I never played Shadow Man back in the day so there will be nothing seen through rose tinted glasses in this review. After my first playthough, I can say this game has a few minor flaws but is still very enjoyable, providing you like having an active mind while gaming. The controls aren't as fluid as they could have been. Strafing and jumping seem a bit clumsy and sometimes you can get caught in the scenery. The targeting system can make fighting mobs a pain. When a bad guy gets hit enough, he'll drop and has to be finished off quickly, otherwise he will regain his health. Use of the voodoo weapons and intelligent movement are a must here. Personally, I found the game started off a little slow because the (annoying sounding) shadow gun is weak at first but things start to go much more smoothly after gaining a few shadow levels. However, the atmosphere is this game is absolutely brilliant. Deadside really does feel dead and cold. Some of the music and ambience really pulls you into the setting. It's really hard to describe in a written review. My favorite levels for atmosphere were the playrooms and the cathedral of pain. Be warned, THIS GAME DOES NOT HOLD YOUR HAND!!! There is nothing to indicate where weapons / dark souls are or where to go next. As Shadow Man gains new abilities, you will need to back track to previous (nonlinear) areas to see where they can be used. This can be daunting to some people. To enjoy this game, you WILL need to enjoy using your brain. You'll also constantly be asking yourself things like where were the fire blocks I couldn't push before? Where were all the waterfalls I can now climb? How can I get to the Gavi up there? Is that a ledge I can grab on to? I'm missing a few dark souls, where could I have missed them? etc. If you require guidance in games, Shadow Man may frustrate you. However, if you enjoy atmospheric TPP games which require memory muscle, sharp perception and thought, give Shadow Man a try.
