Sacnoth, a development house composed of former SquareSoft employees, had a slow start with its first title, Koudelka. While lauded for its excellent CG sequences, Koudelka suffered from the mishmash blend of survival-horror aesthetics and puzzle solving, with unimaginative turn-based gameplay. Shadow Hearts is Sacnoth's latest creative effort and improves upon its predecessor both in terms of style and engaging gameplay, making for an experience that for many will undoubtedly be entertaining.

More of a side story to Koudelka than an actual sequel, Shadow Hearts is the story of Yuri, a young man with the power to fuse with the souls of monsters, and Alice, the daughter of a slain priest, who is hounded at every step by enemies who hunger for the power she possesses. Shadow Hearts is not your typical "boy saves girl" fantasy love story, however. Shadow Hearts takes the ideas you've become accustomed to from other RPGs and spins them in a new direction, providing you with a plot that is at once comical, scary, and most of all, exciting.

Shadow Hearts takes place on an alternate Earth in the early 1900s. Period pieces like the steam-powered Shanghai Express and antique airplanes set the stage for a world where magic is an accepted part of history, as are atrocious acts of murder and the occasional demon infestation. The game begins with a CG sequence, one of the few, depicting particularly gruesome deaths, which leads into many other territories that RPGs have seldom ventured. There are many instances where characters will make thinly veiled sexual advances toward others, and in some cases, the bizarre dialogue is positively hilarious. On the other hand, there are many sequences that opt for the disturbing instead of the humorous, depicting psychological disorders and other such touchy topics in a compelling manner. While strictly linear in nature, the storyline as a whole remains strong throughout and should keep most players thoroughly entertained.

The story mostly revolves around the male and female protagonists, but the other characters they meet on their journeys are equally well handled. Zhuzhen, the aged adept, serves as wise advisor, drunken lecher, and stalwart companion. Margerete, whom you'll meet early on in the journey, is the female equivalent of James Bond, with nifty gadgets, a sexy demeanor, and attitude to spare. Other playable characters will also join the group, and each has a detailed back story and definite field worthiness in combat. The NPCs you meet along the way are also suitably entertaining, and many of them can be downright scary.

In addition to its compelling storytelling techniques, Shadow Hearts also breathes new life into the standard turn-based combat of traditional RPGs with the introduction of the judgment ring. The judgment ring is the key element behind the timing-based gameplay mechanics in Shadow Hearts. Whenever your character needs to attack an enemy, use an item, cast a spell, or perform a challenging task outside of combat, the ring appears. You must then stop the revolving hand on the face of the judgment ring in three different sections--if you miss any along the way, your turn ends. The end portions of each target segment are indicated in red, and when you hit them properly, you are rewarded with a "perfect" result. Consistently hitting the red portions will deal more damage to opponents, but you run the risk of missing them and thus losing an attack opportunity. Modifiers can impair or aid your success with the judgment ring--these include items that slow down or speed up the indicator, enemies that will make you spin blindly or on a shrunken ring, and many more. The ring is put to use in just about every situation where chance is involved, including the game's minigame, a lottery of sorts where you are encouraged to find other lottery members and spin once on their rings, with a chance to win a rare prize. While some of you may find the constant reflex-testing of the judgment ring cumbersome, and at times annoying, most will agree that it serves to keep you on your toes, while also introducing a new challenge to a genre generally limited to the threats of direct damage or status ailments.