Ended up playing a 3rd Playthrough for a video I've wanted to make about this game for a while. This playthrough absolutely cemented this as being one of my favorite PS1 JRPG's. Everything about it is so wonderfully executed. Everything about it absolutely fucking hits. It's beautiful.
The antagonists are deeply human and the protagonists are the same. The protagonists are deeply similar. James especially.
I'm very very excited to play Shadow Hearts but I honestly don't know if it's gonna live up to how genuinely perfect this game is to me.
If you want to see the analysis I did of the game it's right over here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDxQqABH3Y0
Please for the love of everything play this game. Give it a chance even if the combat isn't amazing.
The antagonists are deeply human and the protagonists are the same. The protagonists are deeply similar. James especially.
I'm very very excited to play Shadow Hearts but I honestly don't know if it's gonna live up to how genuinely perfect this game is to me.
If you want to see the analysis I did of the game it's right over here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDxQqABH3Y0
Please for the love of everything play this game. Give it a chance even if the combat isn't amazing.
4 Comments
@NJPquestionmark Yeah that's about what I thought from what I've played so far. I'm EXTREMELY CONCERNED about Shadow Hearts and how I'm gonna feel about it. I played a bit of Shadow Hearts before I had first played Koudelka years ago and I dug it but after I played Koudelka and ESPECIALLY after this 3rd playthrough I'm lowkey kinda dreading it because it seems like it doesn't understand Koudelka's vibes at all. I'm absolutely going to play all of the Shadow Hearts series but I'm not gonna lie and say I'm not dreading ESPECIALLY getting to From The New World. Covenant I'm excited for at least since I hear a loooot of praise for that game but we shall see. Glad you enjoyed the video!!! <3
checking out your analysis and downloading the iso as we speak. thank you for the recommendation!
@KieranQW Thank you so much!!! Hope you enjoy the game and hope ya dug the analysis too :D
scroot
1 year ago
If I hadn’t just played Koudelka or if I hadn’t known they were related, perhaps I would have judged Shadow Hearts differently and upon its own merits. Looking back now, I can say that the topics and themes feel perfect for a game set in the same world. However, Koudelka’s art style, voice acting, gameplay (all things one could justifiably find things to not like about, but which I loved) were far more fitting for its world’s gothic horror/occult setting. Shadow Hearts felt like if Cartoon Network bought the rights to the license for theur Toonami block of programming, and made a generic anime with it. Nothing against Toonami or a generic anime, if it’s solid, but again it’s just impossibke to not compare it to Koudelka and think of what could have been. Certain characters are so insufferable, in fact, that I could only play so far.
I’ve heard that Shadow Hearts: Covenant is much better, but also that it gets further away still from the horror roots. This last bit has me in no hurry to play it. I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on Shadow Hearts. Given how much you enjoy and “get” Koudelka and why it’s so special, I almost recommend against even playing SH. It really leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth. Obviously, though, that’s up to you.
Really enjoyed your review!