Shadow Hearts review

When judged in role-playing terminology, Europe is a distant outpost where few dare to travel or even contemplate visiting in their travel itinerary. So it is a matter of celebration when an RPG reaches our shores from the epicentre that is Japan. Normally those that overcome the language and television barriers are well worth waiting on, mostly. With the recent news that work on Shadow Hearts 2 is underway, Gamestyle thought it best we plugged the gap within our review section, and provided a verdict on the original Shadow Hearts.Usually the prominence of the Midway logo would be enough to send prospective purchasers scurrying elsewhere - such are our preconceptions based on recent releases from the American publisher. However, in the case of Shadow Hearts, such a judgement is unduly harsh; as for once Midway has managed to deliver.The game is set in the early 1900s when Europe and Asia become more closely linked thanks to improvements in transport methods. Dowsed in Victorian architecture, Shadow Hearts is set in the era when the old, traditional ways clash with Western ideals. Amidst this culture clash is the constant threat of Japanese forces, which are trying to wrest control of China. Then in 1913, Japanese forces in France snatch a young girl (Alice), but on route to Dairen (in Japan) an English gentleman intervenes. Unfortunately this chap does not practice etiquette; instead Roger Bacon is a feared warlock with incredible powers. Chivalry is thankfully not a long forgotten legend, as a young man rescues Alice - for now. After such a dramatic opening, the story stutters for the first few hours, but begins to take flight when you reach Shanghai. Only here do the wandering heroes realise what they have to do. (As a form of compensation, Midway has included a miniature guide, which covers the first section for those who may struggle initially with the options and comprehensive main menu.)The central character is Yuri, a young man orphaned at an even younger age. Driven by voices and strong will, Yuri has the rare and powerful ability known as 'Fusion'. His companion throughout most of the adventure is Alice, and in spite of her petite appearance, she is the source of great power. As monsters are defeated their collective soul grows in strength (classed by ability), and they seek revenge. Yuri can transport himself to the graveyard in order to deal with this 'Malice', which at certain times will manifest itself in the form of a fusion monster. If Yuri answers the call of the gravestone and defeats the monster, then he can become this creature during battle - hence fusion. If you ignore the growing malice, then not only are you ignoring a possible powerful tool, but the reaper will eventually come for Yuri again and again, until he dies. Other members of the party are unaffected by this curse, but it is important that you visit the graveyard when needed.Apart from the story, the other main component of an RPG is the combat system, and yes, Shadow Hearts utilises random battles. It does however manage to offer a variation on the traditional and laborious system used by Final Fantasy; here leaning towards the more involving and hands on-system preferred by Grandia - through its use of a Judgement Ring. Upon selecting a magical or physical attack the ring will appear, and within it are highlighted hit areas. You must hit the X button at the correct moment to ensure the attack takes place; miss the first area (powerful attacks have multiple areas) and no damage will be inflicted. Taking such a feature to a deeper level is the inclusion of red areas within the hit areas (normally towards the end) that reward those with exceptional timing by boosting the selected attack/magic above the normal level. The more extreme and powerful attacks have smaller hit areas, therefore taking some degree of skill to unleash. To compensate you can equip characters with items, which increase the size of the areas or slow down the speed of the Judgement Ring. If you have faith in your ability then such items are wasted, and the resultant spaces can be used more efficiently. Opponents can wonderfully unleash spells that have adverse effects on the Ring, such as freezing, limiting or speeding, all of which can cause great disruption. The only real drawback of the system is the fact that if your attack is focused on one opponent, and the first strike kills the target, then the remaining strikes are lost instead of being used on another opponent.Visually Shadow Hearts is competent but never striking or memorable in the epic Final Fantasy sense. Travelling and exploration is achieved through pre-rendered backgrounds similar to those employed during the 32bit era by Squaresoft, but never matching the lavish detail of current releases such as Onimusha. Only the battles themselves are displayed in fully-fledged three-dimensional form, but the game does not suffer for it. Rather, the variety of locations and situations plays more to a tangible feel as seen in Broken Sword. The character designs are solid, with many attacks and creatures having a tongue-in-cheek feel. All these combine to produce an enjoyable and enchanting release.Thankfully Sacnoth has ignored the need to incorporate speech and Shadow Hearts relies on the text to drive the story onwards. The translation is good and retains some moments of humour - mainly when you have to make choices. Your selections do alter the path that you follow slightly, as side-quests are available for those wanting to experience everything. Admittedly there are key moments that utilise speech over static backdrops and these are, on the whole (with one funny exception), well-voiced. The refusal to implement cut sequences is refreshing as only the opening sequence and a few dramatic events are portrayed in this manner. The advantages are obvious; Shadow Hearts loads quickly and with no pauses or interruptions the story continues to prosper. In addition, Gamestyle must highlight the soundtrack - which is captivating, ideally formulated and stands out as one of the best in recent years.Shadow Hearts is an essential and enjoyable Playstation 2 RPG; it may not be as grandiose or as famous as its illustrious rivals but the core RPG experience is one of quality and a good story told well. A hidden gem? Most certainly, and one that is already proving difficult to locate, even now.