Shadow Man: 2econd Coming

"Addictive, but Somewhat Lacking..."

I don't want to waste anyone's time, so I'll just say it: this game is a lot better than the first one was. I liked the first Shadow Man enough to want to buy the sequel, but I found it to be overly frustrating and confusing, not to mention the controls and graphics left much to be desired. This game improves upon just about everything, but somehow still leaves me feeling unfulfilled at the very end.

GAMEPLAY - 7/10

One thing that hasn't changed much is the way that the game is played out. You still control Shadow Man/Mike Leroi and explore several humongous, well varied levels and attempt to find weapons and switches, all the while fighting off dozens of evil baddies. This time, day turns to night and vice-versa, so at daytime you control Mike, whereas at night you control his evil, shadowy counterpart (with the exception of Deadside, where you always control Shadow Man, since I guess it is always nighttime). The well-loved Dark Souls from the first game are gone, but they have been replaced with Sigils, and while these are not as high in quantity, they are basically the same thing. This game is much more fun to play, I find, simply because the areas aren't so HUGE and INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE. Granted, there are still some times when you will definitely find yourself a little lost or stumped, but not in such an overwhelming way.
Another part of the game that I guess is good, but kind of annoys me, is the fact that Shadow Man/Mike, can simply not die. Seriously. His life force can be completely drained, but he won't die. Remember the infamous teddy bear points from the first game? Well, they're back, meaning that everytime you run out of life, you will reappear at the last teddy bear (or save) points that you found. And all enemies, including bosses, will sustain the damage that they had when you died. That means a boss can kill you a hundred times in a row and you can still lay a smack down on him no problem. It makes the game pretty simple, but maybe a bit too much if you ask me.

GRAPHICS/SOUND - 9/10

I've heard some people say that the graphics in this game are crappy, and I must say I just don't see what they're talking about. They're gorgeous. All the levels are huge and expand as far as the eye can see, and many things are animated beautifully, such as water and the enemies, but most of all, Shadow Man/Mike himself. He moves with such fluid and grace that he could easily pass as a real person (you know, if not for the fact that you can see all his organs). And I love the way that he sidesteps, it looks like he's doing Riverdance or something. Sometimes edges look a little jagged, and there is a wee bit of slowdown, but not enough for anyone to care. These graphics take the cake, baby.
And sound? No complaints here. The soundtrack sounds like its out of a freaking Hollywood-caliber feature film, with some tracks being exciting (Duppie Village in Deadside), and some just plain creepy (ooh, Russia...). Fans of the first will be thrilled to know that the original voice of Mike is back, in all his badass glory. Jaunty is the same as well, I believe, to offer some welcome comic relief. Agnetta's voice is different from the first, she sounds almost white now, but I thought her first voice was sort of goofy so I don't really mind.

CONTROLS - 6/10

This is where the game can sort of be a pain. Naturally, since you have to use both analog buttons to control Shadow Man, it can really be tough to move around the way you want sometimes. Seeing as how this is mainly a platform game, you'd think they would have tried to make the controls a bit easier to deal with. I assure you that you will fall off the sides of ledges when you were trying to jump more times than a human being ever should. Like I said before, you really can't die, but walking all the way back up a hill just so you can miss the jump and fall off again can get pretty annoying.
The whole inventory screen is a bit tedious as well. It's cool that you can equip both of Mike's hands with weapons, but learning how to do it just the way you want it will surely take some time. If you stay patient, it will be fine, but with this inventory that is sort of hard to do.

OVERALL - 7/10

When it all comes down to it, I would suggest buying this game, but you do have to like the adventure/Tomb Raider/Soul Reaver type of game, or you probably won't enjoy it. Fans of the first game should definitely enjoy it, but keep in mind that this sequel isn't exactly alike. The first one had much more exploration and twisting levels, and this one is slightly shorter and more linear, so you may find it too easy. But if you want an addicting game with awesome graphics and sound, and slightly buggy controls, to take up a week of your life, then you will like this game for sure.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 03/13/02, Updated 03/13/02