Shadow Hearts

Developer: Sacnoth    Publisher: Midway    Release: 12/12/01   Genre: RPG

One of my biggest disappointments with the RPG genre has always been its steadfast reliance on either a fantasy or sci-fi setting. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good Final Fantasy or Phantasy Star. But you have to admit the settings to start to blend in to one another. Even computer Rpgs are guilty of this, although not to the same extent. That is why when titles Persona and Shadowrun come along I pay attention. Shadow Hearts stood out thanks to its 19^th century setting and gothic vibe. Or it would have if it weren’t released at the same time as Final Fantasy X. But that is why I’m here, to shed light on an underrated classic. Shadow Hearts is a good RPG with some solid gameplay elements that doesn’t overstay its welcome and is worth your time.

It isn’t immediately obvious but Shadow Hearts is the sequel to late PlayStation RPG Koudelka. The connections between the two games are slight however, letting anyone jump in. Yuri is on a mission to protect Alice from an ancient warlock bent on using her powers for world destruction. That is the simple plot explanation.  The story spans both Europe and Asia and has hints of political intrigue and horror. Indeed the game’s Gothic atmosphere and setting help set it apart from its contemporaries. The best way I can sum up Shadow Heart’s story is charming. The script can be juvenile at times but the interplay between party members and well realized character arcs will keep you coming back. 

                           

                                    

One of the first things you will have to accept with Shadow Hearts is that it is an ugly game. The blocky character models look ripped from a PS One game and stand out against the lavish pre-rendered backgrounds. In combat it isn’t much better. The fact that Shadow Hearts released the same month as Final Fantasy X did not help either. What saves the presentation is the art direction. The 19^th century setting and eerie tone give the game a vibe unlike anything else on the PlayStation 2. It also has some of the cleanest FMV on the system. So while it isn’t pretty it does have its good points.

Another would be its fantastic soundtrack. The music evokes a range of emotions, happy and energetic to creepy and mysterious. Since this is a worldwide journey the music uses a number of different instruments to capture the feel of each location. East Europe has a Gothic undertone as monsters are sweeping across the country. Japan gives off an imperialistic tone, which is apt as the country is in the middle of a supposed coup d’état. The voice acting on the other hand varies in range. Not of all the voice clips were dubbed so in combat you’ll hear a mix of English and Japanese. Many of the more poignant story moments are voiced and most are bad; I doubt Sea Mother’s story sounds good in either language. I will give Midway credit for trying at least.

Shadow Hearts completely ditches the battle system of its predecessor for something more traditional. The biggest innovation it brings to the table is its judgement ring system. The judgement ring adds an active element to combat like the Paper Mario series by requires you to time your button presses in the hit areas on the ring to successfully pull off attacks. Different characters have different sized rings and placement of their hit areas which present their own challenges. Mastering it isn’t necessary but does have its benefits. Every ring has a smaller strike area; hitting the strike area produces stronger critical hits. Almost every element of battle, from magic spells to items, rely on the ring and it makes the random battles more engaging.

The developers knew they were on to something as the judgement ring has a lot of depth. The risk/reward of trying for the strike areas is always interesting and makes battles faster. The game doesn’t allow you to customize the ring like its sequel but still has options. Acupuncture treatment can be used to increase the width of the hit and strike areas to make it easier on players although sadly it is per weapon and not character. There are a wealth of spells and items that affect the ring in different fun ways. It sounds like a lot and it had the potential to make every random battle tedious. Luckily the encounter rate is low and battles move briskly. 

Shadow Hearts has a slightly higher difficulty than most similar RPGs. This mostly comes from its boss battles, of which there are many. Most bosses have an elemental alignment that, if you don’t have the right party makeup, can lead to long drawn out battles. Even if you do come prepared most bosses have health pools, making these battles tedious rather than fun. Ring abnormalities and status effects such as instant death can wipe out your party instantly as well. There are honestly far too many items that cover nearly every status effect you can imagine, unfortunately they cost lots of money which is why you will have to grind. Having said that it isn’t excessive, it is simply that death can and usually does come unexpectedly.

I have to give Shadow Hearts credit for being incredibly well paced. Overall it is median in length at 20-30 hours. You will not spend much time grinding levels as the game is fairly balanced. The only real grinds are for cash and for soul points to earn Yuri’s fusion forms. The encounter rate is low which makes the excellent pacing stand out even more. There are not many side quests and they are almost all packed toward the end. All of these features make it an easy game to dive into as its time commitment is low.

In Closing

Shadow Hearts is an overlooked gem that warrants a second look. It is ugly as sin but its setting, story, and gameplay make it worthwhile. It also serves as a great appetizer for the masterpiece that is its sequel.