Possibly the most badly-treated, downtrodden classic RPG ever. Gamers unite! Bring this classic out of the shadows!
Of the myriad games released to date, very few can claim to truly offer a perfectly balanced combination of all three. Today's gamers seem more content with shiny graphics and fast, hard action - some have even commented that the age of RPG and Adventure games is drawing to a close.
Those people are obviously disillusioned, and probably under the influence...
The tides of time have seen hundreds of RPGs introduced onto the myriad consoles that have blessed and impacted our otherwise banal lives. With their exciting gameplay, captivating scores and unforgettable stories, these RPGs have made great names for themselves; firmly cementing themselves into the Gamers' Hall of Fame. The remarkable 'Final Fantasy' series has become a true God of RPGs, as have the 'Chrono' Games. I'm sure every one of you who has ever played an RPG game has fond memories of at least one - one precious jewel of gaming that revives your love for a well-told story every time you think about it...
It's a shame then that there are those fantastic RPGs that get buried beneath the captivating maelstrom of such wonderful, eternally unforgettable games as Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Cross. These RPGs are not necessarily bad - they're just not quite as remarkable as the rest of the competition. Shadow Madness is certainly one of these games.
For a start, Shadow Madness does an admirable job in combining all three of the aforementioned key foundations of RPG gaming. The gameplay, in the context of 1999, was thoroughly enjoyable for an RPG fan (though admittedly it did lack the appetising complexity and detail of the FF series); the musical score was, in parts, rather pleasing to the ear; and the story, while not on-par with the unrivalled FF7, was still a touching tale, worthy of any RPG.
You play as a young swashbuckler-of-sorts, Stinger, who begins the game in his destroyed hometown of Port Lochane. A darkness has taken the Port, and everyone who once inhabited the picturesque locale is now either dead or crazy. The darkness has brought with it a plague of some sort - an illness that drives everyone it doesn't kill insane. As the story progresses, you learn that these attacks are not confined to your town, and an epic quest begins in which you must find the source of this madness and put a stop to it.
So the story might not be breathtaking. But then, if you were to write down an outline of your favourite RPG's storyline on paper and read over it, chances are it wouldn't exactly look riveting - or even interesting. As anyone will tell you, it's not the plot that makes the story click - it's how the story is told. And Shadow Madness captures your attention - and your heart - just as much as any other RPG (perhaps with the exception of FF7, which still hasn't given me my heart back...)
In terms of audio, Shadow Madness has, on the whole, a pleasant soundtrack that's likely to please most gamers. Sure, it's not as alarmingly beautiful as the touching piano melody of Aeris' Theme in Final Fantasy VII, or the relaxing guitar piece from Arni Village in Chrono Cross, but it's certainly not the dire, cheesy, Japanese rubbish that some of the lesser RPGs of late have retched out. Think 1999; think RPG soundtracks; think Shadow Madness...
The big flaw in Shadow Madness is in its graphics. In this respect, Gamespot's assessment was correct: the graphics in Shadow Madness were pretty bad back in 1999 - nowadays, they are truly horrific. Some gamers would probably prefer to spend 78 hours locked in a small, dark room with Silent Hill on Dolby surround than look at the graphics offered by Shadow Madness. The textures are blocky; the polygons are jagged and the colours are dull in some places and over-exaggerated in others. But then, since when were superb graphics a prerequisite of a great RPG? Final Fantasy I to VI are heralded as gaming greats, as is the classic Chrono Trigger. Yet, these games feature worse graphics than Shadow Madness. In a genre surrounded by often stomach-wrenching Japanese anime designs and typical characters, is it really such a crime that Shadow Madness, for all its glory, features somewhat bland and uninspiring graphics?
The battle system is another area that appears to be a little downcast in comparison to other, more favourable RPG games. The combat mechanic is surprisingly different to other RPGs, with enemies free to make moves whenever they can (in other words, the strict turn-based combat of other RPGs of the time isn't used quite so strictly here). However, gamers familiar with the turn-based mechanic of most RPGs should still feel quite familiar with how the game handles itself in this department. Attacks, Magic and Items (such as potions, combat-oriented articles, etc) are classified as such in three different menus. You have a choice between three main physical moves: normal attack, aggressive attack (which does more damage but also leaves you open to intensified attacks) and defend (which does exactly what it says on the tin). Other ingenious tools include a fleeing maneouver which can also be applied on the game-map outside of combat. This is probably one of the more inspiring features of the game. When walking around the map, you will often hear a loud roar and feel your controller vibrating (if you have DualShock). This signifies that an enemy is around, and in the next few seconds, you'll be facing off against them. These often infurating 'random battles' can be avoided by holding down two shoulder buttons on the controller when the roar sounds. This is particularly useful when your party of characters are low on health, or lacking resources. Other RPGs - even the shining star FF7 - suffer from a lack of such an option.
Overall, Shadow Madness is a game that should not be missed by those who consider themselves true RPG gamers - or even just by those who enjoy a game that offers a blend of all three key foundations of the genre. Shadow Madness may suffer from a number of painful quirks and imperfections, but then, looking back, so did most games of the 1990s. If you can put up with the outdated graphics and slight cheesiness of the earlier Final Fantasies in the name of a good story, then there's absolutely nothing stopping you from experiencing the pleasure that Shadow Madness can bring