Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered Review Summary

Fun, engaging, and refreshing gameplay: The game is consistently praised for being fun, enjoyable, and engaging, with many reviewers noting its unique charm and refreshing qualities, even years after its original release. It offers a satisfying and entertaining experience that stands out from more modern titles.

Humorous story and charismatic characters: The game's humor, characters, and story are consistently highlighted as strong points, with reviewers appreciating the witty dialogue, unique character designs, and engaging narrative. The game's blend of dark humor, mature themes, and charismatic characters creates a memorable and enjoyable experience.

Dynamic gameplay and creative encounters: The game offers dynamic and varied gameplay, with creative boss fights, unique enemies, and satisfying combat mechanics. Reviewers appreciate the game's ability to keep things fresh and engaging, avoiding repetition and providing a thrilling action experience.

Excellent soundtrack by Akira Yamaoka: The game's soundtrack, composed by Akira Yamaoka, is consistently praised for its quality and contribution to the game's atmosphere. Reviewers note that the music enhances the overall experience, creating a dark, mysterious, and unforgettable mood.

Reasonable and fair price: The game is considered to be reasonably priced, offering good value for the content provided. Reviewers are pleasantly surprised by the affordable price point, especially considering the quality and execution of the game.

Barebones, lazy port/remaster: The game is a barebones port, not a true remaster, with minimal graphical enhancements and lacking expected PC features. Many reviewers express disappointment, noting the absence of graphics settings, resolution options, and proper keyboard/mouse support. Some even suggest it's closer to an emulation than a proper port.

Poor PC control implementation: The game suffers from poor PC controls, particularly with keyboard and mouse. Reviewers cite the lack of key remapping options within the game, awkward default keybinds, and mouse input issues like acceleration and smoothing. Many recommend using a controller instead.

Easy difficulty, grindy achievements: The game's difficulty is considered too easy, even on the hardest settings, and the need for multiple playthroughs on different difficulties for 100% completion feels repetitive. Some achievements do not stack, requiring additional playthroughs.

Outdated, poor graphics quality: The game's graphics are outdated, with low-resolution textures and minimal improvements over the original release. Some reviewers found the visuals tiring or unpleasant, even on high-end PCs.

General jank and bugs: The game suffers from general jank, including bugs, glitches, and hit detection problems. These issues detract from the overall experience and contribute to a feeling of unpolished gameplay.

Varied gameplay with light/dark mechanics: The game blends third-person shooting with light/dark mechanics, puzzles, and varied level design. It incorporates mini-games and genre shifts to maintain player engagement. The core gameplay loop is functional, but not particularly innovative.

Unique transforming weapon system: The game features a unique weapon system centered around Johnson, a transforming skull companion. Players acquire and upgrade weapons, each suited for different combat scenarios, by defeating bosses and collecting gems.

Similar to Resident Evil 4: Many reviewers compare the game's mechanics and feel to Resident Evil 4, noting similarities in controls and gameplay style. Some appreciate the sillier tone and more straightforward level design compared to RE4.

Dynamic movement and QTEs: The game incorporates rolls for dynamic movement and quick-time events in some sections. Rolling into enemies removes their shadow, providing both a defensive and offensive move that maintains combat pace.

Costumes and New Game Plus: The game includes unlockable costumes, some of which provide gameplay advantages, and a New Game Plus mode. These features add some replay value for players who want to experience the game again with added benefits.

Generally good, stable performance: The game generally runs well, often at a stable 60 FPS and sometimes higher, on a variety of hardware including the Steam Deck. Some players have reported experiencing occasional frame rate dips or stutters, while others have had flawless performance. The performance seems to vary depending on the player's setup.

Limited graphics options on PC: The PC port is described as barebones, passable, or simple, with a key issue being the limited or non-existent graphics options. Players are unable to adjust graphical settings beyond basic resolution or brightness, restricting customization.

Runs well on Steam Deck: The game is reported to run well on the Steam Deck, often without requiring any special configuration or modifications. This makes it a convenient and enjoyable experience for Steam Deck users.

Missing features require mods: Some features, such as PlayStation button prompts, resolution adjustments, and HDR support, are either missing or require the use of mods or third-party tools like SpecialK to function correctly. This indicates that the port is incomplete or lacks certain expected features.

Isolated crashes reported: A few players have reported experiencing isolated crashes or blue screen errors during specific sections of the game. While not widespread, these crashes can be frustrating as they may force players to replay entire chapters or sections.

Generally recommended and enjoyable: The game is generally recommended, with many reviewers finding it enjoyable and worthwhile. Some suggest it's a must-play, while others recommend it, especially at a discounted price, citing good value and fun gameplay. Some reviewers express strong positive sentiment, while others are more reserved but still positive.

Similar to Resident Evil 4: Many reviewers draw comparisons to Resident Evil 4 and similar games. They recommend it to fans of the genre or those seeking a similar experience. Some suggest it as a good alternative or a worthwhile experience for those who enjoy the RE4 style of gameplay.

Remaster quality is inconsistent: The quality of the remaster is a point of contention. Some reviewers consider it a solid or good port, while others describe it as a minimal effort or 'half-arsed' remaster, criticizing the lack of graphical options or keybinding settings. Some suggest managing expectations and treating it as a port of the original rather than a full remaster.

Recommended for Suda51 fans: The game is particularly recommended for fans of Suda51's work. Reviewers suggest that those who enjoy his unique style, humor, and world design will find the game worthwhile. Some consider it a must-have for Suda51 enthusiasts.

Unique humor and gore: The game's humor, gore, and over-the-top style are frequently mentioned. Reviewers highlight the blend of humor and grotesque elements, suggesting it's a key part of the experience. It is recommended for those who enjoy politically incorrect humor and gory action.

Crude humor and controversial themes: The game features a crude, campy, and over-the-top style with dark humor, phallic jokes, and intentionally provocative elements. Some reviewers note that the game's themes and dialogue would likely be considered controversial by modern standards.

Notable creative team involved: The game boasts a notable creative team, including Goichi Suda (Suda51) and Shinji Mikami, with monster/character designs by Kyu Hayashida (Dorohedoro). Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill) contributed to the fitting and enjoyable soundtrack and sound design.

Direct port of original game: The PC version is a direct port of the original console game from the PS3/Xbox 360 era, with no censorship or alterations. It retains the original's content and is not a remaster, simply a port to PC.

Typical Suda51 weird experience: The game is a typical Suda51 title, guaranteeing a weird and memorable experience. Reviewers suggest that players new to Suda51's work should explore his other titles like Killer 7 and No More Heroes.

Includes Steam features, priced $25: The game includes standard Steam features such as achievements, cards, backgrounds, and cloud saves. The game is priced at $25.