Shadow Hearts (2001) (VG)

Release Date:

11 December 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Plot Keywords:

Blood | Gore | Violence | Black Magic | Cannibalism

Cast

Eric Stuart	...	Yuri Hyuga (voice)
Carter Cathcart	...	Roger Bacon (voice)
Veronica Taylor	...	Alice Elliot (voice)
Madeleine Blaustein	...	Margarete G. Zelle (voice) (as Addie Blaustein)
Scott Rayow	...	Zhuzhen Liu (voice)
Ted Lewis	...	Keith Valentine (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kayzie Rogers	...	Sea Witch

Country:

Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:M

Quotes:

Margarete G. Zelle: Right on schedule! The bomb I set in the train depot just went off.
Yuri Hyuga: Damn, Margarete, how many firecrackers do you have up there?

Movie Connections:

Followed by Shadow Hearts II (2004) (VG)

Using the innovative wheel for combat this is a fun sort of horror rpg.

I enjoyed this rpg, I considered buying at one point until I read a really negative review, but I later bought it used and have since learned never read reviews about role playing games again. Typically, the reviewers like the ones I hate, and hate the ones I love with the exception of Final Fantasy. So, to this game, the most unique aspect of it is the judgment wheel used during battle and at other times during your quest. It makes battle a bit more interesting as you can cause more damage depending on if you hit in orange or red zones or miss all together if you miss. This keeps one interested in the battles, at least it did me. The story is rather interesting as well, as it is sort of horror based, but as it wears on it gets kind of a science fiction vibe to it instead. I would have preferred it stay more horror myself...there is also a bit of humor in it as well, but not as much as you are going to find in the two sequels. The plot follows a young man named Yuri as he helps a young girl named Alice escape from a powerful sorcerer. The game goes from Asia to Europe and you become allies with all sorts of interesting chaps along the way. I like the way the game happens in the real world instead of a fantasy world as this is a nice change of pace. So other than the fact of the change from horror to more light hearted game and the absolutely bizarre story telling modes which are poked fun at in the sequels this one is a very interesting and different type of role playing game.