Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a fascinating and slightly dated game that is unlike anything else out there. The story and humor can be a bit rough, but the shooting and main characters are incredibly fun. If you’re already into Grasshopper’s games, this one is worth a revisit or a first-time romp.
Credit: Grasshopper Manufacture
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered
Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture
Price: $60
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (reviewed)
MonsterVine was provided with a PC code for review
I’m quite fond of Suda51 and Grasshopper Manufacture, but Shadows of the Damned is one game I never got around to upon its original release. With Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered, I finally got the chance to check it out, and it’s as intriguing as any other title from Grasshopper – even if parts have become a bit janky under the weight of time.
To start, the character of Garcia Hotspur is exactly the sort of character that Grasshopper thrives at making. He’s equal parts badass, weird, and silly, and above all, is fun to follow thanks to his chemistry with the demon gun/phallic joke dispenser Johnson. The duo make the trip through Hell into more of a buddy comedy roadtrip thing, which is especially unique given the dark setting. As is the case with many games from this studio, there are few games like Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered.
Credit: Grasshopper Manufacture
As Garcia, you use Johnson as a variety of guns to blast your way through Hell in pursuit of your girlfriend, Paula. Against a variety of skeletal monsters and demons, you can use a pistol, machine gun, or cannon that each gradually get upgraded into better versions of themselves. The gunplay feels satisfying and there’s a hefty weight that comes with blasting away enemies, especially as each gun gets more powerful. I was pleasantly surprised at how great the shooting is in Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered, as games from that era tend to be hit-or-miss upon revisit. Moving around feels a bit rough, but once you get used to it, it’s less of a hassle.
“The meta humor is alright and puts a bit of special flavor in the game, especially when the gameplay changes up to match it.“
Another major mechanic comes from the light and dark system. An impenetrable darkness often appears in the environment, slowly draining your health and making enemies invincible. Some door switches can only be triggered by shooting nodes in the dark, making it a necessary evil at times. Most of the time, you can shoot a goat head with a special shot to restore the light, making for a neat give-and-take sort of mechanic that is made full use of.
Credit: Grasshopper Manufacture
The story itself is simple and a little weak. Paula isn’t an especially interesting character to pursue and though a couple of the bosses have intriguing backstories, the most interesting lore comes from Johnson’s anecdotes about the underworld. Beyond these aspects, there’s little story to get invested in. The meta humor is alright and puts a bit of special flavor in the game, especially when the gameplay changes up to match it.
Speaking of, the humor of Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is also hit-or-miss, though this largely depends on your propensity for phallic humor. I’m the last person to claim my humor is mature, so it’s more the frequency and “low-hanging fruit” aspect of many of the quips that makes them wear a bit thin halfway into the game or so. Some of the jokes are funny enough (one temporary gun upgrade is delightfully crass), but there are just quite a lot of them.
Credit: Grasshopper Manufacture
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered features new costumes and, most notably a New Game+ mode to make it easier to get all of the upgrades in the game. This is a welcome improvement for achievement hunters, while the costumes are a nice touch.
The Final Word
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered is a bizarre and intriguing game that’s worth trying out. The combat and characters are a blast, which makes up for the janky movement and basic story. If you’re like me and had never played this one prior, it’s worth experiencing.
MonsterVine Rating: 3.5 out of 5 – Fair
