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Gothicness Has Never Been The Same

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: October 12, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Shadow Hearts: A great game that takes a completely different path from the everday average RPG. The game is based on a mysterious Hero and a girl that is desperetly sought after by the Japanese. It is set in the 1900s and has a real dark, gothic theme to it. Near every location you go there is something wrong and in most cases, exorcism is needed.

You play as Yuri, the mysterious hero who can't seem to get his mind out of the gutter. Most of his dialogue has sexual references to it when Alice or Magarette comes to mind.
Your purpose is to protect Alice at all costs, and find out the reason Alice is so dearly needed. Protect her at all costs!

The unique battle system uses the Judgement Ring to determine whether attacks are effective or not. It also is used in the casting of spells to determine their potency, in getting discounts from shops, and also in acquiring Key Items.

Another feature of this game is the fact that Yuri can transform into different monsters, of the souls he has obtained in the Graveyard, to aid in battle. In order to do so you must detroy monsters and build up your element points. Once an element is full, the gravestone relating to that element begins to glow in the Graveyard, allowing one to go and fight the lost soul of a beast of that enemy and be able to morph into them upon their defeat.

The other GRaveyard function is to go to the four masks and rid yourslef of the Malice of the enemies you have defeated. If you leave it too late, Yuri's father will come randomly into battle to fight a character one-on-one. It can get very tedious and most often results in that character dying. The only resolution is to make sure your Malice level remains low, by fighting a spirit the masks present to you. You also recieve an item after the spirit is defeated which balances everything out.

Thus this is a great game I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a game that is different and unique!

Real RPG fans will love this game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: June 11, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Story:
The plot revolves around a man named Yuri who can somehow fuse with the souls of monsters. One day he saves a girl from a strange old man who means to do her harm. The girl is Alice Elliot who has been on the run from this old guy for some time. Together, with a bunch of other people they meet along the way, Yuri and Alice must discover what the geezer wants and thwart his plans. The storyline is pretty interesting. I never really got overly attached to it but it kept me interested through out the game. The characters are all likeable enough as well. The dialogue is wonderful. The jokes actually make sense and are funny for a change. Perhaps one of the best parts of the game is the setting. It's set in the real world shortly before WW1.

Gameplay:
The controls are excellent! There are no awkward camera angles anywhere in the game. The battle system is innovative and flawless which rarely ever happens. To attack, or do anything really, you need to hit certain points on a ring at the right time. This forces you to pay attention and keeps random battles interesting.

Graphics:
This game has decent graphics. The character designs are pleasant (except Keith who looks god awful) but nothing really special. The enemy designs are very interesting however. I've never seen so many weird creatures in a game before. The backgrounds are absolutely gorgeous! The colors are dead on and they set the tone for the game very well. The cg is ok but nothing really special. I adored the drawings. I'd take good drawings over good cg anytime.

Sound:
The music is pretty nice. I won't be buying the soundtrack but it does suit the game well. The voice acting is acceptable. It's not really good but it's far better than most video game voice acting.

This game is the sequel to Koudelka (which I've never played) but you don't need to play Koudelka to understand the game. The only game I can think of to compare this one to is persona, only much easier. I really enjoy dark modern games. I wish there were more of them. Sadly, this game never really got the recognition it deserved because it came out around the same time as the much inferior Final Fantasy 10. This is a game that no RPG fan should mis.

Difficulty: Easy

Look out, Final Fantasy!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: March 18, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Allow me to say that Final Fantasy X, although a good game, has a very definite rival in Shadow Hearts.

I have played both games, and I was really surprised to find that I liked Shadow Hearts as much as I do. I've been a Final Fantasy fan from the beginning, but...this is just superb. The graphics are well done, the storyline is excellent, and I absolutely adore the item/weapon pictures and descriptions. The characters are very real, and interact with each other in ways that endear them to you. You just can't help but love them.

The music was wonderful, reflecting the mood without getting too repetitive. The cinematics...were somewhat silly (voices can get a little corny), and I had to turn the volume up more than I usually do, but all in all, I'd have to say that everyone involved did a good job. And they don't appear constantly, like in FFX.

