Shadow Man (video game)

Shadow Man is an action-adventure video game developed by Acclaim Studios Teesside and published by Acclaim Entertainment.[4] It is based on the Shadowman comic book series published by Valiant Comics. The game was announced on 15 June 1998 and was originally slated for an early 1999 release for Microsoft Windows,[5] but was delayed to 31 August 1999 and also released for Nintendo 64 and PlayStation on the same day.[1] A Dreamcast version was released three months later on 1 December 1999.[3]

Shadow Man
Developer(s)Acclaim Studios Teesside
Publisher(s)Acclaim Entertainment
Writer(s)Guy Miller
Simon Phipps
Composer(s)Tim Haywood
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Dreamcast, OS X, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows, Nintendo 64, PlayStation
Dreamcast
  • NA: 1 December 1999[3]
  • EU: 24 July 2000
OS X
  • WW: 18 October 2013
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
  • WW: TBA
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Shadow Man was re-released on 17 September 2013 on GOG.com,[6][7] available for Windows,[8] (with a version for OS X subsequently added),[9] and later on Steam, available for Windows and OS X.[10]

It was announced on 18 March 2020 that Night Dive Studios, who re-released Shadow Man in 2013, were developing Shadow Man Remastered, a remastered version of the game which includes 4K resolution, improved shadow mapping, per-pixel lighting, anti-aliasing, and missing content that was cut from the original game. The game will be released on Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.[11][12]

A sequel, Shadow Man: 2econd Coming, was released for PlayStation 2 in 2002.

Plot

In 1888, Jack the Ripper – lamenting the fact that his ritualistic murders have not unlocked a mystical power that he believes to exist – prepares to perform the ritual upon himself at the expense of his own life. A man named Legion appears and tells Jack that the power he seeks does exist and offers to share this power with him if Jack constructs an insane asylum for like-minded killers in Deadside – the land of the dead. Proclaiming "for we are many!", Jack commits suicide.

In the present day, Michael LeRoi becomes the current Shadow Man – a lineage of voodoo warriors who protect the world of the living (known as Liveside) from threats crossing over from Deadside – after the voodoo priestess Mama Nettie bonds the Mask of Shadows to him. Nettie has a prophetic dream that Legion is preparing to usher in the Apocalypse by claiming the Dark Souls – the immortal souls of damned warriors – and using them to create an immortal army and send it into Liveside. Nettie reveals that Michael cannot stop the Five, a group of serial killers recruited by Legion, without his powers. The Five, who each have a Dark Soul within them, are hiding in Liveside, where Michael's powers do not work during the day. Michael travels to Deadside with the use of his dead brother's teddy bear, which serves as a link between both worlds.

After collecting all of the Dark Souls in Deadside and passing trials set by the gods of Deadside, Michael assembles a magic knife called the Eclipser. Returning to Liveside, Nettie uses the Eclipser to trigger an eclipse, which enables Michael to become the Shadow Man in Liveside. The ritual drains Nettie of her powers and causes her to go into a deep sleep.

Michael returns to Deadside and finds the Asylum as well as the Dark Engine which powers it. Michael finds his long-dead brother Luke within the Dark Engine along with several paths to Liveside which lead to the hiding places of the Five. Michael defeats the Five and claims each of their souls in the process. During this time, Michael finds Jack the Ripper's diary, which contains instructions on how to shut down the Engine. Michael returns to Deadside and shuts down the Engine, giving Luke his teddy bear back. Luke reveals himself to be Legion in disguise.

Legion reveals that he sent Nettie the dream so that Michael would be forced to collect all of the Dark Souls and confront Legion, enabling Legion to claim all of the souls at once and use them to power the Engine, creating his army and sending it into Liveside. After an intense battle, Michael gives Legion all of the souls, whose combined power overwhelms Legion and kills him, destroying the Asylum as well. However, Michael is now stranded in Deadside but embraces his position as lord of Deadside.

