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In this day and age, there aren’t a lot of games we can say that have aged like fine wine. However, if there’s one that I think has aged almost perfectly is Shadows of the Damned. In the pantheon of action-adventure games, this one is one of the wildest and raunchiest to an extent, but most amusing nonetheless. Now, Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered puts this niche adventure under the spotlight. And, while it has some moments where it shines, it also suffers from dim situations that don’t help this hellish escapade.
While I didn’t finish the original one, I still remember playing a bit of Shadows of the Damned. It was one of the most entertaining games I had for my PS3. Sadly, I couldn’t complete it because I sold my console. Still, I remember how much I liked its premise, gameplay, and characters. So, imagine my excitement when I learned about the remaster. I’m mostly pleased now that I’ve finally taken the time to play it. While a few technical issues add bumps to this hellish road trip, it is quite enjoyable despite its length.
Love Is Nothing But a Demon-Infested Road
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered follows a road movie format featuring our hard-as-nails protagonist, Garcia Hotspur. As a demon-hunter, he finds his girlfriend Paula murdered and kidnapped by the Lord of Demons, Fleming. As a true romantic Latino boyfriend, he grabs his ever-helpful shapeshifting boney friend Johnson and dives into the depths of the City of the Damned to recover Paula’s soul.
At this point, I could ramble about the plot, which I quite like, but I prefer players to discover what’s behind it. However, I can mention some things that await you in this over-the-top journey, which might be a hit-or-miss for some. Mainly the game’s humor.
As a 17-year-old at the time, I never minded the raunchy jokes, double-sense dialogues, and cringe-inducing dad jokes. It gave me some good laughs when I first played. However, now that I’ve finally beaten the game, I have to say it got old at times. The thing about the humor is that it doesn’t have a middle ground. It roams between organic jokes that hit that perfect spot worthy of a good laugh and being a bit too phallic-oriented. It never finds a middle ground. Yet, it’s not something that ruins the experience, but some people might find it a bit too repetitive or edgy.
Other than that, it is quite an enjoyable narrative. In a game that seems to not take itself seriously at the time, it happens the contrary. The plot has surprising moments and some shocking revelations that hook you on the spot. Also, while some might argue the length is a bit too short, it is perfect to tell a proper story.
Gruesome, Flashy, And Addictive Gameplay
One thing I find surprising about Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is how its decade-old gameplay stands on par with some modern titles. Heck, it even surpasses some of them. Yes, it has a few clunky things that are distracting, but it is a proper action-adventure game with top-notch gunplay and puzzles.
Let’s begin with gunplay. Garcia’s friend, Johnson, can morph into different types of firearms and a torch. In the case of firearms, you have the Boner, which is a revolver-like gun, the SMG-inspired Teether, and everyone’s favorite shotgun, the Monocussioner. As you progress through the game and collect gems, you can upgrade them by increasing their capacity or damage. Furthermore, after certain boss fights, you’ll get rare gems that upgrade the guns into even more powerful versions.
To everyone’s surprise, shooting demons in a game that originally launched in 2011 is sublime. I kid you not. I’ve seen gunplay in 2024 games that pales in comparison to this one. Shooting is highly responsive. The enemy’s hitpoints are so well-made that landing a headshot feels like the most satisfying thing Garcia can pull off. My only gripe is that the transition of the camera from freely roaming to aiming can glitch sometimes. I had instances when my camera got stuck in a strange first-person perspective. It didn’t break the game or anything, but it was distracting.
Lastly, melee combat isn’t too elaborate, but it is still useful nonetheless. When Johnson adopts its torch form, you can use it to attack enemies from up close or remove the darkness that makes enemies invulnerable—more on that later. It isn’t the most in-depth feature, but it is nice to have another way to beat the ever-living sin out of demons.
Variety is the Spice of Hell
Beyond the gory and flashy combat, I was glad to see that the game always had enemy variety. Where other games focus on giving you dozens of skills to use on only a few foes, Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered offers you a plethora of enemies to shoot at. I encountered almost a new one in every chapter. Whether it was the wall-crawling demons who turned off lights or the run-of-the-mill minions, I always felt encouraged to shake up my strategy and try every weapon at my disposal. Of course, it got even better once bosses started to appear.
Bosses in the game might not be the most challenging ones, but they are perfectly designed. For instance, good old George is one of the first bosses you’ll face. During the first encounter, you’ll have to dodge his saw-like arms and shoot barrels to stun him. In the second bout, he becomes a horse-riding demon whose fight has two phases, each with intricate gimmicks. Fortunately, it just keeps getting better the more you progress. Also, it is nice that during these fights, I never encountered any of the previous issues I mentioned.
There are other types of activities for those who enjoy a bit of brain-teasing as well. Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered features many puzzles revolving around the light and dark concepts. In many chapters, darkness engulfs the area and drains Garcia’s health rapidly. To escape these precarious situations, you must find a light source to drive the darkness away. While it sounds simple, every puzzle is completely different, and I was glad to see the game had a healthy dose of them, with almost a new one in every chapter.
For example, one of the first puzzles requires you to just find a mounted goat head that you can light up to remove the darkness from a specific area. However, others require you to enter the darkness to find a switch that removes an obstacle preventing you from progressing. In truth, all of these puzzles were greatly designed, and unlike other games, puzzles tend to kill the pacing a bit, but this never happened here. The developers knew exactly where to put one of them without diminishing the story’s impact or being too elaborate, which deters players from moving forward.
It’s Magnifico
Overall, Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is precisely that, one hell of a remaster. It seems to follow a mindset of, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and works mainly in favor of this game. While there were a few technical hiccups here and there, they never brought my excitement down. I felt excited to finally finish this hidden gem I never got to complete back in the day.
In addition, the new game plus mode, new cosmetics, 60 FPS, and increased resolution are all welcome features that make this journey even better. So, if you haven’t had a chance to play this classic, now’s the perfect time. Despite its 13 years in the market, the gameplay remains relevant and even better than many modern games. And while certain jokes might not always hit the mark, it is, undoubtedly, a trip to the City of the Damned you’ll never forget.
Review copy provided by Publisher.
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered (PC Reviewed)
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a proper comeback of a niche classic that maintains the essence of the original while modernizing it enough for newer audiences. Despite its minor technical flaws, it is a top-notch action-adventure escapade.
Pros
- An excellent remaster of a hidden gem
- Engaging combat that remains snappy a decade later
- A surprisingly good story
Cons
- A few technical issues, primarily with the camera
- The humor isn't bad, but it might be a hit or miss for some
