Shadow Man

From the deepest, darkest depths of the human soul appears Shadow Man, the mystical title character in Acclaim's morbid new 3D-adventure game for the N64.

From the deepest, darkest depths of the human soul appears Shadow Man, the mystical title character in Acclaim's morbid new 3D-adventure game for the N64.

That Voodoo That You Do
Mike LeRoi is a failed English literature student in the real world (Liveside), but because of the special voodoo mask implanted in his ribs, he can travel to Deadside and become the powerful Shadow Man. The mask was placed in that very uncomfortable place by the voodoo priestess Nettie, and it gives magical powers to the wearer -- but alas, it also makes Shadow Man her loyal servant. So what's a voodoo to do? For one, you have to battle Legion, evil incarnate, who's channeled through five different serial killers and threatening the world with the Apocalypse. You alone have the power to stop the serial killers and thus rain on Legion's parade. Your character, Shadow Man, is pretty weak at the game's start, but luckily your early opponents in Deadside are even weaker. In a massive collection of caves, cliffs and rivers of blood, you look for the dark stones, which will increase both your strength and voodoo powers. You will also find weapons and artifacts, and receive ability enhancing tattoos and other strange items along the way.

The Long, Winding and Familiar Road
The game starts too slowly, with LeRoi wandering through the first few boring and rather confusing areas, while several dark stones are just out of reach which soon becomes very frustrating. The Deadside inhabitants don't help crank up the excitement either -- they just stand around letting Shadow Man kill them and only occasionally will you find one that actually attacks you.

The gameplay borrows heavily from the Tomb Raider series, forcing you to make several tricky leap of faith jumps and ledge hangers. Lara's influence also shows in the sissy auto-aiming, and the exhaustive exploration of your surroundings to find power ups and weapons. At the beginning the task is rather daunting and not very rewarding. But keep going, because the game gets much more interesting and intense as you progress.

You're Going to Hell.
As you continue further into the depths of Deadside, the action picks up considerably and you'll find flying demons as well as baddies with blades, hooks and chainsaws instead of hands. Some even fire rifles and machine guns at you. Not only do the battles get more challenging, but the graphics and soundtrack become more intense and disturbing. When you finally reach the massive Asylum, which holds the souls of the truly evil, you'll be in awe of the hellish and monstrous building and the horrors contained within.

The story is non-linear and allows you to explore freely, which definitely makes the game more interesting. Another innovative feature is Shadow Man's ambidexterity. Don't go get a dictionary; that just means he can use either hand or both simultaneously. Place a weapon in one hand and an item (such as a key) in the other and you don't have to switch back and forth to the menu screen.

With a tedious start, casual gamers may find that Deadside is too dead for them, but once you're involved with the story and its truly bizarre characters, you get carried away enough to make it through this enormous quest. Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of men? The Shadow Man knows.

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