Shadow Madness

"A victim of Final Fantasy's legions......"

”If it was more of a traditional battle system, like that of Dragon Warrior or Final Fantasy, I probably would have liked it more.” - Ed the Moogle

”I thought this would be an RPG like Final Fantasy VII, but it's not.” - Haunter120

There are some games that have fallen through the cracks of time. There are other games that never saw the light of day. And still, there are more games that were just forgotten prematurely. Shadow Madness is not one of these games. Shadow Madness has been very unfairly prejudiced against and held against something that it shouldn’t have been.

Shadow Madness is at heart, a simple RPG. The battle system is based on formation, rather than the conventional Attack/Parry system, found in most modern RPGs (including Final Fantasy). Enemies must be “engaged” before you may attack, and like-wise, enemies must engage you. Battles are set in Quasi real-time, commands are entered in real-time, but executed in a turn-based manner. The simple element of engaging and avoiding enemies adds sort of a new dimension to the strategy. Once you begin to understand specific enemy formations in different areas, you can execute battles quickly. Battles at times can be quite complex.

The Story revolves around Stinger and Wind-leaf, whose hometowns have been destroyed by some unknown force. You later meet 6 characters, including one of my personal favorites, Harv-5, a farm robot that constantly says variations of “There will be death.”. The world of Arkose in which the game is set, has its own unique history and mythology. As you progress though the game, you can learn all about the world’s history if you so desire, but its completely optional text. A lot of the interesting historical aspects are found on the worldmap, where there are symbols of mythology drawn onto the ground. The main story is very intriguing.

My favorite aspect of this game is the dark setting. I’m tired of so called “traditional” RPGs. A deadly virus and violent demons are things I want in games. I guess you could call Shadow Madness a Sci-Fantasy RPG (if such a genre exists).

The graphics are very similar to Final Fantasy 7, rather blocky polygons, and whatnot. If you can look at Final Fantasy 7 without vomiting, then you’ll have not problem with Shadow Madness’ graphics.

The music and sound is somewhat darker and hollower, compared to the traditional “blaring, grand, trumpets” in most other RPGs. You’ll find the music is very good, and suites the setting well, most people can agree on that.

I have two problems with this game, but nothing is perfect. First, the gameplay is too easy. However, don’t use that as an excuse to ignore this title, because if you do I have 3 words: Final Fantasy 7. Second, there isn’t much customization within the battle system. However, that can be overlooked.

So why has Shadow Madness been criticized so harshly? As Ed, Hauter, and many other reviewers (including those at Gamespot) have said, they want Final Fantasy. Shadow Madness is a great game with an infamous name. It will never be given the credit it deserves because it is not Final Fantasy, nor does it aspire to be Final Fantasy. Shadow Madness is prove that Final Fantasy and its legions of “fan-boys” are actually harming the video game industry.

If you find a copy of Shadow Madness, I suggest you buy it. It is a very good game, and, despite what some may tell you, is worth your time. However, if you want more Final Fantasy, this is not a game for you. True video game fans only, please.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/25/01, Updated 11/25/01