Shadow of Memories

Henke · 12-21-2003, 12:02 PM

Does anyone know if it is worth buying?

***fov*** · 12-22-2003, 10:24 AM

YES!

Very, very, very good game. Left me thinking about it for a long time afterward. Absolutely the best game I played this year, and it's maybe my second favorite game of all time.

There is a long thread on this site where we discussed every aspect of the game we could think of. I'll try to find it for you. (But there are a lot of spoilers that are better off not read until you've played the game.)

I played the PC port (US version) and although it has a worse reputation than the console version, I personally thought it was fine. The interface was a little annoying but no more so than Conspiracies, which isn't a port at all.

-emily

edit: here's the mongo thread -- http://www.adventuregamers.com/forum...hread.php?t=16 -- but it probably won't be of much use to you unless you've played the game.

Garyos · 12-22-2003, 10:30 AM

Definetly, YES!

It's a deep, imaginative and satisfying little thing. Its biggest problem are the easy puzzles and the short length (if you play through it only once, which you shouldn't do), but you won't really mind, because of how captivating it is...

Get the PS2 version if you can, though.

Henke · 12-23-2003, 08:01 AM

I better buy it then (it's really cheap now). But since I don't own (or like

) a console I have to buy the PC version.

BacardiJim · 12-23-2003, 08:09 AM

The game is completely unplayable on PC without a Gamepad unless you are an experienced Doom/Quake player. Maybe even if you are.

errrr.... just an opinion.

Henke · 12-23-2003, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BacardiJim

The game is completely unplayable on PC without a Gamepad

Don't worry. I have played Broken Sword 3.

BacardiJim · 12-23-2003, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Henke

Don't worry. I have played Broken Sword 3.

Totally different animal. Trust me on this.

Tamara · 12-23-2003, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BacardiJim

The game is completely unplayable on PC without a Gamepad unless you are an experienced Doom/Quake player. Maybe even if you are.

errrr.... just an opinion.

No, Jim, while I haven't played the game myself, even regular FPS players say the interface is crap. Which is why I'm waiting till a PS2 falls from the sky like manna from heaven to play it

... one day ...

***fov*** · 12-23-2003, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BacardiJim

The game is completely unplayable on PC without a Gamepad unless you are an experienced Doom/Quake player. Maybe even if you are.

That's funny, I managed to play the whole thing through from beginning to end... SEVEN TIMES... and I've never touched Doom or Quake in my life.

It's really not that bad. As I said above, IMO it's loads better than the controls in Conspiracies.

This game is so unique and the story is so excellent... it would be a real shame for anyone to forgo the game because they're afraid of the controls. Any difficulties are worth overcoming, and if you enjoy the story I guarantee you'll overcome them quickly.

-emily

ps I don't understand what about the interface is considered "crap" by FPS players. I think it's actually pretty intuitive... a lot better than some PC ports I've played. After SoD I started Nocturne and it took me days to stop walking around backwards. Maybe it's just personal preference.

***Jackal*** · 12-23-2003, 12:40 PM

Regular FPS players might say the controls are crap because it's nowhere near as good as FPS control. But they say that about many third person games, from Tomb Raider to Resident Evil to BS3 (and deservedly so, in most cases).

But I agree completely with Emily that the controls are quite easy. The only complaint might be how the game handles indoors, because for some reason the whole camera perspective changes. But most of the game is spent in large, outdoor areas, and getting around is a breeze.

Tamara, there's really no point in waiting for a PS2 to play the game on. It's the same game with lower resolution. You'll be playing it on a gamepad that way, anyway, so why not just pick up a gamepad for PC?

All in all, a very intriguing game, and well worth a play for anybody, even if it's just for a change of pace.

wayneo · 12-24-2003, 02:56 AM

I've been wondering the same

Everytime I go to buy a game, I always think about getting shadow of memories but never do

I'll get it now people have given it good reviews

Bird · 12-24-2003, 02:56 AM

I think the controls are OK, at least outdoors.
There you can use nothing else but the arrow up to run, and the mouse to steer.
Indoors it becomes more difficult; mouse steering doesn't work + position of the camera is not always optimal.
I didn't like some of the sounds in the game, e.g. when you access the inventory, and I really wonder why I sometimes can't skip cutscenes, and 800x600 as highest resolution is a bit low, but it looks OK when you turn AA and AF on.
Other than that the game is great, a bit easy and short, but I really like the different characters + the story.

btw: I don't think it makes sense to compare the controls of FPS (FIRST person shooters) and this.
If you ever join a quake server as spectator and use the chasecam perspective (3d person), you 'll know what I mean.
It would be imossible to do all these moves, jumps in 3d person...

