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25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Phenomenal Storytelling, Flawed Gameplay, March 16, 2001
Shadows of Destiny, hands down, has the most engaging story of any game I have ever played. Probably a third of the game is CG movies--which are great at moving a story. The voice acting, if not perfect, is well above average for a video game. The graphics, as other reviews attest, are simply top-notch, making this game a visual feast. Indeed, it is interactive cinema, if I have ever seen it.The premise is that you are being murdered, over and over again, and that you need to flit through time (from the 16th century to the present) to tweak events to prevent the possibility of your murder. This involves puzzle solving, such as the use of ropes, ladders, discussing possible movie topics (no joke!), borrowing keys, eavesdropping, and, of course, making weird use of the legendary Philosopher's Stone (if only Harry Potter was along for the ride). Sounds great, right? Well, aside from its not really engaging deeply with the implications and paradoxes of time travel, the story is. The puzzles are not too easy, but you won't need a clue book, either--this isn't Myst. For all you technical types out there, there is occasional pop-up and slowdown, but it didn't bother me. The real problem is game play. There is no action in this game. No jumping, no punching, no epic boss battles, no strategy, no practicing your Crouching Tiger day after day. You can walk, talk, and manipulate objects in the most basic way. Anything more (including most object manipulation) is handled by the cut scenes. So the game basically alternates between walking and talking on the one hand, and cut scenes on the other. The story emerges beautifully (I have finished the game) chapter by chapter. So what do you do when it is over? Well, unless you like to watch the same movie over and over again, you go out and buy another movie. There is no skill to develop, no "I should have done it that way" from hindsight. There is no reason to play this again. Yes, the box promises some new bits and pieces, but this is no Vagrant Story, where the second time is more fun than the first. So, will you plunk down $xx for an awesome ten-hour interactive movie that you will only play once? I did, and I don't regret it. Story to me is paramount, and I have a bunch of other games and don't give each of my games 50 hours anyway. But if you have limited resources and a small library of beloved games that you play over and over? Rent it on a rainy weekend and play through the whole thing.
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible game, few flaws. A surreal mystery game., March 9, 2001
You find yourself in Germany. You take a step out of the cafe you just ate in and glance down at your watch. 2 PM the hands read. You start to walk down the road. It's quiet and empty. The next thing you realize... you've been stabbed in the back. You fall forwards and the view gets hazy. Then you awake, in a surreal surrounding, with an unseen speaker talking to you. You have a second chance, you can change your destiny and fight fate. Do you have any choice but to accept? This is probably one of the most amazing games. There are 10 chapters you work your way through, and 5 possible endings. You go through time, avoiding death several times, and you have to try to change the timeline as little as possible. Can you find Dana before you have to return to your original time? Are you able to stop Ekard's wife from being murdered? How many times are you going to die, then return and find a way to avoid it? The game has one main path, but there are many variables you must take in mind. The slightest action you take might change the future forever. I hope you enjoy this game as much as I did... there were few flaws, only really that you could only really save at the end of a chapter. You could use a special type of save so that you could save your place at any point so that you could stop playing the game for a bit, but it was erased once you loaded it, so trail and error things couldn't work. There is one small thing I should tell you... in the game do not come in contact with yourself. Since it is walking a thin line existing in a time and place where you already exist, if you touch yourself or come in contact with yourself (realizing who it was), you will no longer exist. This is scientifically correct (with matter and anti-matter), so try not to run into yourself or you will get a very prompt 'Game Over'. I hope you will become as fascinated as I did with this game. I got a real feel for the characters and the enviroment. Once you start playing... you'll get lost in it.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating., January 1, 2002
Whether it be a book, movie or even a video game, there are some stories that just stay with you. I'm talking about those stories that fascinate you so much that you are thinking about it months later and still saying "Wow" to yourself. Eiche Kusch's adventure in "Shadows of Destiny" is one of those stories. It is, hands down, the most fascinating game I have ever played.The premise: Eiche is murdered by an unknown assailant. He is brought back to life by an enigmatic being who calls himself "Homunculos" and given the opportunity to go back in time to prevent, and solve, his own murder. But it's not quite that simple. Having prevented your murder once, the killer will strike again, prompting you to travel back to another time to prevent it, and so on and so on. As Eiche travels further back in time to prevent his demise, he uncovers dark secrets and insights as to why he is being marked for death in the first place. To say anything more will give it away. This very unique plot allows for some very nifty time-travelly puzzles, especially in the first few chapters. The only problem with the puzzles is that, as clever as they are, they are very easy to figure out. In some cases you are practically told in giant neon letters what you need to do. It's kind of a let-down, and I wish the puzzles were a bit harder. But in a way, it's also a good thing. Since the puzzles are easy, you can move through the game at a steady pace and they don't get in the way of the story. One of the core criticisms of this game is that you spend more time WATCHING it than actually PLAYING it. This I agree with, but I don't think it's a bad thing. There is more story here than you'd find in most motion pictures, and it has richly developed characters who you'll find yourself caring about and understanding by the end. I was more satisfied "watching" this game than I usually am after a typical night at the movies. There are five paths you can take through the game which lead to five different endings, and each path allows you to learn more about the history of the characters you will meet. This sounds like a gimmick, but it works. Each path (with the exception of one) allows you to discover a healthy chunk of back-story which is necessary in understanding the whole story. You'll discover that the many characters you meet aren't just random people, but they are tightly woven in a vast conspiracy that goes back to the middle ages. One of the endings contained a plot twist of such Sixth Sense-ian proportions that I bolted up in my seat, let the controller fall out of my numb fingers, and stared transfixed in utter disbelief. If you've played the game you know what ending I'm referring to. Another critique is that the game is too short... and yes this is true. Even with all the endings, the game is still too short. There is alot detail and love put into the story and the characters... but there's not enough. I want to know more about these people. I found them all worth knowing more about. Although maybe it was just a case of enjoying the story and the characters so much that I wanted more. The sound is a mixed bag. The voices, for the most part, range from adequate to good. Nothing stellar here, but they do the job decently enough. The few cases where the acting is strained is when a young person attempts to do the voice of an old person or a child. (The voice of Hugo was particularly irrirating). There is one aspect of the game that did irritate me, though. In order to operate the time travel device, Eiche needs to power it up with green "power cells" that are scattered around the town. This was pointless and a real waste of time, as the player is forced to run around aimlessly looking for those dang green orbs instead of continuing with the story. This is obviously a poor attempt to please the "mainstream" gamers, and it fails miserably. It's a small thing to complain about, but when a game is so close to perfection faults like this stand out like a Mack truck. Keep in mind, this is a game to satisfy your mind, not an itchy-trigger finger. There are no life meters, no swords or guns or legions of enemies to kill. Just your character, an interesting story, and your brain. You don't "play" this game, you experience it. I know that sounds corny, but that doesn't make it any less true.
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