A Beast Reborn | Shadow of the Beast Review

With one foot in the past and one foot in the present, Shadow of the Beast is a unique experience that hooked me from the beginning with its tale of revenge and a breathtaking world that’s a sight to behold. Some stiff controls plague the intense and bloody action, but it doesn’t stop Shadow of the Beast from being a hell of a good time.

Originally a game for the Commodore Amiga  (bonus points if you actually know or remember what that is), Shadow of the Beast is a reboot/re-imagining of the 1989 original exclusively for PlayStation 4. You play as Aarbron, a monster who’s been controlled by a sorcerer to kill countless people and do his bidding. When Aarbron has a vision after executing a human, he becomes cognizant of the spell he’s been under and breaks free of the control. Aarbron seeks revenge for the monster he’s been made into and begins to hunt down those responsible, including the evil lord Maletoth.

Welcome back, Aarbron.

Shadow of the Beast’s combat echoes many of the same notes as a Batman: Arkham game does in terms of basic combat rules. You have a basic strike, a counter, blocking, throwing and a few other moves to bloody up your enemies with. Combat is fast and requires quick thinking and hasty reflexes in order to succeed. Each encounter is on a single plane with enemies approaching from both sides of the screen. At first, the enemies are slow, weak and predictable. As you progress forward, enemies are introduced that require a bit more skill to take down. Whether that means blocking their initial attack or maneuvering behind them to hit a weak spot. 

Aarbron has a blood meter which fills up when he dispatches of enemies. The bloodier or more skillful kill you make, the more blood you’ll obtain. The blood meter can be used for a few different powers, which eventually include an arm cannon that uses blood, a regeneration technique, or you can enable the brutal rage mode. When you activate it, rage mode sends Aarbron into a frenzy and he can kill enemies in one hit. It’s done through quick time presses that become faster and harder to hit the longer you keep your combo going. If you press square too fast or too late, you’ll lose your rage mode and all your blood meter. 

While combat certainly shares elements from games like the Batman: Arkham series, it fails to have the same fluidity. Killing monsters is certainly fun, but it’s a little rough around the edges. It’s really easy to get overwhelmed, and a simple misstep can have enemies beating you to a pulp without a way to get out unless you use one of your finite crowd clear attacks by pressing the touch pad. The over-reliance on using special attacks, especially rage mode, during encounters weakens the complexity of combat and what you’re taught in the game. Instead of expanding the combat further and further, it seems useless when you can activate the rage mode so frequently.

There’s a little bit of a Metroidvania feel with Shadow of the Beast, as you’ll find upgrades and new gear that can unlock new areas or help defeat enemies easier. Early on you’ll obtain light gauntlets that help illuminate dark areas that were previously impossible to explore (though I spent a good 20 minutes trying before I realized I needed an item). It adds a nice level or progression and makes you feel more powerful as you continue on.

There’s a good amount of boss fights in Shadow of the Beast, but they’re hit and miss. Some challenge you to use your skills, others are gimmicky and don’t live up to the epic introductions and set ups they have on their respective levels. The final boss especially feels out of place with a section that departs almost entirely from any previous encounter in the game.

Shadow of the Beast has stunning art direction.

The sweeping, gorgeous landscapes within the game’s world of Karamoon can be absolutely awe-inspiring when traversing through each level. The art direction in Shadow of the Beast is remarkable, and the varied and unique vistas dare you to stop and enjoy the view even when monsters loom. There’s dark and ominous levels with darker color palettes, then other levels are lush with bright colors that keep the visual variety pleasing. One of my favorite elements is when the camera pulls back slowly to reveal the environment even more, and it creates an impressive scope and world for a 2D-plane game. It’s a similar camera effect that happens in the God of War games, and it works well here, too.

Shadow of the Beast implores players to replay levels through its hidden collectables and global leaderboards. You’ll be scored on your combat efficiency and style as well as how many times you’ve been hit. Finding collectables can offer up rewards like visions that reveal more of the story or even talismans that give extra powers to provide an edge in-game. You can even stumble upon other players and either help them by sending a gift or fight them through asynchronous multiplayer which can provide rewards and bonuses. Getting high scores isn’t just for bragging rights, either. Points from beating levels can be spent to unlock new powers, more health and other helpful boosts.

You’d think that a game which welcomes exploration would have a better platforming, but maneuvering through each level can be a frustrating with imprecise jumping and climbing. Obstacles that block your way shouldn’t be too hard to navigate around, but the difficulty with controlling your jump makes even the simplest booby trap a hazardous risk. Movement overall feels a little stiff, and it makes exploring the fantastical worlds in Shadow of the Beast unfortunately exhausting.

Combat – while fun – is a little rough around the edges.

For those who never played any of the original Shadow of the Beast games, you can actually unlock the entire original game and play it. There’s also a mode that enables infinite lives because of the original’s notorious difficulty. As someone who missed out on the popular Amiga titles the first time, it’s a fantastic way to not only play a classic from 1989, but to also see where Heavy Spectrum Entertainment Labs got their inspiration and to see what’s stayed the same and what’s changed.

A splendid example of staying true to its roots while welcoming modern gameplay elements, Shadow of the Beast honors the original game well while carving out its own identity. A simple tale of revenge is the perfect motivation to propel the game forward without taking itself too seriously or outstaying its welcome. Though the platforming and controls could use some work, this is a refreshing experience with loads of potential for the future.

This review is based on a review copy of Shadow of the Beast by Heavy Spectrum Entertainment Labs. Review copy provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment.