Shadows: Heretic Kingdoms Review Summary

Strong music and graphics, plus smooth character switching, are undermined by frequent crashes, poor optimization, and an incomplete story limited to Book 1.

Strong audio and music: The music, sound effects, and overall audio quality are frequently praised as excellent. Voice acting is also noted for its high quality and contribution to the atmosphere.

Impressive graphics and art: Many reviewers commend the game's visual appeal, including lush graphics, good art style, and pleasant visuals. The overall presentation is considered beautiful and well-crafted.

Efficient character switching praised: Reviewers highlight the ability to swap characters at any time, even mid-combat, as fluid and unique. This mechanic is seen as well-implemented and adds interesting challenges.

Polished and well-made game: The game is described as beautifully made, very polished, and created with soul. Reviewers express high satisfaction with the overall quality and execution.

Well-told and captivating story: The storytelling, narrative framework, and overall plot are well done and draw players in. The story is described as interesting and captivating.

Incomplete story only Book 1: The game only includes Book 1: Devourer of Souls and ends mid-story, with Book 2 never released. This leaves the narrative unfinished and is a common complaint.

Combat is monotonous and sluggish: Combat is described as crooked, tedious, irritating, monotonous, and poorly paced. It lacks pep and feels sluggish.

Minor bugs and visual glitches: Some bugs are present but not game-breaking, and visual bugs are encountered during play. These issues are noted but less severe.

Game-breaking bugs prevent play: Reviewers report severe bugs that make the game unplayable, and these have not been fixed over many years. This is a critical issue.

Crafting feels meaningless: Players find the crafting system unnecessary, unjustified, and uninteresting. It adds little value to the gameplay experience.

ARPG Genre: The game is an action RPG, often described as Diablo-like or hack'n'slash, with typical classes such as barbarian, archer, and mage. It includes puzzle content and a shadow world mechanic.

Shadow World Switching: Players can switch between the regular world and a parallel dimension called Shadow. This mechanic is central to puzzles and gameplay.

Crafting and Inventory Systems: The game includes a crafting system that allows players to craft almost anything after obtaining recipes and ingredients. It also features an inventory system.

Character Switching: Players can alternate between multiple characters, combining the strengths of group members depending on the situation.

Click-Hold Combat: Combat involves clicking on enemies to target them and click-and-hold attacking. Players use abilities and tactics when fighting enemies.

Frequent Game Crashes: Players report frequent crashes to desktop, including during gameplay, loading screens, and area transitions. Crashes often occur unexpectedly and can make the game unplayable.

Poor Performance Optimization: The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to low frame rates, stuttering, and resource consumption that is not justified by the visuals. Many players experience performance issues even on high-end machines.

Long Loading Times: Load times are extremely long, especially when transitioning between locations. This significantly hampers the gameplay experience.

Memory Leaks and Freezes: The game suffers from memory leaks and frequent freezes, leading to instability and requiring restarts.

Wasp Skill Causes Crash: Using the Wasp hero's last skill or 'swarm' ability causes the game to crash instantly, making the hero unplayable.

Not Recommended for Purchase: Many reviewers explicitly advise against buying the game, citing issues such as being unplayable, incomplete, or not worth the money. This sentiment is widespread across multiple clusters, with some recommending saving money or waiting for discounts.

Positive Recommendation from Many: A significant number of reviewers strongly recommend the game, especially to fans of action RPGs, story-driven games, and classic single-player RPGs. They highlight its potential, engaging story, and enjoyable combat for the right audience.

Not for Everyone: Reviewers note that the game is not for everyone, particularly those who dislike episodic releases, bugs, or slow gameplay. It may only appeal to a niche audience.

Wait for Updates or Discounts: Several reviewers suggest waiting for subsequent updates, sales, or discounts before purchasing. They believe the game may improve over time or be worth it at a lower price.

Appeals to Specific RPG Fans: The game is recommended for fans of CRPGs, classic RPGs, and those who enjoy story and exploration over fast-paced combat. It may not appeal to Diablo-like hack-and-slash fans.

Community fair range: $15.00 - $20.00.

Story completion: 33.0h.

The game tends to click after the first couple hours, once players pass the first chapter, synergize abilities, and assemble a full team, though some players still find the combat repetitive and tedious afterward.

Reported time to anchor: 2h.

Friction: Slow progression in stats and power; Repetitive and boring combat with constant enemy spawns; Poorly paced boss fights requiring potion chugging or overleveling; Need to synergize abilities after the first chapter to kill efficiently; Loot pickup bugs and stuck items blocking quests; Hit-and-miss combat and tedious design.

Unlock drivers: Getting past the first chapter and synergizing abilities; Assembling a full team after a few hours; Getting past the first couple hours, which makes combat more fluid and opens the story.

Story-Driven CRPG Enthusiast: Reads quest and item text, follows interlinked side quests, and approaches fights with tactics rather than pure ability spam. Motivation: Rich narrative, witty dialogue, voice acting and world-building delivered through tactical combat. Stance: buy.

Diablo-Style ARPG Grinder: Spams abilities from an isometric camera, grinds levels and loot, and expects continuous action rather than slow CRPG pacing. Motivation: Fast, loot-driven combat and habitual grinding familiar from Diablo-like games. Stance: sale.

Achievement Hunter / Completionist: Grinds to level caps and tracks achievement progress, treating broken or unreachable achievements as dealbreakers. Motivation: Unlocking every achievement and reaching 100% completion. Stance: no buy.

Incomplete Game, Sold as Full: Reviewers report that the game is sold as a complete product but is actually only part one, with the remaining content sold separately. This leaves the story and quests fundamentally incomplete, and many players consider it an early access title despite being marketed otherwise.

Compared to Diablo and Torchlight: Many reviewers compare this game to Diablo, Torchlight, and similar action RPGs. While some draw parallels, others state it does not match the quality or interest of those games, and there are much better options available.

Shadows: Awakening Is Complete Version: Reviewers frequently compare this game to Shadows: Awakening, noting that Shadows: Awakening is the full combined story (Books 1 and 2) with improved graphics. This game is often described as a demo or incomplete version of that title.

Content Locked Behind Retail Box: Several quests and locked doors in the Steam version require purchasing the retail boxed edition to access. Steam users miss out on multiple quests and areas that are only available in the physical retail release.

Currently in Early Access/Pre-Alpha: The game is currently in early access or pre-alpha stage, meaning much can change before final release. Reviewers note this status as a caveat for the current experience.