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Incredible game, few flaws. A surreal mystery game.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 21 / 23
Date: March 09, 2001
Author: Amazon User

You find yourself in Germany. You take a step out of the cafe you just ate in and glance down at your watch. 2 PM the hands read. You start to walk down the road. It's quiet and empty. The next thing you realize... you've been stabbed in the back. You fall forwards and the view gets hazy. Then you awake, in a surreal surrounding, with an unseen speaker talking to you. You have a second chance, you can change your destiny and fight fate. Do you have any choice but to accept?

This is probably one of the most amazing games. There are 10 chapters you work your way through, and 5 possible endings. You go through time, avoiding death several times, and you have to try to change the timeline as little as possible. Can you find Dana before you have to return to your original time? Are you able to stop Ekard's wife from being murdered? How many times are you going to die, then return and find a way to avoid it? The game has one main path, but there are many variables you must take in mind. The slightest action you take might change the future forever. I hope you enjoy this game as much as I did... there were few flaws, only really that you could only really save at the end of a chapter. You could use a special type of save so that you could save your place at any point so that you could stop playing the game for a bit, but it was erased once you loaded it, so trail and error things couldn't work. There is one small thing I should tell you... in the game do not come in contact with yourself. Since it is walking a thin line existing in a time and place where you already exist, if you touch yourself or come in contact with yourself (realizing who it was), you will no longer exist. This is scientifically correct (with matter and anti-matter), so try not to run into yourself or you will get a very prompt 'Game Over'. I hope you will become as fascinated as I did with this game. I got a real feel for the characters and the enviroment. Once you start playing... you'll get lost in it.

Rough start but very good story

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: March 13, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I recently bought this game and can't seem to stop playing it. The storyline of the game is amazing - better than any game I have seen before. At first however, I found it slightly confusing and wasn't sure exactly what I was supposed to do. The thing you must realize about the game is that it operates in "real-time" and the story really operates along a continuum. For example, if you play the game for 15 minutes, the same amount of time will pass in the game - and these 15 minutes could mean life or death!! This is truly an interactive game and, at times, a race against time itself. The game also has an eerie effect at times, you're every move determines if you will live or die. The good thing about the game is that even after you have played it once, you can play again and perhaps find yourself with a different ending. This is the type of game that can be played over and over. This is really the only mystery game I have ever encountered. It truly is a unique game.

One of the best PS2 games so far

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: March 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Since its launch in October, the PS2 has seen a handful of really good games, and a lot of bad ones. Shadow of Destiny arrives with little hype, but is easily one of the best games on PlayStation 2. The premise -- going back in time to solve your own murder -- is fantastic, and the story that unfolds as you alter both the past and the future is amazing. The focus of Shadow of Destiny is problem solving, but the game is still relatively easy. The pace is slow, so some gamers may not like the game. But, as I've said, the story is the main selling point here. Shadow of Destiny is simply amazing; no PS2 owner should be without it.

Rent it!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: August 21, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game is a very exciting and extremly well made game but it is not a game you play a million times after you beat it. There are five endings to the game and if you want to choose and play until you get the different endings that is fine but it takes a LONG time. This is one of the best games i have ever played but for the serious gamers that know the cheat sites get the FAQ for it; it will help you a lot. If you have time to rent video games and play them for five hours or so, RENT IT!

**Warning**

This is not a game someone without a memory card should get! (I know first hand!)

*But i got the memory card later so it worked out ok.

Immortality has its perks...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: October 25, 2002
Author: Amazon User

If you're looking for a game with plot, this is it. If you're looking for a game with action, you'd better look elsewhere.

Confrontation wise, there's absolutely none in the game. No battles, no fighting, and as I said no action. It's like an RPG without battles. And normally that would annoy almost everyone, but this game more than makes up for that with an extremely rich plot and very original gameplay.

I could compare this game to another but I can't think of anything that it's similar to. "Shadow of Destiny" deals with time travel, one of my favorite themes. Your mission is to go back in time to prevent your own death - but time travel has consequences. If you stop yourself from dying one way, you die another, and so on. All the while the events of the game remain connected through a paradox of events. Believe me, once you beat all of the endings you'll figure it out.

The difficulty level of the game is somewhere between "insanely easy" and "way too easy". Puzzles are pretty self-explanatory, stuff that you should figure out fairly easily. The logic of the puzzles is like "if you die from a bullet, wear a bullet-proof vest" - not an actual puzzle in the game, but something you're likely to see. There are very few "failure modes" in the game. You die all the way through, but you rarely get a game over unless you try to converse with yourself in the past (time travel no-no) or forget to return back to the present when the timer runs out. But all of this is explained by the game and you're warned of it ahead of time.

The actual time travel part of it is limited. Most of the time you're told where to go and when to go there. In a few cases you're allowed to go wherever or rather whenever you want.

Like I said, the strong point is the plot. As far as I can see, there are no loose threads in the game. If you've seen all of the endings, chances are you'll know exactly what was going on the whole time. Everything fits together and makes sense, yet is complicated enough to add a lot of depth.

You don't necessarily have to buy the game. You can complete one run-through in less than a day, and after that it becomes easier to complete the game. You can skip cut scenes after viewing them more than once, and if you've figured out the puzzles the game is incredibly easy the second, third, fourth, a fifth time through. You can probably rent the game and beat all endings in two or three days, maybe less. There's not a lot of replay value after seeing all of the endings.

If you're looking for a good interactive story, this is your game. But if you want a real action game or a difficult game you should save your money. Personally, I bought the game because I liked it so much. I'm hoping for a sequel or at the very least a similar game.

