Shadow Hearts

by Midway

Product Features

• Dark, unique story and good character development.
• Excellent dialog breathes life into the characters.
• Compatible with Playstation 2
• Get ready for game filled fun

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005T7ZN
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: December 11, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (91 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,791 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #62 in Video Games > PlayStation 2 > Action
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

A hero with a mysterious past. A young girl holding the key to world domination. A villain who will stop at nothing to unlock the path to unlimited power. Prepare to experience an RPG unlike any other. Welcome to the world of Shadow Hearts.

Product Description

A young girl holding the key to world domination. A villain who will stop at nothing to unlock the path to unlimited power. Prepare to experience an RPG unlike any other. Dark, unique story and good character development. Excellent dialog breathes life into the characters.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

83 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Biggest surprise of the year, December 30, 2001

By 

"brokenmachine" (Murrieta, CA.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadow Hearts (Video Game)

Midway is publishing an RPG? Surprisingly enough, yes, and it happens to be a well-translated adaptation of a fine Japanese RPG. Featuring a dark, macabre story and premise, memorable characters, as well as some of the finest music compositions yet heard on the PS2, it is not an RPG to be missed by any fan of the genre.

This game was created by ex-Squaresoft members who left Squaare and created a development company called Sacnoth. Much like Monolithsoft, developers of the upcoming prequel to Xenogears, Xenosaga, Sacnoth members were sick of creating yet more Final Fantasy related games and wanted to do something different. And something different Shadow Hearts certainly is.

The game features a Square-esque polish, so it is solid in its presentation and has excellent character and plot development. Unlike Square's recent Final Fantasy games, however, you end up playing more than watching.

Pros:
Dark, unique story and good character development
Excellent dialog breathes life into the characters
Beautiful and haunting musical score.

Cons:
Graphics are dated (true gamers realize the unimportance of pretty graphics)
Battle system a little too simple.

So please, put down Final Fantasy X and pick this game up. FFX will be there tomorrow, however, this game may not. This is because it will most likely be overlooked due to FFX's early release date. Don't let that happen, you'll be missing out on one of the best RPG's to come our way in quite a while.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shadow Hearts just plain RULES!!!, June 11, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Shadow Hearts (Video Game)

... For me, Shadow Hearts is right up there with Final Fantasy 10, and even higher. Great graphics, excellent storyline, and especially great battle system. The new "Judgement Ring" gives a new twist to the game, and all out I'd say that any true RPG fan would love this game. It's got everything. Don't let the beginning fool you; once you really get into the plot, you'll get my point. The story can be different depending on which path you take, so choose wisely. And as for the characters... Yuri's the star of the game, and I would say he's the ultimate RPG character, unlike Tidus from FFX. Yuri can fuse with souls from certain monsters from the Graveyard, which makes his special attacks amazing. His partner, Alice's offense is pretty weak, but she makes up for that with her magic moves. And the Malice (rhymes with Alice) is pretty cool too, just don't get it red. So, in all that, Shadow Hearts is the best RPG game ever; I can't wait to see what the company comes up with next! So, if you want a great game with twists and all that, you've found it.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Grows on You, July 9, 2003

By 

Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Shadow Hearts (Video Game)

Shadow Hearts is the story of Yuri Hyuga, a young man with the mysterious ability to fuse with the spirits of monsters he defeats. He has been commanded by a mysterious voice to protect the life of Alice Elliot, who saw her father torn apart in Rouen, France and is now fleeing for her life across mainland China. The world hangs in the balance as the great magicians of Earth vie for their powers. Spies and magicians, young boys and vampires will fight at their side as this unexpectedly complex story unfolds for the player. Set early in the Japanese invasion of China, just before World War I, the scene shifts from the mainland countryside to Shanghai, Prague, Rouen, and England.

My initial reaction to the game was unenthusiastic. While not disappointing, Shadow Hearts animation falls a bit short of what is currently state of the art for RPG's on the PS2. It is a bit of a shock to switch from Xenosaga or Darkness Hearts to a more typical standard for mainstream RPG's. In addition, the story and characters get off to a slow start, without the benefit if voiceover and cut-scene continuity. The fighting system, which uses an object called a Judgment Ring to determine the success of a strike, takes a while to grow familiar. But if the player stays with the game and waits out the initial reaction gameplay becomes increasingly pleasurable.

Although gameplay is linear, the story itself is interesting, with settings as varied as vampire castles and space ships. Each player has an array of special powers, from Feng Shui magic to bomb dropping planes as well as physical attacks. Puzzles and mazes abound, which keeps leveling up entertaining for most of the game. And gradually, animation and the use of cut scenes and voice picks up, so that the flow of the action becomes more and more engaging.

One of the reasons I like this game is its appeal to both sides of the player. The combat half of the game is fairly straightforward once you master what you can use and conquer the dreaded Judgment Ring. The addition of a set of puzzles to be worked out is a great plus. While these aren't up to FFX's level, they can keep your attention. Finally, this isn't the kind of game that tries to destroy the ego of the play. All the problems are surmountable with the application of persistence. I have hear rumors of a possible sequel, and am looking forward to it.