Reception
Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
DreamcastN64PCPS
AllGame[13]N/A[14][15]
EdgeN/AN/A8/10[16]N/A
EGM8/10[17]8/10[18]N/AN/A
EurogamerN/AN/A7/10[19]N/A
Game Informer7.75/10[20]7.75/10[21]N/A6.75/10[22]
GamePro[23][24][25][26]
GameRevolutionB−[27]C[28]B[29]N/A
GameSpot6.7/10[30]6.9/10[31]5/10[32]4.4/10[33]
GameSpy6.5/10[34]N/AN/AN/A
IGN8.5/10[35]9.1/10[36]8/10[37]4/10[38]
Next GenerationN/A[39]N/AN/A
Nintendo PowerN/A8.3/10[40]N/AN/A
OPM (US)N/AN/AN/A[41]
PC Gamer (US)N/AN/A74%[42]N/A
Aggregate score
GameRankings76%[43]73%[44]76%[45]54%[46]

Doug Trueman reviewed the Nintendo 64 version of the game for Next Generation, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "Sadly, this is just a well-intentioned misfire."[39]

The Nintendo 64, Dreamcast and PC versions of Shadow Man received "favorable" reviews, while the PlayStation version received "mixed or average reviews" according to video game review aggregator GameRankings.[43][44][45][46]

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References
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  2. https://archive.org/details/NintendoOfficialMagazine084TGMG/page/n19/mode/2up
  3. Cove, Glen (1 December 1999). "Shadow Man DC Ships". Archived from the original on 25 August 2004. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  4. "The Darkness Is Coming To Sega Dreamcast-TM-: Acclaim's Shadow Man Makes Its Bloodcurdling Debut". Business Wire. Berkshire Hathaway. December 1, 1999. Archived from the original on February 29, 2000. Retrieved June 18, 2019 – via Yahoo.com.
  5. Cove, Glen (15 June 1998). "Shadow Man". Archived from the original on 26 August 2004.
  6. Sunu, Steve (17 September 2013). "'Shadow Man' game returns with digital distribution". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
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  8. "Shadow Man". GOG.com. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  9. "Mac Game Update: 34 New Additions". GOG.com. 15 November 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  10. "Shadow Man". Steam. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  11. Wright, Steven T. (18 March 2020). "N64 Cult Classic Shadow Man Is Getting Remastered". GameSpot. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  12. McCaffery, Ryan (18 March 2020). "N64 Favorite Shadow Man Remaster Announced for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch". IGN. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  13. Thorpe, Damien. "Shadow Man (DC) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  14. Baize, Anthony. "Shadow Man (PC) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on 16 November 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  15. White, Jason. "Shadow Man (PS) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on 16 November 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
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  18. "Shadow Man (N64)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. 1999.
  19. Bye, John "Gestalt" (30 September 1999). "Shadow Man (PC)". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 16 October 2000. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  20. McNamara, Andy (March 2000). "Shadowman [sic] - Dreamcast". Game Informer (83). Archived from the original on 2 December 2000. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
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  23. Scary Larry (27 February 2000). "Shadow Man Review for Dreamcast on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on 9 February 2005. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
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  27. Liu, Johnny (December 1999). "Shadowman [sic] Review (DC)". Game Revolution. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  28. Liu, Johnny (October 1999). "Shadowman [sic] - N64 Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
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  30. Lopez, Miguel (13 December 1999). "Shadow Man Review (DC)". GameSpot. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  31. Taruc, Nelson (24 August 1999). "Shadow Man Review (N64)". GameSpot. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  32. Wolpaw, Erik (24 August 1999). "Shadow Man Review (PC)". GameSpot. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  33. Lopez, Miguel (2 December 1999). "Shadow Man Review (PS)". GameSpot. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  34. Gameslave (24 February 2000). "Shadow Man". PlanetDreamcast. Archived from the original on 31 January 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  35. Dunham, Jeremy (6 December 1999). "Shadow Man Review (DC)". IGN. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
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  37. Lopez, Vincent (27 August 1999). "Shadow Man (PC)". IGN. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  38. Perry, Douglass C. (10 September 1999). "Shadow Man (PS)". IGN. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  39. Trueman, Doug (November 1999). "Finals". Next Generation. Vol. 2 no. 3. Imagine Media. p. 117.
  40. "Shadow Man". Nintendo Power. 124. September 1999.
  41. "Shadow Man". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. 1999.
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  46. "Shadow Man for PlayStation". GameRankings. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
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