Great Game!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: March 11, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game has the best graphics Ive seen ever. The people and their clothes look so beatiful!!! The city is breathtaking at night or anytime. Its on a DVD disc and the graphics are just georgus, simply put. Also, the way the characters act, talk, and move are life like, and the way that their hair move when they walk or move their head is wonderful. I dont see how games can get any better graphics than this game. The game is very interesting and you get caught up in the game very easily. The first time i played it, I lost track of time and was up all night playing it. This is the way video games should be. There are a great deal of wonderful cut scenes. It almost reminds me of Back To The Future, the movie. You go back on forth in time to try and change your destiny, which is to get killed somehow, whether someone tries to kill you or if its by accident. Great game, if you want to know. This is a game you need to buy instead of just renting for a couple of days. BUY IT!!!!

Excellent, but a little short....

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: March 12, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Okay, first of the graphics and music are great. The idea is fresh compared to the other games for ps2, and fun. Shadow of Destiny is overall a great game (see the other, long review). The only problem is the length. It does have 10 chapters, yes, but even still it is short. The chapters can be 5 minutes to 40 minutes in game play. I know that the game is meant for replay and has multiple endings, but it could have stood to be slightly longer the first time around. Other than that, it's a great buy.

A True Masterpiece

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: February 19, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Shadow of Destiny is a true masterpiece in every sense. It truly is one of the most underrated games out there. It truly deserves better credit than it has been given. Like some great masterpieces, whether games, movies, or books, this game has a very polarizing effect on the "audience". Some people love it, some people hate it. If you are a mature gamer like me who is looking for something different and with more artistic value and originality, this game could be for you.

First, you must understand what this game is and what it is not. It is a truly brilliant masterpiece in terms of the artwork, unparalleled details, intriguing story, captivating environment, non-linear gameplay, and puzzle solving. It is not an action game by any means; no shooting, killing or fighting anyone. No jumping or hacking or slashing. If you are strictly an action junkie, look somewhere else. Also, puzzles are quite easy, which may disappoint some experienced gamers who are looking for tough challenges.

The game itself is pretty much a very good interactive movie. There are over three hours of beautifully rendered cut scenes that take you through the game's fascinating, deep and intriguing plot. Keep in mind that you will spend more time watching cut scenes than actually controlling the character. The plot is great; one of the best in PS2 games by far (together with Silent Hill 2); although not perfect. By not perfect I mean that time travel to the past results in some contradictions that if you think about them deeply spoil the whole plot, but you have to take the plot for what it is: fiction. I won't give away too much about the plot; you probably read Amazon's editorial review.

Perhaps the thing that struck me the most about this game is the incredible attention to detail. It is simply unparalleled in any PS2 game, not even GTA3 is as good, and GTA3 is quite good in this sense. Everything in this charming little medieval German town is beautifully detailed, from the architecture in the buildings, the patterns in the rugs and wallpaper, paintings, furniture, etc. etc. Even my wife, a non-gamer who likes interior designing and antiques spent hours watching me play, admiring the game's visuals. Obviously the developers have a very good decorative taste. And the details are there painstakingly rendered through different ages (present, 1500's and early 1900's), giving you the feeling of being "there". The overall beauty of this game is so much that even when I was wandering about backtracking at one point I didn't mind it as much. One time I got myself killed after running out of time because I was doing too much "tourism".

The only thing I didn't like about the styling is that different time ages have different colors; for example, 1902 is in black and white (is this Pleasantville?). But just a minor thing.

Some people criticize the game for being too short; I found out that this is a bit overblown. If you try to beat the game by yourself with no walkthrough cheating or anything like that, you will spend a reasonable time with this game. Cheat, and you'll finish it in 4 hours or less and miss out on a better experience. I took 6.5 hours the first time around, which is more than it took me to finish the hugely popular Devil May Cry.

Furthermore, the game has up to seven possible endings based on different paths or decisions you take, which gives it a good replay value. The different paths and endings also add to the story quite a bit, so you may want to beat it more than once for sure. Also, many people think that games like this have no replay value, because once you get the story, there is no reason to play again. I think this is nonsense; how many times have you watched your favorite movie? I think I am going to play this one again many times.

Since this game is not appreciated by anyone, I recommend you rent it before you buy, if you can (this game is not very easily found so you may not be able to).

My scale rating (1-10)

Graphics: 10
Story: 10
Gameplay: 8
Challenge: 5
Sound: 10
Replay value: 7
Overall: 9

Shadow of Destiny

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 12, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Shadow of Destiny is a great murder mystery time game. Not a very hard game to beat or play. Many wonderful Endings: a-e. two endings can happen for b. Two more endings for the Extra game after you get all 5 endings.

Everytime you play, you can get different scenarios. Great sound and graphics. With characters that speak in the game, there is no need to read anything. All you do is walk around looking for things u need to pick up that glows in blue, chat with people, and give them things. Simple enough. Just have to make sure that you don't run out of time and it's ok to die a lot. The more scenarios you get and things you do, the higher percentage you get for each chapter.

I recommend getting the game if your interested in that sort of thing.

Shadow of Destiny is GREAT!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 18, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game is awesome! It has great graphics and has a cool storyline that is really original. There is no other game out that has a storyline like this....Eike Kusch, the main character, has just died. He is given another chance at life by a mysterious being and is given a device called a Digipak. This device will let you travel through time to prevent things from happening that will lead to your death. This game is great and you will love it if you like adventure or mystery games.BUY IT!

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