He’s got friends on the other side.
There’s no sense in pretending that Shadow Man isn’t a dated experience. But games like this — originally seen on PlayStation, N64, PC and Dreamcast — rather force a re-examination of the somewhat meaningless criticism “dated”. Seriously, what does it mean? A change in standards, perhaps. Differing expectations from a contemporary gaming experience. But, really, when a game like Shadow Man is re-released, is it fair to compare it to more slick, modern titles? Why should a re-release of an older title not reflect the time in which it was originally released? All of these are questions that Shadow Man Remastered can’t answer, obviously, but they’re worth keeping in mind.
Some will bounce straight off the game, obtuse as it can be. Your objectives are rarely clear in terms of a distinct A-to-B structure, there’s no map feature to speak of and you’ll find your hand quite resolutely unheld throughout. Taking control of Mike LeRoi (the titular Shadow Man) you’ll find your journey into Deadside is long, sprawling, difficult and intentionally confusing. The game in its original incarnation could be compared to the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, but this remaster tweaks the inputs, loses the “tank” controls and ultimately feels a lot more like a traditional third-person shooter, albeit one with a lot more platforming and exploration than usual. Think Ratchet & Clank, but vastly more challenging.
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