Shadowgate: Special Edition

The original Shadowgate, published in 1987 for the Amiga, Atari ST and Macintosh, in 1988 for MS-DOS-PCs and in 1989 for the Nintendo Entertainment System still is an absolute classic among first person point & click adventures. This new version is actually the second remake - there was a Windows 3.1 version in 1993 containing better graphics. That said, this new one can safely be described as the first REAL remake as everything's been recreated from scratch. However, there's one big problem with it. When you see the screenshots, the amazingly beautiful surroundings, creatures, characters, ... all boasting with atmosphere, it seems just perfect and like the thing the fans have been waiting for for so many years. But there's one major flaw in it all: the "flash" animations. Even if you have played only ONE of those typical run-of-the-mill casual hidden object "adventures", you'll recognize exactly what I mean when I say the animations are absolutely awful. Every movement, every animation, eveything really happening on screen feels like there are cardboard cutouts being moved from the background towards the screen. Even mighty dragons seem like paper mache. When there's effects put on top of it all, like lightning, bloom or sparkles, it's just the same as with mentioned hidden object games: you see what they tried to make it look like – but it all falls flat because it simply looks cheap. Which is sad because the interface is a definite improvement over the originals, the soundtrack is absolutely breathtaking and the atmosphere and story... well... see for yourself, you won't be disappointed. To sum it up: the only reason why you should purchase this game for the initial asking price is the truckload of bonus material. If cheap animations bother you, better wait for a reasonable discount.

(SPECIAL EDITION: The wallpapers are fantastic for anyone that uses multiple monitors, the soundtrack rocks, and I love the art style in the digital book/map. Special edition is worth it just for the soundtrack, so everything else is just bonus. If you've got a few extra dollars, this is the version to grab.) REVIEW: 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!

Shadowgate 2014 is a re-imagined homage to an old classic. That means that developer Zojoi sought to respect the source material, but add some modern flare. For the most part, they did a great job. For a fresh pair of eyes, Shadowgate offers a 1st-person Point & Click Adventure with the ability to interact with lots of objects. For fans of the original, many of the iconic scenes will be familiar, but slightly modified. I like that some puzzles and items have more of an explanation behind them, vs the original. I like that there are a bunch of new puzzles that keep a similar vibe. I also like that there are a number of options at your disposal: toggle new orchestrated soundtrack vs. classic chiptunes, toggle classic transition screens, toggle classic descriptions. Zojoi understood what made Shadowgate good the first time around, and kept the same spirit for this reimagining. What doesn't work so well is that the UI remains clunky. Simple tasks can take a bunch of clicks, but I presume some fans may not want it any other way. As you get used to the key shortcuts, it does get a little better, but it's still clunky. The addition of story elements in the form of cutscenes also doesn't work that well. The art and acting is fine, but I found the writing to be dull and didn't care to follow it. And the whole thing does seem overpriced at the $20/$30 asking price. That being said, Shadowgate has a lot to offer as a point-and-click. It's got puzzles. It's got enemies, that you have to figure out how to get around. It's got more items than you know what to do with. But most of all, the best thing is that once you've finished the game, the other difficulties mix it all up again. You'll encounter NEW puzzles. NEW enemies. Even NEW locales! Although imperfect, it's about all I could ask for.

First a SPOILER ALERT, some aspects later in the game will be spoiled, but no huge plot twists. You are a hero tasked to defeat an evil wizard holding up in an ancient castle. The fun part is, just about everything can kill you. Even yourself! (Use Sword (On?) Self) Everything is VERY similar to the original, and for good reason, it's the same castle just 1000(?) years later, so there are many dead adventurers in the castle that attempted this challenge before you. The art style is very beautiful, even if it's not my personal taste, if you look at the screenshots or trailers that's what the entire game looks like guys. If you really can't get past that, then I'm sorry. I will mention their "nostalgia factor". In the options menu there are three, what I call, "nostalgia" options. 1: you can use the original NES soundtrack. 2: You can use the old NES transitions when you move. 3: You can have a quill write the text as it pops onto the screen rather than it just fading in. The game is fun, the puzzles are challenging, they even added a hint system and difficulty levels, so if you get stuck hopefully you'll get yourself unstuck. Now for the bad... I played the game on the hardest difficulty and there were two sections in particular I hated. 1: "The Gear Puzzle" it's a puzzle involving gears... The thing is there are multiple ways to solve it, but each different way does something different, so unless there's a note I missed it's quite trial and error to find out which solution will open the section you are currently working on. 2: "THE MINES" basically there are mines, which is the dumbest kind of "where the heck am I?" puzzle, and while going through this maze you have to collect a certain amount of different coloured gems that you use later on a devise to open a door. It's mostly getting all the gems (you need about 20 then you play LightBrights with them until you get the right solution.) That said, game is fun! (but only about 3-4 hours long.)

OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD *PANTS WILDLY* OHMYGOD Easily the best find I've had this holiday shopping season! This was one of my favorite NES games. Such an innovative, niche title. I loved every second of it as a kid. Seeing a revamp almost made my month! Definitely worth the wait though!