Shadows of the Damned for Xbox 360 Reviews by Gamers

..is funny to you, then you are in for a good time with Shadows of the Damned. Otherwise you might want to skip this one.

This is the newest game from Grasshopper and Suda 51 and you can definitely see their unique style in this game as well. Shinji Mikami and Akira Yamaoka also helped work on this game as well. So, you definitely see some gameplay elements of Resident Evil 4/DMC from the former and a great moody and atmospheric soundtrack from the latter.

In Shadows of the Damned you play as Garcia Hotspur, Hunter of Demons. Your girlfriend gets killed, kidnapped, and taken to the demon world . And naturally, you go in after her. The game plays a lot like Resident Evil 4/5 but with a light/dark element that makes it stand out from those.

Basically, darkness can creep out at anytime and engulf the screen. Most enemies cannot be killed in the dark and you will have to find ways to bring back light so you can kill them. Such as shooting Goat Heads and Sushi Lamps or firing off fireworks. It is actually very well implemented and keeps things fresh throughout the game by continually adding new elements for the entire playthrough.

Then there is Johnson, your Former Demon Skull sidekick that acts as all of your weapons and your source of countless jokes and crude humor. Which can be hilarious at times or a little too over the top. As Johnson gets upgraded your weapons become devastating. One weapon can create sticky remote mines while others fire multiple skulls for massive damage.

As for the Pros/Cons:

Pros:

Combat feels fresh and smooth
Fantastic Boss Fights
Light/Dark Element is very well implemented
Sushi Lamp music is AWESOME
Good Soundtrack
Interesting Puzzles
Very Funny at times
Unique Style
Alcohol heals you

Cons:

A bit too many genital jokes for my taste
Animations can be very wonky at times
Textures sometimes take a while to load in
Not much to do after beating it

If grindhouse humor and gore is your thing, give SOTD a shot!

Shadows of the damned does not bring anything new to game mechanics. it is a finely tuned Blend of Resident Evil 4 style shooter/horror with a touch of Devil May Cry.

Where Shadows Triumphs is it's narrative. While relatively grounded compared to Suda 51's other work, Shadows managed to be funny, creepy and intense all at the same time. It's materiel is flagrantly Adult Oriented and it is not ashamed to admit it. the humor is crass and rather juvenile but it works, the ambiance is great, and if The Underworld is as it appears in this game I will not feel so bad about heading there.

The Quirky storybook sections and the 2D SHUMP levels are great fun too. the only problem is that there is no chapter select, preventing you from going back to grab things you missed, or walking through the game again as a God among Demons