Originating with the relatively unknown game Koudelka on the PS1, the Shadow Hearts series has managed to develop itself a reputation as one of the premier RPG series in the world. Utilizing a highly Westernised artistic design and set in Europe near the start of the 20th century, Shadow Hearts is not your typical Japanese RPG fare. Indeed, in terms of style, it is very close to the likes of Castlevania and Devil May Cry rather than the usual fantasy, sci-fi or pseudo-fantasy/sci-fi setup that most RPGs employ. The character art is very unique and really can't be compared to any other games I can think of in the RPG genre. And indeed, art style is not the only thing that Shadow Hearts is unique in.

The most notable gameplay aspect of Shadow Hearts: Covenant is the Judgement Ring. A circle with a line circling it, players must press the X button at appropriate times on the ring in order to successfully carry out an attack. Players with quick reflexes can even go for 'strike areas', or little red areas at the apex of an attack area that will allow for the full power of the attack. The Judgement Ring does two important things for the quality of SHC's gameplay. First, it really makes the turn-based battle system a lot more interesting. As a player getting rather bored of just selecting attacks from menus, the Judgement Ring offers a little excitement to the formula. Now, the concept of the Judgement Ring could get rather boring, but this is where the developers cover their backs on that extremely well. The second thing that the Judgement Ring offers is a deep level of customization. Between items that can change the size of the areas, the option to pick a different number of physical attacks per turn, different kinds of rings, keys which allow for multiple spins of the ring and a whole slew of nasty status effects which can affect the Ring's behavior, the Judgement Ring completely and utterly controls the flow of the game's gameplay. In other words, it is not a gimmick. No, it is a completely new way of playing an RPG.

Now, time to move to rather more frivolous aspects of the game. SHC has always offered a lot in terms of presentation. Detailed character models complement some really nice gothic architecture and outdoor areas, which feel really natural. There are a series of absolutely beautiful FMV sequences that pepper the game's story, and of course, all the usual cut scenes, dialogue boxes and other non-interactive touches. The music isn't hugely memorable, but the game's OST, from what I've heard, has some nice remixes. Of course, none of the music is going to drill through your ears, so that is something. The voice acting, however, is mostly a revelation. While undoubtedly there are some characters with voices that make you want to strangle them (Garan), SHC has some great voice acing and definitely some great dialogue. Too many RPGs have been dubbed into English really poorly, but thanks in part to being set in Europe, Midway decided to get some decent voice actors to do the setting some justice.

So we've confirmed the game offers nifty presentation and really good gameplay innovation, but what else is important in the RPG genre? Well, story and characterization, of course! The Shadow Hearts series has made a habit of breaking almost every RPG cliché in terms of gameplay and presentation, and with the writing, it is no different. The story starts off in a French village called Domremy in 1914, with World War I at full rage in the French countryside. Karin, a German Officer, is being accompanied by Nicholai, a priest from the Vatican. Their mission is to capture Domremy from a supernatural beast that is protecting it. It turns out that the whole thing was a ruse by Nicholai to meet with this supernatural beast, in actuality Yuri, hero of the original Shadow Hearts, and impart a curse on him. In the aftermath, realizing that she was being used as nothing but a pawn and that the German army had no need for her, Karin joins Yuri and his companions Blanca the Wolf and Gepetto the Puppeteer on their quest to find a way to cure the curse, and also to gain revenge for Domremy's destruction at the hands of a secret society of which Nicholai is part.

Quite an interesting start to the story, but like all RPGs, it goes through a series of twists, turns and arcs which almost completely change its nature. I enjoyed the storyline very much as not only did it offer some great historical characters (including the likes of Lawrence of Arabia, Rasputin and the Russian Royal family) but also something rather more striking-the whole story is in essence Yuri's pursuit of happiness … happiness he felt he lost when his lover Alice died. But while Yuri is undeniably the game's main focus, the other characters are more than interesting enough that you care about what eventually happens to them all. In terms of villains, I won't say much more than the fact that the game takes an interesting, cliché-dodging route of having three major story arcs each with a different antagonist. This is quite refreshing, as it means that the game isn't predictable at all like many RPGs. It also once again shows how the game is more concerned with having a compelling set of heroes rather than focusing totally on one major villain like certain other games.

SHC isn't going to take you forever to complete, but it definitely hits around the 60-hour mark so long as a player aims to complete the game entirely. There are plenty of side quests, optional battles and hidden items-believe me, I can definitely attest to that, spending the better part of two weeks trying to do them all. Grinding isn't something that is necessary to do in the game as your characters are almost always strong enough in levels to handle a given situation. However, to win major battles, a player almost without exception must approach it with the right tactics in mind. While it's rare that a boss is powerful enough to adversely affect the health bars of the characters with any single attack, status effects are a different issue and come in many nasty flavors. Indeed, should a player go into battle completely unprepared for such niceties as Petrify, Instant Death and Mental Break, they may find themselves looking at the 'game over' screen. I like this way of balancing the game's difficulty, as it makes all battles seem possible, even if a retry is necessary-a player will always learn from a battle and know what to do next time.

Shadow Hearts: Covenant is what most RPGs these days are not. It is compelling, innovative and fun. Simplistic level designs and some rather infuriating mini games are really the only things that drag down what is otherwise one of the best RPGs available for the PS2, and possibly the best PS2-exclusive RPG to ever be released.

Feb 26, 2006 | 0 comments
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