Every once in a while there is a game that may use some pretty familiar game play elements, but it does it in such a way that you are constantly entertained and Shadows of The Damned is one of those games. Shadows of the Damned is an over the top third person (think Gears of War) violent shooter. Be warned, just like the game this review is not meant for children. Shadows of the Damned is rated M for the following reasons: Intense violence, blood and gore, strong language, nudity, and strong sexual themes. That sounds like my kind of game, but will Shadows of the Damned leave you wanting more?

Shadows of the Damned is really hard to sum up in a few words. If Robert Rodriguez made a video game, Shadows of the Damned would bare a very close resemblance. This game is so much like a Rodriguez film that I would be very surprised if he did not have a hand in it somewhere. If you don’t know who Robert Rodriguez is, he has been behind movies like: From Dusk Till Dawn, Machete, and Once Upon A Time in Mexico.

In fact the main character that you play calls himself a MexiCAN, not a MexiCAN’T. He also likes to refer to himself as “Garcia Fucking Hotspur.” He is a demon hunter, and he is damn good at his job. Garcia is as tough as you can get. His body is covered with tattoos and a long scar runs down his face. There is nothing that can stop this demon hunter, and you get to control him as he tries to save his girlfriend from hell where she dies, and then dies again, and again, and each time Garcia gets to experience her death.

Shadows of the Damned Game play

This is where Shadows of the Damned may seem familiar. The game uses the Unreal engine, so the point of view, controls, shooting and running all seem similar to other games, but the actual way in which it is all deployed makes it different.

Most of the game is played from the 3rd person perspective, and it never really gets old. In small numbers the enemies are not that challenging and experienced gamers may think that it is too easy, but things change when the different game play elements start to come into play.

Killing the zombies is easy, but when darkness takes over things become more challenging. For one, you can’t survive in the darkness for very long. You must find a way to bring light into the world. This is usually done by shooting a goat’s head that is hidden somewhere on a wall. You can hear the goat bleating. “Baaaaa, Baaaaa.” Follow your ears to find the light.

For the most part, the enemies are zombies and most of them are slow, until they get close then they leap into your face and try to eat your flesh. From a distance it is a literal blast to pick off the zombies one by one. Each bullet inflicts damage to the area of the body that it penetrates. For example, you can easily shoot the legs off of some of the zombies, which leaves them a crawling torso. They will not stop until you either put a few rounds into their heads, or you can choose to jump up and down on their torso while Garcia yells things like “Fuck yeah” or “Taste my boot!” It is fun and strangely satisfying.

A carefully placed head shot will make the zombie’s head explode in a violent display of blood, again there is something strangely satisfying about it. If you happen to pull off a head shot from a distance, time slows just a little and the camera angle changes to be behind the bullet as it enters the zombie’s face. Garcia will again have something foul, but satisfying to say about it. You feel like a badass when you are playing this game and it is a lot of fun. The bosses do pose more of a challenge, but every single boss encounter was fun and unique.

The developers have done a great job of mixing up the game play. There are levels when you will be chased by a zombie version of your girlfriend. You must run because if she catches you it is all over. There are some 2-d side scrolling levels as well. In these levels everything looks as if it was made from paper. It is a fun change to the game.

What keeps you entertained throughout your adventures in the underworld is the dialog between you and your gun, who at times appears as a talking skull. His name is Johnson and there is no shortage of dick jokes during your trip through hell. For instance, save points throughout the game occur when you find “One Eyed William” floating in the air. You know your game has successfully been saved once good old one eyed willie takes a big steaming dump and it falls to the ground. See, this game is sick, demented, funny, and fun!

There are posters and books littered throughout hell. Each one of these can be read and they provide some back story to the underworld. Your good friend Johnson will read them to you quite like some sick bed time story.

There are some other not so subtle little jokes throughout the game. One of the levels Is called “As Evil As Dead.” In this level you are chased by the Zombie version of your girlfriend. The chase leads you to an old cabin in the woods. Once inside things get really familiar as the game pays homage to an older cult classic horror movie called, “Evil Dead.”

Some other areas let you do things that no other video game has. During one level you will be able to walk right across your giant girlfriend’s exposed chest as you take in the mountains on each side of you, and later in the level you you must walk right across her bare ass. These little things make Shadows of the Damned unique.

During one level, you approach a stone sign that reads, “moor pu dekcuf.” Johnson explains that it must be a joke put in the game from the designers. If you read the sign backwards you get, “Fucked up room,” and the room lives up to its name.

Shadows of the Damned: Power-ups in Hell!

Even in Hell there are still power-ups, and of course they are not your usual type of power-up either. Liquor will bring your health up should it drop too low. You can drink Sake, Tequila and Absinthe for health boosts along the way, and there are even convenient vending machines throughout hell that dispense your life giving alcoholic beverages.

Which brings us to the games monetary system. You will need money to buy drinks from the vending machines. The money comes in the form of white gems that appear after you defeat the undead that are all over the underworld, but save the majority of your white gems for purchasing red gems, because you are going to need them to upgrade your weapons.

The weapons are fun to use. You can use the Hotboner. This is more like a pistol. The Dentist which acts like a machine gun, and the Skullblaster which acts like a rocket launcher. Each weapon can be upgraded with red gems.

There are blue gems throughout the underworld too. These blue gems get placed into a slot on your Johnson. Much like that magic blue pill called Viagra, the blue gems will also give your weapons more power. Each weapon is a literal blast to use.

Graphics junkies might be disappointed

The visuals in Shadows of the Damned are not that great. They are good and for the most part they get the job done, but if you are looking for Call of Duty graphics, you just won’t find them. The environments are dark and dreary, but after all you are in hell. You can’t expect bright light and pretty flowers, at least not until you meet the underworld’s traveling salesman. This odd blue demon will sell you red gems for 75 white gems and his location is always bright and full of flowers.

Shadows of the Damned Sounds great!

The overall sounds of the game are fantastic. The music has a darker type feel to it. Some of the music sounds like a cross between Slip Knot and Nine Inch Nails. It fits the game perfectly. The sound effects also sound excellent.

Shadows of the Damned Achievements like no other

There are a ton of people out there who love to get every achievement they can. Shadows of the Damned has some really interesting ones, and one achievement is the very first to have an actual cuss word in it. It is called, “Now That’s a Big Fuckin’ Gun.” Other interesting achievements are: Drunk in Public, Flat Lust, The Big Boner and That’s So Hot. You can use your imagination on how you might be able to get these achievements, or you pick up a copy and get the live through the experience yourself.

Shadows of the Damned may seem a little familiar at first, but once you go to hell things get very interesting. If you are looking for a multiplayer game, this is not it. If you are looking for an extremely fun trip through hell that is full of violence, nudity, foul language, blood and gore, then Shadows of the Damned is right up your alley. So pull out your Big Boner and start blasting the undead right between the eyes with Shadows of the Damned!

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