequisite of beating the game before delivering the article.)

I'll check out Sterling's review.

They are a lot easier with the use of Light Shot. :Þ

Ya I was just rolling all over the place like a kindergartener in safety drills. See your gf? Stop, drop, and roll!

 

[Matt2thefuture]

Just beat the game last night and I really had fun with it. Definitely the most polished Grasshopper game made so far. Gameplay like RE4, Crazy story like No More Heroes and music of Silent Hill, how can you go wrong? that's a great combo.

My gripes with the game is that it's very short (not such a bad thing, It doesn't wear out it's welcome like Alice:MR which I also just beat) and I felt while it was fun and really good it never rises to greatness. Like tons of great ideas and concepts but never really fleshed out. I hope they get another shot and build on top of this game though, cause they have a solid game here. 7/10 I'd Say.

Definitely sad it's not getting the attention it deserves.

P.S the official website is horrible. EA is not even trying to market this game.

 

[Wizpig]

Definitely sad it's not getting the attention it deserves.

I noticed that Amazon UK has now higher prices for this game than when i bought it (on day-one).

Does that mean the game is, *gulp*, selling well and request is high? i hope so.

 

[Samus4145]

I've highlighted all parts of my live stream and posted here if anyone wants to see. First time I streamed and used the mic, so be gentle.

http://www.selectbutton.com/2011/07/lets-play-shadows-of-the-damned/

 

[EatChildren]

Its interesting to see so many people disliked the big boner part. I died twice there if I recall correctly, and do think it was a little overused, but didn't have a whole lot of trouble with it on a mechanical level. As long as you keep firing and aim for headshots (and actually hit) its not all that hard.

 

[kliklik]

Replaying it, it's a bit annoying how there's no lipsyncing with Justine.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

Its interesting to see so many people disliked the big boner part. I died twice there if I recall correctly, and do think it was a little overused, but didn't have a whole lot of trouble with it on a mechanical level. As long as you keep firing and aim for headshots (and actually hit) its not all that hard.

There's a very definite need to constantly change direction and maybe hit a guy once or twice before quickly checking your sides that wasn't immediately apparent. Once that was dealt with, I had no problems. I knew there were three parts prior to starting, so maybe that's why I wasn't as annoyed. Also, each section isn't exactly all that long. It felt like a minute, maybe two.

I'm about to start 4-4 now.

 

[EatChildren]

There's a very definite need to constantly change direction and maybe hit a guy once or twice before quickly checking your sides that wasn't immediately apparent.

I actually really liked that. A good shot would stun them, so I enjoyed quickly switching lanes to weaken one or two while I finish off another. I enjoyed the intensity of balancing the time it took to shoot them with aiming for headshots.

But I also didn't really have any trouble with the

Spoiler

2D sections

either. Those dragged a little, but were mechanically pretty easy.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

I actually really liked that. A good shot would stun them, so I enjoyed quickly switching lanes to weaken one or two while I finish off another. I enjoyed the intensity of balancing the time it took to shoot them with aiming for headshots.

But I also didn't really have any trouble with the

Spoiler

2D sections

either. Those dragged a little, but were mechanically pretty easy.

Yeah, for sure, I enjoyed them once I understood that.

I've only completed two of those sections you tagged, but unless there's more that are harder, I thought they were really cool, simple distractions.

 

[blackflag]

Most fun game I've played all year. Although, I haven't gotten to the part everyone says they hate. I think I'll see that tonight. The humor keeps me laughing and the shooting is actually fun.

 

[Solune]

I am pretty sure i am not the only one that can't get the feeling out of the head that this game is kinda like a dumb-down version of RE4: There are rarely semi open-world places to discover, headshots are rewarded by getting a one-shot-kill yet there is so much ammo everywhere that you really don't need to save any, the upgrade system of your weapons and healthbar is simplified, only 3 fire-weapons to use, no inventory, no treasures to find, combine and then to sell and most of all: no unlockables, no new-game+.

i know Mikami worked on both games, but i was expecting so much more from a gameplay perspective. i did enjoy Sudas role in this game: the characters are great, the dialogs are mostly well-written, the cutscenes are well-made and the shortstories about upcoming bosses were worth listening to.

This reflects my feelings 100%. While it's a good game, it lacks polish. Another thing I'd like to point out about the gameplay is, the upgrade system requires too many gems for some upgrades to be useful like the Torch. The game's easy so you can play however you want but upgrading the Torch is just gimping yourself unless you like to melee alot because it feels satisfying. Also due the there being so many upgrades, if you're an upgrade whore it limits your playstyle because you essentially HAVE to stomp every enemy in the game in order to get enough gems since they don't give you enough to upgrade on one playthrough and lack of New Game+ really kills 2nd playthroughs.

More of my thoughts on the game later. In queue for a game.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

I'm not finished yet, but man, the lack of a new game plus is a MASSIVE disappointment. This game feels so damn suited for it.

