Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered

Goichi Suda has created some of the most memorable – and bizarre – games to ever grace consoles. One of his quirkiest games (which happens to be a personal favorite) was trapped in seventh-gen consoles for the longest time. Fans abandoned all hope for this game to receive a modern port long ago. Fortunately, Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered, is finally real.

Garcia Hotspur will descend to the depths of hell once more to rescue his beloved – this time in glorious 4K. This Hella Remaster offers a chance for new players to indulge in the bizarre world of Suda51, complete with all the usual pros and cons that come with his unique games.

Welcome to Hell

Shadows of the Damned is a joint effort by Goichi Suda and Shinji Mikami, the mastermind behind the Resident Evil and The Evil Within series, to name a few. Though the setting might look suitably spooky, the game is more a third-person action shooter than a survival horror.

Garcia comes equipped with his mighty Boner: a powerful revolver that isn't compensating for anything. He won't be alone as he explores the twisted landscapes of hell: he has his Johnson with him. Johnson, Garcia's trusty partner, is a demon that introduces the demon hunter to the oddities of hell.

Shoot to Kill

For all its superb level design, Shadows of the Damned can be a bit rough around the edges when it comes to gameplay. Much like Lollipop Chainsaw, this game is all about the presentation and its quirky characters. Control issues and the clunky movement from the original release are still alive and well in the Hella Remastered version.

However, the Boner is still as versatile as ever. Players can grow their Boner with alternate firing modes and firepower upgrades. Despite the relatively limited arsenal, Shadows of the Damned proves to players that, sometimes, all you need is the Boner.

As for the upgrades, it's not about the size of your Boner – it's all in how you use it. Every enemy is weak to a certain firing mode. To progress, players will need to use Johnson and their Boner in conjunction, with one stunning and the other dispatching enemies.

Variety and Quirks

The plot and characters in Shadows of the Damned are as weird as they come. You'll never be fully certain of what the story is all about – and that's by design. Some elements of the story are left up to the player's interpretation, including the campaign's abrupt finale.

If you played No More Heroes before, you know what to expect from the characters in Shadows of the Damned. Expect tons of movie references and bizarre dialogues, courtesy of the masterminds behind Killer is Dead and God Hand, no less.

The cherry on top of this badass sundae is Akira Yamaoka's sound design. Silent Hill's composer and lead creative envisioned the music in Shadows of the Damned as a suitably creepy ambiance spectacle that makes hell a terrifying – and groovy – place.

Pros

• Outstanding ambiance thanks to Akira Yamaoka and Shinji Mikami's designs
• Quirky and unforgettable characters
• Entertaining plot with tons of genuinely funny moments

Cons

• Gameplay can feel clunky at times
• The plot can be overly nonsensical