Shadowgate

That's all you have when you enter the ancient keep of shadow gate. It won't take you long to find more things to put in your satchel though. You have many puzzles and riddles between you and the warlock that lies waiting in the depths of the castle. Time is not with you as the warlock comes ever closer to finding the true treasure of the castle and using it for his own dark ends... That's the just of the story and I'm sure many people already know it as this is a remake of the old NES game ShadowGate. The studio that did this really nailed the feeling of exploring the cursed castle and hoping against hope that the next corner would bring a desperately needed torch or at least a empty stretch of corridor that didn't have anything that was trying to eat you. The game has been completely remastered from the ground up and various modern bells and whistles have been added to make this an almost completely different game. Not that that is a bad thing. I enjoyed trekking through the castle and uncovering it's secrets. Except I was only playing half the game. The one complaint I have about this game is it's difficulty system. You have normal and classic. Normal is basically the highlights and let's you get most of the story so you can get to the end. Classic on the other hand is actually closer to how the game was originally play and has more story elements and puzzles. Unfortunately this is not explained very well, at least to me, and it was kind of annoying once I completed the game and was left scratching my head as to why it seemed like I was basically playing a fetch quest with no obstacles. Going back and looking at the other modes classic: journeyman is very close to how the original game played and has most, but not all, of the puzzles. There is one more classic mode called master, which is more or less the challenge mode. Completionists will have fun. Despite that complaint I recommend this to anyone looking to have a old fashioned time in a new skin.

The first time I played Shadowgate was on the NES, and I became obsessed with the game. Without a Nintendo Power subscription or the Internet to turn to for hints, I spent hours combating the castle trying to make it to the end. Later, when a version was released on the Gameboy, I would replay it over and over to see how fast I could beat it. Now, I have conquered the latest rendition of castle Shadowgate, but it was no easy task. The remake of Shadowgate is packed full of nostalgia for fans of the original series, but even in Apprentice mode, you may not find it as easy as you remember. Players new to the series will be introduced to room after room of mind-bending puzzles, but there are in-game hints available to aid you on your journey. - The UI makes it easy to navigate once you've learned the shortcuts and how to lock commands. - The artwork is stunning and sets the atmosphere perfectly. - The sounds and music have been recreated but can be switched to the originals. Can't go wrong either way. - The occasional cut-scene delivers additional story-telling and provides a sense of progressions. Very much enjoyed my time with the remake!

As many other reviewers have said, this 'remake' unfortunately takes the worst of the obscure puzzle games of yore and amplifies them. I see no way that any person will complete this game without constantly tabbing out to a walkthrough. On the other hand, the easy save slots and quick travel / transitions combined with the beautiful atmosphere and art motivated me just enough that I put up with all the nonsense and did finish this walkthrough read-along. I even felt a small fleeting speck of enjoyment by the time the game ended. So your mileage may vary.

Only been playing for a short while, but love the feel. I would also love to get my hands on the original. I still like playing these old games.

This is just art. I suggest you to play it when you really want an art game (it's like go to a museum).