Shade: Wrath of the Angels Impressions

Shade: Wrath of the Angels is the long-delayed third-person action game from Cenega and developer Black Element, but not for much longer. Development of the game wrapped up recently, and Cenega gave us a look at the game before it ships next month.

In Shade, your character's brother disappears while on an archeological dig, and you must travel to the Eastern European town he was working in to find him. When you arrive, you'll find the town deserted, aside from a huge number of zombies. Before too long, you'll embark on a time-traveling adventure across the ages as you attempt to recover the pieces of four powerful angel hearts in order to save him.

The gameplay in Shade is similar to that found in Tomb Raider; you'll explore levels and battle whatever foes get in your way. Your main weapon is a magical sword that glows, but you'll also be able to use a pistol and a crossbow, which are useful for pushing enemies back. Your most powerful weapon will be the ability to transform into a fearsome demon for short periods of time.

As you travel through the game, you'll collect angel tears, which can be used to purchase upgrades for the demon, such as a fiery hide that will cause any enemies you touch to catch on fire. You'll also be able to purchase ammo, but, interestingly enough, while you adventure in ancient Egypt or medieval times, you won't find any ammunition because it doesn't exist yet, so you'll have to carefully ration your bullets.

The game looks fairly solid, and Black Element took advantage of the delays to incorporate some of the latest shader effects in the graphics engine. Shade will feature approximately 30 levels, with four to five multiple endings. Look for Shade to ship next month.