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Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered (PC) Review

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Shadows of the Damned Hella Remastered

Shadows of the Damned was first released in 2011, which was a much different time in gaming. The mind behind the game, Suda51, was someone who would be called sexist, unhinged, and canceled by today’s standards… This is almost what happened to him back in 2011, so some things never change. But does Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered deserve its remaster treatment or should it have remained buried in its 2011 hell hole?

Shadows of the Damned Hella RemasteredName: Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows (reviewed), Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture
Publisher: NetEase Entertainment Interactive
Game Type: Action-adventure
Mode(s): Single-player
Release Date: October 31, 2024

Shadows of the Damned Hella Remastered

spoilers

Boy Loves Girl, Demons Take Girl, Kick Demon Ass

Shadows of the Damned Story Summary – SPOILERS

Click For Story Summary
Demon hunter Garcia Hotspur comes home to find his girlfriend, Paula, being abducted by the Lord of Demons, Fleming, who brags that he will take Paula with him to kill her again and again. Garcia is powerless to stop Fleming, but instead follows him back to the underworld along with his demon sidekick, Johnson, who also acts as his gun, torch and motorcycle. In the demon world, Johnson helps guide Garcia through the twisted nature of the demon realm, defeating numerous enemies that try to feed on Garcia’s flesh, and keeping him away from the darkness that destroys the human flesh.

As they travel, they witness numerous deaths of Paula by Fleming and other demons, all to toy with Garcia’s senses. Another human demon hunter, who simply goes by the name “Colonel”, temporarily aids Garcia, but then leaves to get revenge on the death of his loved one, only to be brutally killed later. Garcia also encounters an ally in Christopher, a half-human, half-demon that sells Garcia valuable goods to boost his demon-fighting powers.

Later in the game, Garcia and Johnson learn of the Unbreakable Huntress, the first female demon slayer to ever challenge Fleming. The Unbreakable Huntress challenged Fleming, but was brutally dismembered by the demon king. Impressed with her refusal to surrender even when reduced to a quad amputee, Fleming made the Huntress into his queen, only to repeatedly kill her over and over again, healing any wounds that resulted from the torture. In rebellion, the Unbreakable Huntress continued to escape from the City of the Damned, only to be dragged back and killed by Fleming. Paula is hinted to have been the Unbreakable Huntress prior to the start of the game.

Eventually, Garcia reaches Fleming’s “Castle of Hassle”, and battles his way through to its top, where Fleming awaits him, Paula encased within his cloak. Fleming enters into battle with Garcia, but Garcia gains the upper hand, and destroys him. He rushes to Paula’s side, but she hits him, angered that he watched her die over and over and made no attempt to stop it or comfort her. Furious, she transforms into a demon herself, and attacks Garcia, but Garcia eventually weakens her enough. Paula reverts to her human form, and as she lies wounded and the darkness surrounds them, Garcia comforts her and apologizes.

In the epilogue, Garcia and Paula have returned to his home and are planning for a trip, when Garcia receives a call from Fleming, warning him that more demons are coming for him. Garcia takes this in stride, commenting that as long as he is dating the Lord of Demon’s mistress, demons will continue to follow them, and he vows to kill every last one.

 

Story Review – Some Vague Spoilers

Shadows of the Damned is one of those typical stories that just works because it’s one of the most trope-filled stories on the planet. Watching Garcia go literally through hell to get Paula back from a demonic asshole is as basic as it can get. However, where the writing in Shadows of the Damned shines is the dialogue between Garcia, Johnson, and other characters. Suda51 knew that he didn’t need much substance in Shadows of the Damned when the level design and dialogue are more than enough to carry everything.