***fov*** · 12-24-2003, 09:50 AM

bird, you can skip a cutscene if you've seen it before. An option to press 'esc' to skip shows up at the bottom of the screen. I acutally thought this was smart design... because of the nature of this game, there are some scenes you'll see over and over (and will want to skip) and others that may be subtly different based on what you've done this time around. I liked that the game wouldn't let me accidentally skip over something I thought I'd seen before but actually hadn't. By the time I unlocked all the endings, it became a challenge for me to find scenes I wasn't allowed to skip over!

emily

grazzt · 12-26-2003, 07:52 AM

I have to second what all the other say here.. definitely a game worth picking up.

IMO probably the most under-rated/never heard of game on the pc. Too bad Konami doesnt spend any money and advertise this game.

G.

Tamara · 12-26-2003, 08:31 AM

Has anyone played both versions? If so, what's the pros and cons of both and which is worth getting? I *might* be getting access to a PS2 soonish

grazzt · 12-26-2003, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tamara

Has anyone played both versions? If so, what's the pros and cons of both and which is worth getting? I *might* be getting access to a PS2 soonish

If you have an higher-endish pc with good graphics card, the PC version looks better (ie 1024x768 resolution with AA and all that fancy crap).

Only advantage I can think of the PS2 version, is that by default the PS2 comes with a gamepad. heh. If you have a gamepad for your PC, then no big deal.

PC version has a couple scenes deleted (go figure, they are scenes in which explains on what buttons to use, ie there is no X button or L trigger on a PC, so they are justifiable to be deleted).

Other than that, they are pretty much the same imo.

G.

***fov*** · 12-26-2003, 05:27 PM

I haven't played the PS2 version -- but aren't the save slots different?

I thought I heard that you couldn't save mid-chapter on the PS2 version. I could be wrong tho.

-emily

grazzt · 12-27-2003, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fov

I haven't played the PS2 version -- but aren't the save slots different?

I thought I heard that you couldn't save mid-chapter on the PS2 version. I could be wrong tho.

-emily

You can save mid chapter in PS2, just that if I remember correctly, it gets erased once you load from it. (so you can just use it once).

While we're on the subject, has anyone played this on the XBOX? I heard its pretty rare.. just wondering if theres any differences in it...

G.

charybdis · 12-28-2003, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grazzt

If you have an higher-endish pc with good graphics card, the PC version looks better (ie 1024x768 resolution with AA and all that fancy crap)

Although in typical console fashion, that doesn't mean it looks lightyears better ;-) I reviewed this one when it came out on PC and it was perfectly playable with the keys, but I'd much rather have been on my sofa for some of those looooooooooooooooong cut-scenes.

Quote:

has anyone played this on the XBOX? I heard its pretty rare

Plenty of copies over here in Blighty. Haven't seen it running, but I'd guess it's a pretty straight port.

TekXombie · 01-01-2004, 03:37 PM

I played through the game and I never much found walking a big problem, maybe because it reminds me of the controls of Monkey Island 4 and Grim Fandango, which had similar control problems. Although it's not bad enough to warrant a gamepad. If you want to use a gamepad, you might be better off playing the PS2 version.

12-21-2003, 12:02 PM	#1
Henke Headbanger Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: The North Posts: 2,233	Shadow of Memories Does anyone know if it is worth buying? Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ NP: Botanicula, Catherine, Dear Esther, Okami

12-22-2003, 10:24 AM	#2
*fov* Rattenmonster Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Francisco Posts: 10,404	YES! Very, very, very good game. Left me thinking about it for a long time afterward. Absolutely the best game I played this year, and it's maybe my second favorite game of all time. There is a long thread on this site where we discussed every aspect of the game we could think of. I'll try to find it for you. (But there are a lot of spoilers that are better off not read until you've played the game.) I played the PC port (US version) and although it has a worse reputation than the console version, I personally thought it was fine. The interface was a little annoying but no more so than Conspiracies, which isn't a port at all. -emily edit: here's the mongo thread -- http://www.adventuregamers.com/forum...hread.php?t=16 -- but it probably won't be of much use to you unless you've played the game. Share Share this post on Twitter

