Game Review: Shadow of the Beast II
This one takes me back. It’s one of my earliest gaming memories. I can still picture the ridiculously huge box Shadow of the Beast II came in along with a T-shirt. This side-scrolling platform game is one of the most difficult I have ever encountered. So much so that there was a famous cheat I am certain the majority of gamers used. The game begins with a pretty cool opening sequence where the evil Mage, Zelek, turns into a dragon and steals a baby from a cottage. Our hero, Aarbron, who is half-man half-beast sets out to recover the baby. Wandering through the land of Karamoon he must solve puzzles, befriend different races, fight others but ultimately defeat Zelek and rescue the baby.
Ludicrously difficult, Shadow of the Beast II has a very simple solution in the form of a woodland tribe a few feet from your starting point. They don’t want you in their woods but if you chat with them by typing key words, in this case “Ten pints,” you become invincible which is very handy. Not that that guarantees you success as I shall reveal. There are a variety of enemies to fight including the woodland folk, goblins, and even the odd dragon thrown in for good measure. Your path is a perilous one with platforms divided and prompting you to leap between them to avoid an acid bath. Very nice. Puzzles though straightforward in some cases are annoying in the respect that getting some of them wrong means you are done for. You can still wander Karamoon to your heart’s content but it is now impossible to finish the game!
Aarbron is armed with a trusty mace/flail type weapon but to defeat Zelek you’re going to need something with a bit more punch and so our hero must befriend a group of characters who offer guidance on locating the magic power you need to face your adversary. Just be careful with that mace. Many is the time I met with an old man in the forest who gives you magic and rather than hand him the items he needs I hit him with the mace which was bad news for him and especially me as it is impossible to win the game without him. Another scenario involves grabbing some wine from an inn and giving it to a goblin guard when you wind up imprisoned which allows you to escape. Again, you had to be careful here. It’s possible to offer your weapon by accident which the goblin is very happy to accept leaving you permanently trapped!
Dragons, winged creatures, a giant snail, goblins, large fish and a huge sea creature providing a ferry service, Shadow of the Beast II is great fun though the graphics are not the best. It is too difficult though and without that “Ten pints” cheat many gamers would have missed out which is a shame. One of the highlights for adolescents like me is the conversations you have with characters. Because you had to type these in using the keyboard you only needed one word suggestions such as “Zelek” or “Karamoon” and characters would respond. Of course, being able to type anything in I used to amuse myself for hours by typing swear words to which the characters always responded, “I don’t understand that!” Immature, I know, but it made me laugh at the time.
Shadow of the Beast II shows its age in many ways. It isn’t graphically outstanding but it’s still good fun, albeit brief, if you know what you’re doing. Without a cheat it’s so difficult to complete and with the unforgiving nature of the puzzles it’s an experience that will infuriate many gamers rather than leave them satisfied. This still brings back great memories for me of the early days of my gaming life. They don’t make them like this anymore.
Verdict: 3/5
Game Review: Shadow of the Beast II | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