 

[StunandStab]

I'm not finished yet, but man, the lack of a new game plus is a MASSIVE disappointment. This game feels so damn suited for it.

I started this game on hard, then played normal, then easy... easy kind of felt like a new game + considering everything died much easier and I had 42/80 upgrades before even finishing act 2 (I farmed for white gems). Having all that extra power doesn't change the game much, really.

 

[EatChildren]

Yeah, I think the lack of any NG+ is to balance out the weapons, as its easy to max shit out on easy yet much harder (if not impossible) to do so on hard.

Still, the game really needed unlockables. Even something as simple as costumes or other cosmetics would be fine.

 

[StunandStab]

Yeah, I think the lack of any NG+ is to balance out the weapons, as its easy to max shit out on easy yet much harder (if not impossible) to do so on hard.

Still, the game really needed unlockables. Even something as simple as costumes or other cosmetics would be fine.

Yeah, some unlockables would have been really nice. I can picture how awesome it would be to have a Travis Touchdown costume on Garcia...

 

[SkylineRKR]

I thought the reviews were wrong and all that, until I hit the last pair of chapters. Can't say I was too pleased with them.

No new game + is hurting it too. I do realize that starting over with upgrades would make it a walk in the park, but a DMD mode should've been there.

Shadows is the first Suda game I played till the end, so it surely has its qualities. But somehow wished I had gone for Alice instead...

 

[Solune]

Alright so I've said some negative things about the gameplay but I want to also praise what was done correctly.
No inventory control and weapon switching on the fly streamlines the game and makes it feel really fast which is good. You're not hampered with having to organize your cache (I love organizing my cache in RE4 though) so you never have to pause the game at any point and disrupt your progress.
Gunplay feels exactly like how RE4 would play if you could move and shoot. On the downside, rolling is broken. You have so many invincibility frames and you don't have to time your dodges it takes away any tension you might feel about going up against any number of enemies.
It's been mentioned a few times but 4-1 AKA The Big Boner can be a drag for some players. Personally I am neutral to it, doesn't take away from the action but the part the sucks is players don't get to explore the area at all. This could've been balanced out by having some exploration in between each turret section.
The part that offends me the most is the 2D levels, which just happens to be 4-2 and beyond. They are a minor distraction and provide little entertainment. No offense meant to Grasshopper but the 2D levels literally feel like playing a Flash game. They are also poorly integrated into the game both story-wise and gameplay-wise. For no reason Garcia seems to be flying through paper environments for no other reason than him being Garcia fucking Hotspur. Very disappointing.
The last thing I need to rant about is performance and presentation. For a better perspective I am playing the PS3 version. The game for the most part runs very well, but little things like long load times between acts, bugs like having to restart sometimes because doors do not open after killing all enemies, and stuttering or freezing during save points or loading screens are annoying. Also the inability to skip cut-scenes seems so backwards for a game published in 2011.

That said, for all the negative things I pointed out most of them are minor and it was still a very enjoyable game. With some better design choices and polish it could've been this year's RE4.

 

[TheOddOne]

Yeah, I think the lack of any NG+ is to balance out the weapons, as its easy to max shit out on easy yet much harder (if not impossible) to do so on hard.

Still, the game really needed unlockables. Even something as simple as costumes or other cosmetics would be fine.

Yeah, would also have been happy if they had done collectaton stuff ala Arkham Asylum. Even Vanquish had more content -- and thats saying something. Getting my fix for collecting with Alice: Madness Returns though, so I'm kind of covered.

 

[Creamium]

No NG+ is unfortunate, but what's even more so is not being able to skip cutscenes. Not a real issue on your first playthrough, but on your second it's really annoying.

 

[jyoung188]

I'm not sure what it is about this game, but it's just one of those games that just makes me so happy. I've had a lot of fun with games In general recently, but when something like this comes along and manages to be so totally and utterly unique in such a oversaturated genre it makes me so damn happy.

I just finished the chapter in the murky lake (My Dying Concubine?). I'm enjoying the upgrade system. Saving for a while, finally finding Christopher (who is hilarious, by the way) and loading up on red gems feels great. After an earlier boss fight, I realised that I really ought to upgrade my light shot fire rate, and I did, and it's really changed the way I'm attacking each combat situation. Rapid-fire light shots followed by precision pistol shots is my current go-to, but at the same time my panic-button (OH GOD SWITCH TO SHOTGUN AND MELEE ARGH) feels great too.

Oh, and I know it's a small thing, but I really, really like the weapon colour-coding. The torches coloring changing based on weapon selection is ingenious.

I completely agree, this game makes me smile. The upgrading system rocks and Christopher is awesome.

This game came out of nowhere for me, I didn't know anything about it before release. After I saw all the impressions I had to give it a shot. I'm only a few hours in and it's the best surprise of the year.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

So I just finished.

Stupid game. Fantastic game.

 

[Tokubetsu]

So I just finished.

Stupid game. Fantastic game.

lol yep. I immediately started my legion hunter playthrough.