Shadows of the Damned might not be Shakespeare, but it is entertaining if you don’t mind something that is profanity charged as an old school Jacob Fatu promo. Shadows of the Damned is not one of those games that is going to shy away from being sexual at every moment, and dropping enough F-bombs that it would make any comedian blush.

spoilers

Shadows of the Damned Hella Remastered

Oh Look, Another Generic Graphical Upscale

Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is one of THOSE remasters, lazy and probably AI-driven. I have no idea what it is about remasters doing the bare minimum when it comes to graphics. Most times, they’ll throw the image files through an upscale, increase the brightness on the game, and call it a day. These methods are getting annoying and feel like a cash grab more than anything.

I know not every game can get the Resident Evil 2 treatment, but when I see games like Lollipop Chainsaw, Dead Rising, and now Shadows of the Damned getting these types of treatment it makes me sad about where we are heading in game development. Why bother making something new or upgrading something to modern levels when you can just let a computer do it in a few weeks and call it a game?

Shadows of the Damned Hella Remastered

Shadows of the Damned Crotch Shooting Delight

Much like the story of Shadows of the Damned, the gameplay is very simple and effective. You spend a lot of time with your sidekick Johnson, who acts as a melee weapon, gun-based weapon, torch, and special gimmick item as you make your way through the very straightforward locations in your search for your girlfriend. A lot of the time, Shadows of the Damned will have you blasting your way through scores of demons as they try to slow your progress, sometimes enhanced by being covered in shadows that you can dispel with special bullet types from Johnson.

Alongside this shadow gimmick is a shadow realm of sorts, which if you spend too much time in it, will deplete your health and ultimately kill you. Managing this darkness is key to success on some levels, while puzzles and level shooting will occupy the rest of your adventure.

You do have other techniques at your disposal, such as collecting different orbs that can be used to do things like increase your overall health, improve damage, reload speed, or ammo capacity. Doing these will give you some help against the demonic forces that will plague your every moment, but you will still need some skill to complete each level quickly and efficiently.

Shadows of the Damned Hella Remastered

A Repeatable Remaster

I wouldn’t call Shadows of the Damned something that you need to replay. Honestly, it is something that you could skip and not miss out on anything special. Shadows of the Damned was known for its controversial level design (you go through one level walking on the body of your girlfriend while she is in the throws of ecstasy) and themes relating to how you do specific skills in the game. Shadows of the Damned is truly the result of an era that has long since moved on, with the content being too “outdated” by today’s modern social standards and it shows in spades.

However, if you haven’t played Shadows of the Damned before, and are not afraid of more risky content, then I recommend giving it a go. Even if I don’t see much difference between the PS3/Xbox 360 era original and this version, this game deserves a lot more attention as an alternative to modern games that try to shoehorn guilt for having a libido into them rather than letting people go crazy with a very out there content.

Shadows of the Damned Hella Remastered

Shadows of the Damned Damns Again

Shadows of the Damned is a game that is stuck in 2011, an era where people were not so prudish about seeing sexual content in their media, and Suda51 knew this, taking advantage of what people wanted as adults and treating them as such. Much like Lollipop Chainsaw, the content here might not be for everyone, but for those who do want it will find a decent game with an ok remastering that will allow them to play the game on modern systems without breaking the bank.

Review Disclosure Statement: Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered was provided to us by Grasshopper Manufacture for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please go review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy for more info.

Summary

Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is one of those games that came from a different era of games development, where game designers and writers were not afraid to push the boundaries of what was unacceptable by society’s standards. Shadows of the Damned remains unchanged, with every moment dripping with sexuality, exploitation, and profanity. People might have a hard time accepting Shadows of the Damned for what it is, but those who do will be surprised by a game that still holds up against modern standards in game design and gameplay.

Pros

  • Uncensored gameplay and story
  • Interesting level design choices
  • Dialogue that would make a sailor blush

Cons

  • A product of a by-gone era
  • Might not be acceptable to modern audiences
  • Lazy basic remaster job
Overall
3
Karl

The main "Australian arm" of The Outerhaven. Karl primarily spends time playing and reviewing video games while taking time to occasionally review the latest movie or piece of gaming technology.

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