The Judgement Ring takes getting used to, but I was thrilled to find a game that made me pay attention to what I was doing. It's used for everything, from battles to buying items to playing the lottery. I encountered a slight hitch when forced to do the dreaded Push Ring for the first time, but eventually sorted that out. My advice? Practice makes perfect. And luck doesn't hurt, either.

Definite replay value, as I've seen both endings and am taking another jaunt into the Shadow Hearts world...right after beating it!

So what are you doing here, reading this? Go, buy it, rent it, borrow it from one of your friends! Trust me, this is one game you won't want to miss.

different from final fantasy but still just as good !!!!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: January 07, 2002
Author: Amazon User

very,very good. One of the best games i ever played.i play rpgs a lot. so trust me. with the exception of final fantasy 7 and 10 this is the best game i've ever seen.the storyline is great. the charachters so far are good. some of them make me laugh histeraclly. There is also the judemeant ring which is hard at first, but you'll get used to it. I also like the idea of fusing with monsters. there are also sp which is sanity points when they are depleted the character goes beserk.they can harm party mambers as well as enemies. i dont want to give anymore away. if you dont buy it at least rent it to see if you like it.
even die hard final fantasy fans like me will enjoy this game.

Wicked fun and fantasy..

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: July 09, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I got this game along with Final Fantasy X. I'd never heard of Shadow Hearts and had been anxiously awaiting FFX to redeem Square from the FF9 disaster, but Shadow Hearts wound up being played multiple times before I even bothered to finish FFX, this sleeper of an RPG is that good. It may not match FFX for glitz and glitter, but we're talking good solid graphics, decent sound, and most of all, one of the most wonderful twisted plots in gaming history teamed with a diverse and engaging cast of characters. Dark and gothic is seamlessly paired with mature humor to bring to life what is one of the most original RPGs I have ever played. The turn-based play is augmented with a judgement ring system to give a hint of arcade need to pay attention during battles, but the system is so easy you can learn and master it by your second battle. The online help is extensive and just as entertaining as the game itself. If you buy one RPG for PS2 in your life, Shadow Hearts is the one.

Huh...?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: March 11, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I don't know why this game got so many bad reviews. The graphics are good, the characters are interesting, and the battle system is really cool. I have yet to beat it yet but I'm having a lot of fun playing Shadow Hearts. It's kind of like Final Fantasy 8 but with a cooler gothic theme. I have a hard time seeing how the other reviewers found the battles repeditive since there are a bunch of fusion souls and special attacks to use.

A must play RPG

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: January 13, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This game was suggested to me buy the guy in the video store so I got it along with FFX and I must say I cant stop playing this one I'm enjoying it more then FFX (surprised me)It has a very gothic story and non annoying charaters. Yuri is one of my favorite charaters in a video game along with Squall(FFVIII) and Dante from Devil may cry.The voice overs on some of the cutscenes are rather dumb but this is proably my new favorite role-player game I cant wait to reply for the other ending. There are lots of side quests and hidden weapons to find along with secret fusion monters to gain. The judgement ring doesnt take that long to get use to it only took me a few tries. Anyway this game rocks . Check it out.

A refreshing change

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: July 19, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I felt this was a nice change from your typical RPG. The story line, I felt was interesting and BGM was also nice. Although I felt more FMV could have been added to compliment the story, The game was pretty cool. I'd recommend it to anyone who want refreshing change of scenery from the typical Final Fantasy type of RPG.

A Sleeper Hit

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: June 18, 2002
Author: Amazon User

With the release of FFX, this game became an embodiment of its title, a shadow heart. If you crave a different take on an RPG, this is the game for you. Clever dialougue, a new battle system all within a more modern setting. Don't miss this title. I rented it, and now I'm buying it. A definite must in your library. You'll want to play it again.

I love shadow hearts!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: June 23, 2002
Author: Amazon User

i think shadow hearts is a very good RPG. I mean, after playing final fantasy X and watching the ending, you would really want a RPG that's way better and shadow hearts is. The judgement ring is a little wierd at first but after a while, it's acually really fun. the graphics could be a little better though. They should had put 3D backgrounds, not pre-rendered. The main character, Yuri look's a little out-of-proportion when he runs(heehee!). The storyline is very good but they should had made up their mind on having japanese voices or english. But overall, i think shadow hearts is a good alternative to the final fantasy series.

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