Arguably Grasshopper Manufacture’s most accessible title to date, Shadows of the Damned did the unthinkable by successfully marrying solid gameplay and a coherent plot to the typical Suda51 fare of outrageous characters, gratuitous violence, and an overabundance of dick jokes. Placed in the role of Garcia (Fucking) Hotspur, career demon hunter, players were tasked with rescuing Garcia’s girlfriend from the clutches of the Demon Lord, Fleming. Though the journey led Garcia through Hell, thankfully, SotD was anything but; each act brimmed with memorable baddies, delightful music, and hilarious dialogue.
It wasn’t perfect, but the few tedious bits and slightly baffling design choices were far outweighed by the sheer ridiculousness of shooting a sometimes-skull-sometimes-motorcycle-sometimes-gun sidekick at an enormous, foul-mouthed crow’s glowing crotch (where else?) or hand feeding some collectible gems to a twangy human/demon “mix-cher” named Christopher. If you haven’t yet played Shadows of the Damned, you’re not only missing out on what was easily one of the best games to have come out in 2011, you’re also denying yourself a truly enjoyable experience.
All images courtesy of Electronic Arts.
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