Shadow of the Beast | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Developer(s) | Heavy Spectrum Entertainment Labs [1] XDev |
Publisher(s) | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
Composer(s) | Ian Livingstone |
Series | Shadow of the Beast |
Engine | Unreal Engine 4 |
Platform(s) | PlayStation 4 |
Release | May 17, 2016 |
Genre(s) | Platform, action-adventure, hack and slash |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Shadow of the Beast is an action-adventure game developed by Heavy Spectrum Entertainment Labs and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4 in 2016. It is a remake and re-imagining of the 1989 game of the same name.
Gameplay of Shadow of the Beast combines platform and action elements, with the introduction of combos. Players have to defeat enemies. This can be achieved by counter-attacking to strike them down; shield-wielding foes must be ducked behind in order to defeat them. [2] It features a traditional health bar, combos through quick time events, traps, and puzzles. The game features the parallax scrolling from the original title, using some 3D elements. [3] [4]
The original Shadow of the Beast is included in the remake as an unlockable extra. An "infinite lives" mode was added to make the original game easier to play. [5]
The game follows the story of its original predecessor. Players control Aarbron, a seventh born to a seventh child, who was born so strong that Maletoth, a reaper of spirits, saw in him the potential to hold a great power. Maletoth kidnaps Aarbron. While Aarbron's mother leads the search of her son, perishing in the process, Maletoth brings Aarbron to the Gate of Souls, where he ordered the Council of Mages to corrupt Aarbron through magic. Aarbron becomes a monstrous warrior-servant manipulated by Maletoth for his quest to conquer the world.
Later, Maletoth learns of another strong child, so he commissions the mage Zelek to kidnap this child by using Aarbron. In the meanwhile, Aarbron's father had turned to the Seekers, a group of people dedicated to stopping Maletoth. The Seekers discover Maletoth's plan to kidnap this second child to replace Aarbron. The Seekers find the child before Zelek in the attempt of keeping her safe from Maletoth. However, Zelek learns of this plan and uses Aarbron to slaughter everyone involved in protecting the child, including Aarbron's father.
Killing his father awakens Aarbron. He pursues Zelek, who had found refuge in the lands of the Dryads and given the child to the Queen of the land. The Queen sends the child to Maletoth, while unsuccessfully trying to kill Aarbron. The child is delivered to Maletoth, while Aarbron learns of Maletoth' machinations from a dying Zelek.
Aarbron goes to Hydrath's castle to defeat Hidrath and enter the portal the leads to Maletoth. The Sentinel, another of Maletoth's creation that seek revenge, sees in Aarbron the power to finally take on Maletoth and helps him in this endeavor. The Sentinel brings Aarbron to the Graveyard of the Fallen so that he could channel the soul trapped there and gain power. Empowered by these souls, Aarbron defeats Maletoth, taking his power for his own.
Shadow of the Beast was announced for PlayStation 4 during Gamescom. [6] The first trailer was revealed, together with the announcement of Heavy Spectrum Entertainment Labs being the developer of the game. [7] The first gameplay footage during E3 2015. [8] The game was released on May 17, 2016. [9]
The game uses the Unreal Engine 4 as its underlying engine technology, and Audiokinetic Wwise for audio.
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
Metacritic | 64/100 [10] |
Publication | Score |
---|---|
Edge | 5/10 [11] |
Famitsu | 30/40 [12] |
GameRevolution | 3/10 [13] |
GameSpot | 5/10 [14] |
Hardcore Gamer | 3.5/5 [15] |
IGN | 7.6/10 [16] |
PlayStation Official Magazine – UK | 5/10 [17] |
Polygon | 3/10 [18] |
Push Square | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Retro Gamer | 5/10 [20] |
USgamer | 4/5 [21] |
Digital Spy | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Slant Magazine | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Shadow of the Beast received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [10] IGN said: "Bloody, elegant combat and an otherworldly vibe make Shadow of the Beast a successful reboot of the Amiga classic." [16] GameSpot , however, said, "For a remake, it's not a good sign that the best part about the modern Shadow of the Beast is revisiting the game that inspired it." [14] In Japan, where the game was ported for release on May 19, 2016, Famitsu gave it a score of one eight, two sevens, and one eight for a total of 30 out of 40. [12]
Writing for Metro , David Jenkins gave the game eight out of ten and described it as taking the inspiration from the art and concept of the somewhat flawed original and marrying this with influences from modern action games, such as Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and Heavenly Sword , to create something greater than its own legacy. [24] Jed Pressgrove of Slant Magazine gave it four stars out of five, saying that the game "surpasses its predecessor by articulating a horrific but heroic myth underneath the clothes of a traditional platformer and beat-'em-up." [23] However, Sam Loveridge of Digital Spy gave it three stars out of five, saying, "Shadow of the Beast might not be exactly what true fans were expecting, especially with a few strange gameplay and narrative choices, but there's still something here for everyone. It's short, but it's only £11.99 and there's plenty of replayability here - not to mention it's two games for the price of one." [22]
Lemmings is a puzzle–strategy video game originally developed by DMA Design and published by Psygnosis for the Amiga in 1991 and later ported for numerous other platforms. The game was programmed by Russell Kay, Mike Dailly and David Jones, and was inspired by a simple animation that Dailly created while experimenting with Deluxe Paint.
