4/5 ★ – RawMetal's review of Shadow Of The Beast.

System: PlayStation 4 Started: June 1, 2016 Ended: June 6, 2016 Flashback Review I'm not sure anybody outside of Amiga and Sega Genesis enthusiasts has heard of this series. In fact, most people don't really care about the Shadow of the Beast franchise. But I did long ago when a cousin of mine owned a Sega Genesis. I often watched her play games, including Sonic the Hedgehog. But there was one game in particular that I can't remember the name of, but I vividly recall the gameplay: seeing a creature running across the plains while avoiding or punching spiky enemies and avoiding giant eyeballs. I also remember the overworld theme music and what the Sega Genesis cartridge art looked like, with its gradient background. However, I couldn’t remember the title of the game. So, I looked through the entire Genesis catalog on Wikipedia, scrolling through countless titles until I finally found it. It was Shadow of the Beast. Coincidentally, just a few years after discovering the game's title, an announcement was made about a remake exclusively for the PlayStation 4. That news took me by surprise, and I knew I had to get the game for nostalgia’s sake. Shadow of the Beast is an action-adventure platformer that was popular on the Amiga and other computers and later ported to the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. You play as a creature named Aarbron, who was once human and enslaved by an evil overlord named Maletoth. The game takes you through the sci-fi/fantasy world of Karamoon, where you explore underground caverns and eventually infiltrate a dark, murky castle to confront Maletoth. The remake resembles the original game while enhancing it with improved gameplay and beautiful environment art design. The first level closely resembles the original with the grassy plains but features a modern 3D look. The gameplay has been updated to resemble a 2D beat 'em up, with sections where you're locked in combat to defeat hordes of enemies blocking your path. It features counter QTEs, finishing moves, and chain combos—similar to the Batman Arkham series, but in 2D, with sci-fi and fantasy elements. This design successfully immerses you further into the world of Shadow of the Beast. Outside the visual and gameplay improvements, the soundtrack is also noteworthy. The original Amiga soundtrack is underappreciated and worth exploring for fans of quality game music. The remake features remixed versions of the original tracks with a more exotic feel, which I immediately recognized during my playthrough. The game also offers bonus content, comparable to the Splatterhouse remake. You can unlock the original Amiga port of Shadow of the Beast, and if the game’s difficulty proves too challenging, there’s an option to unlock infinite lives. Additionally, you can unlock a full Let's Play video of a flawless run, although you can also find such videos on YouTube. It sucks that you cannot play the other old games in the series. The game is disappointingly short. It can be completed in just under three hours. Due to this reason alone, you have to replay the game to unlock hidden translations that convert the game's exotic language into English, allowing players to understand the story better, as well as a bonus ending for completing the game on higher difficulty levels. While some might find this short length unfair, it’s worth noting that the original game had a similar duration. Furthermore, it's also surprising that this remake remains a PlayStation 4 exclusive and hasn't been ported to future consoles or PC, especially considering that the game is nearly a decade old. I hope it will be available on other platforms soon so more players can experience it. Overall, the remake of Shadow of the Beast is a heartfelt tribute to fans who grew up playing the original. While longtime fans will appreciate the improvements, newcomers might find it less engaging, especially since it was a digital-only, low-budget title exclusive to the PS4. Personally, I like this new interpretation of the game. I would give it four stars, primarily because of the improved gameplay, enhanced environment art, and the additional content of playing the original game.