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Shadow of the Beast review

Game: Shadow of the Beast
Platform: Turbografx-CD
Genre: Action
Developer: Psygnosis
AKA: Shadow of the Beast: Mashou no Okite (JP)

Staff review by Zigfried

February 06, 2010

It was the darkest of nights. On this ominous eve, a mysterious horseman waited beside the lake. On the other side, the cottage owner tossed and turned in fitful slumber. Perhaps he dreamt that he had witnessed his beloved father's execution; perhaps he dreamt of time spent in servitude to diabolical fiends. The hapless woodsman would soon wake to discover himself transformed into a silly-looking beast with an enormous snout.

After that briefest of cinematic sequences, Shadow of the Beast introduces us to its parallax world.

He runs.
When I borrowed a Turbo Duo back in 1993, I cycled through over a dozen games in the span of two days. While most of those 48 hours became a blur, a few moments stood out; Shadow of the Beast's conceptually simple title screen was one. Grass gorgeously scrolls underneath the beast's feet as clouds pass overhead, and the quiet soundtrack -- initially a simple series of bells -- gradually becomes an epic showcase of strong percussion, evocative wind pipes, and resounding chimes. It's simple but inspired.

The hero's motivation is clear. The demon turned him into a beast; the beast cannot forgive the demon. No princess will turn him back with a kiss -- only VENGEANCE remains! Straightforward punches and kicks comprise the beast's primary arsenal as he crosses the woods outside his home, which has become a den of nefarious cretins. I call it the Forest of Eyes, in honor of the disembodied eyeballs that mysteriously blink in and out of existence. Some people call it the Forest of Purple Dragons Who Drop Explosive Dung, in honor of the purple dragons who drop explosive dung.

At the edge of the forest stands a castle guarded by knife-tossing ninjas hiding under trapdoors; beneath the forest lie vast catacombs populated with chitinous miscreants. Although it has the fast pace of an action game, Shadow of the Beast is an adventure game requiring exploration and a wee bit of puzzle-solving. The beast must discover temporary weapons for boss fights -- such as the Power Fist -- or perish. If you happen to be running along and see a giant creature up ahead, TURN BACK unless you have a secret weapon. Some boss encounters barricade the escape route, which means you'll have to start the game over if you're not properly prepared.

These cheap "reboot" moments are part of the reason Shadow of the Beast acquired a reputation for being extraordinarily difficult. Other ports have also been chastised for the snout-nosed hero's inability to fend off his attackers, but this is not an issue in the Turbo CD version. DMA Design has imbued the beast with speed and swift response time, proving that a second set of hands sometimes improves an inspired but flawed original.

In the original Amiga version, even the grass could kill you. The Turbo CD cuts out some of those nonsense obstacles; this Beast is focused on the evocative scenery and its inspired denizens. Face the fungus of Yoggoth! Leap over clawed hands that clutch at your tender flesh! Break a statue in your path, revealing the monster trapped inside! Smash the funeral markers of your kinsmen to reveal vials of nourishing blood! Shadow of the Beast is the game that made original creators Psygnosis famous; its melding of artful atmosphere with comforting simplicity inspired many other adventures throughout the 1990s, including the Turbo CD's critically-acclaimed Shape Shifter. The anti-climactic sequels, which replaced the Beast with a Man and expanded the plot to include tribes and magical artifacts, never achieved the same level of fame as this straightforward tale of David versus Goliath.

When the beleaguered beast finally does encounter the Goliath who made him thus, it's not a battle against a macabre horseman as one would have expected from the introduction. No, the final fight pits the beast against a GIANT TOE. The burly fellow to whom the toe is connected keeps tossing rocks. Based on a quick size comparison between rock and toe, it's similar to flicking pebbles at ants . . . hardly the most effective method of combat. I would step on the ant.

Punch the demon in the toe to win -- I suppose not every game can end as well as it began. With Shadow of the Beast, play for the enchanting journey and not the goal.

//Zig

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