Ignore at your peril (Shadow Of Memories (PS2))

Member Name: MR.COATES

Product:	Shadow Of Memories (PS2)
Date:	17/08/01 (248 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Something different, Some clever moments, Time travel

Disadvantages: A little short , Linear

Title: Shadow of Memories
Format: PS2
Publisher: Konami

From time to time a gaming title comes along that seems to be doing something that hasn’t really be done before. That’s very much the case with this PS2 title from Konami – Shadow of Memories.
If you were to judge this title by picking up the box you’d be forgiven for thinking ‘that looks a bit naff’ and putting it straight back on the shelf. Try not to be so hasty though, if you give this title the patience and attention it deserves you may well uncover one of the most enlightening gaming experiences yet seen on PS2.

To bring you up to speed, your character is Eike Kusch – an ordinary chap who is just going about his everyday life without any major drama. That is until you witness him being stabbed in broad daylight. Whoaaaa there! You play Eike and he’s killed at the beginning of the game?!
That’s right, if you’re looking for a game that begins in a slightly unconventional way then this could well be the thing you’ve been looking for.

The whole idea in Shadow of memories is that you’ve got to somehow discover who is trying to kill you and more importantly, how you can prevent it. Now don’t worry, this isn’t done in some ‘now you’re Detective Dickinson’ kind of way. It’s MUCH more bizarre than that.
Shortly after your (Eike’s) death, you find yourself waking up in a strange and dark room. You’re alive it seems but not all is as it should be. Then a voice speaks. It’s the voice of God surely, or the Devil perhaps. It’s in fact Homunculus, a guide whose mission is to prevent you from dying.
To do this you’re going to have to travel through time using a Digipad that Homunculus gives you.
Using this Digipad your mission is to travel back and forth in time, meeting people on the way, to hopefully uncover and prevent the
reason why you’ve been killed.

Eye candy:
Shadow of Memories is visually quite a treat if not the most impressive title on PS2. The town’s buildings, features and people all look truly wonderful with quite a respectable level of detail. Your character is slightly out of proportion (check out the length of those damned legs!) but with a fairly complex character model and even moving hair it all looks the business.

As you travel through time you’re treated to a swirling string of colours which is a little naff but at least gives that Bill and Ted feel to the time travel feature. Arriving in different time periods is also very cleverly illustrated as the 1900’s visuals change to take on a more black and white feel whilst visits to the 1500’s take on a more earthy/sandy appearance.

Ear candy(?!):
Not sure if that’s even a gaming term but who cares? Everything that’s pleasing on the eye is equally good on the ear. There is a substantial amount of speech involved here and the characters all have their individual voices. General town sounds are present too although in a much more subtle form, it’s not exactly a huge city full of activity so don’t expect buses, cars or the occasional jumbo jet overhead.

The music deserves a special mention as it totally compliments the varied gameplay. Calm moments have relevantly soothing music whilst the scenes involving fear or action have a much more dramatic score.

Lastability candy (Stop it – Ed):
It’s not the most complex or packed title out there, certainly not in the same league as Zelda or Final Fantasy, but it will last you many hours depending on how quickly you run around the place and how many people you meet and greet. The real beauty of this title is that although it is generally quite linear, there are options you can take along the way. This means you may complete the game but you could replay it with
different choices on subsequent plays. Of course you’ll plough through much quicker on additional plays but at least you can see parts of the game that you may have missed (either by choice or accident) the first time around.

Even if you only play the game through once (10 chapters including pro and epilogue) you should be looking at around ten hours of solid unrepeated playing. That’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of even if it’s not the lengthiest adventure game available.

The Verdict:
Shadow of memories is certainly one of the more original titles currently available although it’s not going to be the choice for everyone. Some moments can become a little tedious as the interactive movie gameplay does involve many cut sequences that you just sit and watch. If it’s a title that has passed you by I can reassure you that you haven’t missed the game of the decade but in terms of originality and absorbing interactive entertainment, this is a quality title that shouldn’t be ignored.

Summary: