Few games have as much creativity of Shadows of the Damned, which boldly stands out in a generation of sequels and generic shooters. The new IP was created by Grasshoper Manufacture and includes the dream team of Executive Director Suda 51, (No More Heroes, Killer 7) Creative Producer Shinji Mikami, (Resident Evil 4) and Composer Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill games). SotD follows Demon Hunter Garcia Hotspur as he attempts to get his girlfriend Paula back from her kidnapper Fleming (aka Lord of the Demons). Armed with a unique weapon called Johnson (a former demon’s skull that transforms into several tools), Garcia must travel to Hell to get his girlfriend back.

    The game-play is akin to Resident Evil 4 with “over the shoulder” shooting with an added upgrade that includes moving and shooting at the same time (where Resident Evil 5 did not have it). Garcia fights thousands of demons over the course of the game with several bosses to break up the pace. Garcia uses Johnson as a torch that acts as a melee weapon to dispatch demons. Johnson also turns into three different weapons, Boner (Handgun), Skullcussioner (Shotgun/Grenade launcher) and Teether (Machine gun). Each are upgraded after a boss fight. Garcia can swiftly switch from a weapon to melee to dodging an attack.

To rescue his girlfriend, Garcia will cross an immense darkness that eats away at the flesh of mortals as well as a place where the enemies are relentless and unstoppable. During these times Garcia needs to run and find a Goat-Lamp which restores the area with light. These sections become moments where the player will need to work quickly to survive. There are numerous bosses which change up the normal shooting and involve rapid movement to either attack a weak-spot or a avoid an attack. Some bosses are fun while others are repetitive and drag on way too long. Having said that, the game-play is good fun and never holds the rest of the game back. (PROTIP: Turn the sensitivity to 2 immediately)

    Suda 51’s vision of Hell is far different than traditionally rendered in video games. Hell is like a society where demons live after becoming damned forever. This means there are normal locations juxtaposed with demonic overtones and designs, for example at the Hangman’s Pub or the Castle of Hassle. The design elements in the levels (cities, swamps, sewers, castles, libraries) seem like they were cobbled together from other third person shooters, but have a distinct appearance that make it seem completely original. The Unreal Engine does degrade some visuals and make the game seem outdated graphically at times and it makes for long load times after a restarted checkpoint. The game’s atmosphere is mixed with horror, punk rock and comedy. The sound design and music incorporate spooky tones and chilling sound effects with awesome rock tunes. Yamaoka’s music in SotD is so great, purchase of the soundtrack is highly recommended.        

This game’s tone can be a serious turn off, as the game delivers some of the most juvenile humor ever found in a video game, which is saying something. One could see the humor as great fun and different from typical serious games in the market. But take a look at this clip of game play and be the judge.


While some will feel that this kind of humor is below them, they should definitely skip the game. The sheer amount of jokes in the game are staggering, yet they manage to find multiple ways to tell the same joke. SotD knows it is being silly and embraces it. The humor is there to get some yucks from the player and can win one over if given enough time. The amount might change one’s thoughts, but it adds an angle that most games lack today.

    Shadows of the Damned is like no other game on the market. Its blend of solid game-play, creative presentation and awesome music outweigh some repetitive bosses and little replay value. The dream team from Grasshopper deliver on many levels which makes it the must play game of the summer.