Reviewed on: PS4
Curiously, a genre that both works and doesn’t work on consoles is the isometric RPG – today called Action RPGs, but the best reference you can have is Diablo. Increasingly focused on the “action” side, it’s quite common to see such games thrive on PCs. Perhaps precisely because of the isometry and the traditionalism of the genre. But Shadows: Awakening shows that it is possible – yes – for aRPGs to flourish on controllers, but some work is still needed before we get there.
The game is quite beautiful, visually speaking. The art direction is packed with curves, sharp points and extremely exaggerated figures. It feels like we’re playing a Dark Horse Comics comic while walking through the game’s landscapes. Think of a Diablo II, but looking like BattleChasers or Darksiders. You don’t expect much detail from an isometric RPG like this, but Shadows: Awakening is incredibly detailed in the places where you would expect it (or where I’d expect it): equipment changes according to what you equip on the characters. On the sound side, the game leaves little room for flaws and does its job well. A well-measured soundtrack, with tracks that set up and match the mood: sitars in the desert, flutes for the countryside and strange sounds that echo into the spirit world, and with voiced lines – although the voice acting is a bit… weak.
The gripe is precisely the game’s mechanical workings. Immediately, when we talk about isometric RPGs, we think of the loot fiesta that Diablo and Torchlight give us while we venture into dungeons. In Shadows: Awakening things are much more reduced in this respect. Don’t get me wrong: loot, rarities scaled in different colors and cool items are all there, as the script demands. But they’re not the focus. That falls to the body-swapping system. Your party consists of the protagonist and three more characters: heroes and mythical beings from this very colorful world whose souls are devoured by a demon (our protagonist), and you can freely switch among these characters, being limited only with regard to the Demon, who doesn’t coexist with the others in the material plane – a very Soul Reaver vibe – he is stuck in the spirit plane, able to interact in a limited way with the material world. But the mechanic is fun to explore: use a buff and cast the Shackles spell with your demon, switch to another character who has, say, a protection spell and switch to your hero who really lays down the beating. All of it instantly, by pressing a button. If Diablo III had already changed its formula into something more dynamic and active, imagine if you could switch characters in real time? That’s exactly what Shadows: Awakening is like. The pace is frenetic and although the targeting is somewhat dysfunctional and the controls respond poorly, the brawling runs free.
The “two worlds” mechanic is also put to use in the narrative. Certain characters, quests and missions can only be accessed by the Demon, who dissolves in ironic comments with the refinement and cruelty typical of his race. Besides that, dialogues between the heroes and the demon are not uncommon: whether during combat or during the story. It’s not the most brilliant, for sure, but it’s a story that intrigues at certain points and with the possibilities the narrative offers you. But the world has very rich lore! I was tempted to explore the additional lore books that appear throughout the game, coloring and punctuating the whole narrative aspect of each character, location and faction. Kalypso has a very rich gold mine in its hands. They just have to know how to exploit it!
Shadows: Awakening is a quite fun game. It certainly isn’t worth its price on the PS Store (50 dollars or 191 reais), but on sale and with a good discount, it will be worth it. The mechanics are well implemented and the visuals are quite interesting, despite the weak controls.
Mechanics – 8
Audiovisual – 8
Narrative – 8
FINAL SCORE: 8
Max Xavier
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