Shadow Hearts: From the New World
Shadow Hearts is back and more beautiful than ever!
Tags: Shadow Hearts: From the New World Categories: PS2 Reviews, Reviews
Posted by Craig "American Idle" Hansen on Mar 14th, 2006
| Title | Players | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Hearts: From the New World (title page) | 1 | ||
| Developer | Publisher | Genre | Online |
| Role-Playing (Turn Based) | No | ||
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On a cold Memphis night, a road-weary trucker realized he hadn’t gotten anything for his mother’s birthday. So when he spotted a recording studio, he decided to pull over, go in and rent some studio time to record a little novelty song as a birthday present to her. It was a modest, inauspicious first for the man, and were it not for a studio man with an ear for talent, it might have ended there. But the name of the studio man was Sam Phillips and the name of the truck driver was Elvis Presley. The rest is history.
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In the same way, when Aruze debuted its second-ever RPG on PS2 through Midway, not a lot of people initially took note. They were the developer that was responsible for a nice-looking but somewhat overlooked PSone horror RPG, Koudelka. And before that, the team had been employed by Square to create a couple of Parasite Eve titles before being released to go their own way. But the name of that first PS2 horror-influenced RPG was Shadow Hearts. The rest is history.
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Shadow Hearts is now on its third title in the series, and a lot has changed. While the game is still spooky, it has, over the course of the series, developed a fun sense of humor as well, incorporating a diverse cast of characters that includes some that are an homage to fairy tales and other childhood lore. The series also tends to include, err, let’s say… some quite FLAMBOYANT characters as well. While the gay and lesbian community might applaud this inclusiveness, if they stop to take too seriously some of the more obvious stereotypes on which the game relies, they might not be as pleased. Of course, this is balanced out by some exceptionally prolonged shots of curvy female characters in highly – revealing, shall we say? – situations.
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This new chapter, Shadow Hearts: From the New World, features an all-new cast that centers around Johnny Garland, who at age 16 is improbably a detective. But then remind yourself of characters like Encyclopedia Brown from childhood literature and you’ll relax into the idea of Garland as a detective. His ridiculously-devoted partner is the hulking Lenny Curtis. And it’s not long before other companions join forces with Johnny. Two of the earliest are Native Americans Shania and Natan. Shania has the ability to morph into other creatures, the first of which is a “thunderbird” character. And her transformation is a dramatic strip tease act that leave only a bit here and there to the imagination. Umm… that’s a good thing. A very good thing. The comical old geezer Frank Goldfinger also soon figures into the mix.
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With its mix of comedy and horror – which, by the way, is nothing like the writing of Joss Whedon, even though his work often employs the same ingredients – Shadow Hearts may not feature faces familiar from the previous two titles in key roles (though some do appear in cameos), but it is still unmistakably a Shadow Hearts game. While the previous two titles were set in Europe, this time the series moves to late 19th-century/early 20th-century America for an all-new tale. Thus the “From the New World” subtitle. As with previous works, the game is set in a realistic-looking version of the US from 100 years ago, but the presence of magic, supernatural and occult themes permeate the game, providing the dark fantasy touch that Aruze does so well.
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If possible, Shadow Hearts:FTNW is actually better-looking than the last installment, Shadow Hearts: Covenant. The graphics are on par with anything SquareEnix is doing and outshines every other competitor by a wide margin. Character models, based off designs by Miyako Kato, who has been with the series from the beginning, are rich in detail and explore a world that is no less dazzling then they are. Special effects are on display throughout the game, making it a wall-to-wall eye-candy extravaganza. Just laying eyes on Shania’s first transformation into Thunderbird will be enough to make you fall in love. And the game’s not bad, either.
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Musically, this chapter is the strongest of the series when in comes to a musical score. Composed and directed by Yoshitaka Hirota, who returns to the series after missing out on Shadow Hearts: Covenant, the music in the game is lively, unexpected and addictive to listen to. It is, bar none, the best musical score I’ve heard in an RPG in years. Hopefully, Aruze and XSeed will be savvy enough to keep Hirota around for the next Shadow Hearts game, as well. (And this is just a guess, but I’m betting the next Shadow Hearts game will be on PS3, so Miyako Kato’s designs will have an even better showcase next time around!) While there are no big-name actors involved in the Shadow Hearts: FTNW voice cast, those who do appear put in solid performances, capturing just the right characterization to match the game’s visuals.
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As for the battle system, the Judgment Ring system returns and is in fine form, receiving a modest makeover and several upgrades. Now, a new magic system accompanies the game, which involves “Stellar Charts.” Stellar charts are five-point or more grids upon which you can place “stellars,” which give you access to certain spells. Some stellars are more complex than others, and you can begin customizing them later in the game. Though it may remind some people – vaguely – of Final Fantasy X’s grid system, it’s actually different enough that the comparison isn’t quite fair.
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The story behind Shadow Hearts: FTNW is a fascinating one; Johnny lost his father, sister and part of his memory in an accident and instead of taking over his dad’s business, he opened up his detective agency because he felt the work might eventually help him to jog his own memory loose, allowing him to remember “something important, something that actually means something.” Yet in any Shadow Hearts game, there must be a sinister force to combat, and FTNW has it in the person of a savage serial killer and his femme fatale, known only as Lady, who is as bloodthirsty as he is, and accompanies him like a dark guardian angel.
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In the final analysis, it’s hard to find fault with a game that does so many things so well. Shadow Hearts: From the New World was originally scheduled for Christmas 2005, but was wisely pushed back to March to avoid getting lost in the holiday flood, as well as the competition from Dragon Quest VIII. As gorgeous a game as DQ8 was, however, for my money Shadow Hearts: From the New World is simply that much better. It’s clearly the top PS2 RPG of 2006, so far, and looks as though it can hold its own, even though stiff competition lays ahead this year, in the form of the much-anticipated Final Fantasy XII on PS2, Elder Scrolls: Oblivion on 360 and Rogue Galaxy on PS2, just to name a few. It’s already on my list for top RPG of 2006. So what are you reading this for? Go out and buy it! Buy, don’t rent!
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
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+ Graphics are even more polished than in Shadow Hearts: Covenant. + Character designs by Miyako Kato are as gorgeous as ever. + Score by Yoshitaka Hirota is the most memorable RPG musical score in years. + Fascinating story featuring an all-new cast. + Change of setting from Europe to America adds freshness to the series. + Judgment ring battle system has been tweaked, improved, and is still as addictive as ever. |
9.6 |
| What Doesn't | |
| – Umm… nothing’s coming to mind. The game is awesome! | |
| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| Already a top candidate for RPG of the Year 2006, Shadow Hearts: From the New World simply cannot be missed! | |
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Tags: Shadow Hearts: From the New World
Posted by Craig "American Idle" Hansen on Mar 14th, 2006 and is filed under PS2 Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