Shadow of the Beast is a platform game developed by Reflections and published by Psygnosis in 1989. The original version was released for the Amiga, and was later ported to many other systems. The game was known for its graphics, with many colours on screen and up to twelve levels of parallax scrolling backdrops, and for its atmospheric score composed by David Whittaker that used high-quality instrument samples.
Joe & Mac, also known as Caveman Ninja and Caveman Ninja: Joe & Mac, is a 1991 run and gun platform game released for arcades by Data East. It was later adapted for the Super NES, Mega Drive/Genesis, Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Amiga, Zeebo, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Sonic Rivals is a 2006 action-racing video game developed by Backbone Entertainment and Sega Studio USA, and published by Sega for the PlayStation Portable (PSP); it is a game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, and follows the heroes needing to stop Doctor Eggman Nega from turning everyone and the world into cards. The gameplay involves racing against other characters to get to the goal before them, as well as defeating the boss before the opponent does.
Shadow of the Beast II is a platform game developed by Reflections and published by Psygnosis in 1990. It is the sequel to the earlier Shadow of the Beast.
Baja: Edge of Control is an off road racing video game developed by American studio 2XL Games and published by THQ for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game gets its name from the real life Baja 1000 off-road race in Baja California, Mexico, on which it is based. The game is set on over 95 different tracks, including 3 different Baja 250 courses, 2 Baja 500 courses, 1 Baja 1000 course, and has 9 open world environments.
Bluepoint Games Inc is an American video game developer based in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2006 by Andy O'Neil and Marco Thrush, the studio is known for video game remasters and remakes, such as Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection (2015), Shadow of the Colossus (2018), and Demon's Souls (2020). Sony Interactive Entertainment acquired the company in September 2021, making them a first-party developer for PlayStation Studios.
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony, known in Japan as Lunar: Harmony of Silver Star, is the third remake of the 1992 role-playing video game Lunar: The Silver Star. It was developed by Game Arts in 2009 and released exclusively for the PlayStation Portable by GungHo Works in Japan, by Xseed Games North America, and by Game Arts in Europe and Australia.
The Baconing is an action role-playing video game developed by Hothead Games. It was published by Valcon Games on the Xbox 360 and independently on all other platforms. It was released in August 2011 for PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network, for Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows via Steam, and for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade. It is the third game in the DeathSpank series, and follows the character DeathSpank in his quest to defeat the AntiSpank, an evil incarnation of himself.
The Last of Us is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Players control Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie, across a post-apocalyptic United States. The Last of Us is played from a third-person perspective. Players use firearms and improvised weapons and can use stealth to defend against hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures infected by a mutated fungus. In the online multiplayer mode, up to eight players engage in cooperative and competitive gameplay.
Strider, known in Japan as Strider Hiryū, is a platform-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Double Helix Games and Capcom's Osaka studio. It was released in February 2014 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. It is a reboot of the 1989 video game Strider.
Shadow Warrior is a first-person shooter game developed by Flying Wild Hog and published by Devolver Digital for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Linux and Mac OS X. It is a reboot of the 1997 game of the same name, developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive, licensed out by Devolver Digital, featuring the same character Lo Wang and a modern era setting with Asian mythology elements, all of which were redesigned with modern, full 3D graphics and new gameplay features, while also being a throwback to classic first-person shooters. The game was released on 26 September 2013 through digital distribution via Steam and GOG.com with a later retail release. On 27 April 2015 the game was released for both OS X and Linux. Upon its release, the game was met with mixed reviews. A sequel, Shadow Warrior 2, was released in 2016; and another sequel, Shadow Warrior 3, was released in 2022.
Shadow of the Beast III is a platform game developed by Reflections and published by Psygnosis in 1992, exclusively for the Amiga.
Bloodborne is a 2015 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. Bloodborne follows the player's character, a Hunter, through the decrepit Gothic, Victorian-era–inspired city of Yharnam, whose inhabitants are afflicted with a blood-borne disease which transforms the residents, called Yharnamites, into horrific beasts. Attempting to find the source of the plague, the player's character unravels the city's mysteries while fighting beasts and cosmic beings.
Abyss Odyssey is a platform action-adventure game developed by ACE Team and published by Atlus. It was released in July 2014 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Microsoft Windows, and for the PlayStation 4 in July 2015.
Grow Up is an open world adventure platform video game developed by Ubisoft Reflections and published by Ubisoft. The game, which is the sequel to 2015's Grow Home, was released on 16 August 2016 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Shadow of the Colossus is a 2018 action-adventure video game developed by Bluepoint Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. It is a remake of the original game developed by Team Ico and released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2, using ultra-high definition art assets. The remake's development was led by Bluepoint, who developed the earlier PlayStation 3 remaster, with assistance from Japan Studio. The developers remade the assets from the ground up, but Shadow of the Colossus retains the same gameplay from the original title aside from the introduction of a new control scheme. The game received critical acclaim.
Let's Sing is a music video game series developed by Voxler and published by Deep Silver. In 2020, Koch Media acquired developer Voxler.
Battle Worlds: Kronos is a turn-based strategy video game developed by King Art Games for the PC platforms in 2013. It is considered a spiritual successor to the Battle Isle series.