Game: Shadow Of The Beast
Console: Sega Master System
Developer: Psygnosis
Release Date: 1991
Shadow of the Beast is a strange game; partly because it starts players out on an overground level with no instruction and assumes they'll walk left, find a key, enter a building and decent underground to continue the game which defies most gamer logic and partly because it feels so different to other Master System games. Most platform games take place on several height levels, but the start of Shadow of the Beast is completely flat, and gives no indication that the player should be getting a key instead of exploring.
Once you get underground the game is difficult, but a little more predictable. Any items picked up can be used via a pause menu of sorts, though some potions will take away health so it's best to exercise a little caution. The enemy and boss designs are interesting, and even the player character is very different from that of normal games, though explanation for this can be found in manual rather than the game itself.
Graphically the game is pretty impressive with some seriously nice visuals in the underground part of the game. The music is the main audiovisual achievement though with a classic soundtrack both on this version and on the 16-bit Mega Drive version. Psygnosis were always known for pushing the gaming boundaries a little so it's unsurprising that Shadow of the Beast is good, if a little unconventional.
Overall the game is playable once you know what you're doing, but still can be somewhat difficult at times with enemies zooming in from off-screen to take your health, and some exploration and item menu experimentation needed to finish the game. If you want something a little more complex than your standard 8-bit game though, it's well worth a try!
Rating: 62/100
Grade; C
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