12-22-2003, 10:30 AM	#3
Garyos AKA Morte Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Sigil Posts: 1,101	Definetly, YES! It's a deep, imaginative and satisfying little thing. Its biggest problem are the easy puzzles and the short length (if you play through it only once, which you shouldn't do), but you won't really mind, because of how captivating it is... Get the PS2 version if you can, though. Share Share this post on Twitter

12-23-2003, 08:01 AM	#4
Henke Headbanger Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: The North Posts: 2,233	I better buy it then (it's really cheap now). But since I don't own (or like ) a console I have to buy the PC version. Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ NP: Botanicula, Catherine, Dear Esther, Okami

12-23-2003, 08:09 AM	#5
BacardiJim Banned User Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,346	The game is completely unplayable on PC without a Gamepad unless you are an experienced Doom/Quake player. Maybe even if you are. errrr.... just an opinion. Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ Time flies like the wind; Fruit flies like bananas.

12-23-2003, 12:40 PM	#10
*Jackal* Hopeful skeptic Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Toronto Posts: 7,743	Regular FPS players might say the controls are crap because it's nowhere near as good as FPS control. But they say that about many third person games, from Tomb Raider to Resident Evil to BS3 (and deservedly so, in most cases). But I agree completely with Emily that the controls are quite easy. The only complaint might be how the game handles indoors, because for some reason the whole camera perspective changes. But most of the game is spent in large, outdoor areas, and getting around is a breeze. Tamara, there's really no point in waiting for a PS2 to play the game on. It's the same game with lower resolution. You'll be playing it on a gamepad that way, anyway, so why not just pick up a gamepad for PC? All in all, a very intriguing game, and well worth a play for anybody, even if it's just for a change of pace. Share Share this post on Twitter

12-24-2003, 02:56 AM	#11
wayneo Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 5	I've been wondering the same Everytime I go to buy a game, I always think about getting shadow of memories but never do I'll get it now people have given it good reviews Share Share this post on Twitter

12-24-2003, 02:56 AM	#12
Bird Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Belgium Posts: 88	I think the controls are OK, at least outdoors. There you can use nothing else but the arrow up to run, and the mouse to steer. Indoors it becomes more difficult; mouse steering doesn't work + position of the camera is not always optimal. I didn't like some of the sounds in the game, e.g. when you access the inventory, and I really wonder why I sometimes can't skip cutscenes, and 800x600 as highest resolution is a bit low, but it looks OK when you turn AA and AF on. Other than that the game is great, a bit easy and short, but I really like the different characters + the story. btw: I don't think it makes sense to compare the controls of FPS (FIRST person shooters) and this. If you ever join a quake server as spectator and use the chasecam perspective (3d person), you 'll know what I mean. It would be imossible to do all these moves, jumps in 3d person... Share Share this post on Twitter

12-24-2003, 09:50 AM	#13
*fov* Rattenmonster Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Francisco Posts: 10,404	bird, you can skip a cutscene if you've seen it before. An option to press 'esc' to skip shows up at the bottom of the screen. I acutally thought this was smart design... because of the nature of this game, there are some scenes you'll see over and over (and will want to skip) and others that may be subtly different based on what you've done this time around. I liked that the game wouldn't let me accidentally skip over something I thought I'd seen before but actually hadn't. By the time I unlocked all the endings, it became a challenge for me to find scenes I wasn't allowed to skip over! emily Share Share this post on Twitter

12-26-2003, 07:52 AM	#14
grazzt Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 41	I have to second what all the other say here.. definitely a game worth picking up. IMO probably the most under-rated/never heard of game on the pc. Too bad Konami doesnt spend any money and advertise this game. G. Share Share this post on Twitter

12-26-2003, 08:31 AM	#15
Tamara Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 914	Has anyone played both versions? If so, what's the pros and cons of both and which is worth getting? I might be getting access to a PS2 soonish Share Share this post on Twitter

12-26-2003, 05:27 PM	#17
*fov* Rattenmonster Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Francisco Posts: 10,404	I haven't played the PS2 version -- but aren't the save slots different? I thought I heard that you couldn't save mid-chapter on the PS2 version. I could be wrong tho. -emily Share Share this post on Twitter

01-01-2004, 03:37 PM	#20
TekXombie Artist Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 40	I played through the game and I never much found walking a big problem, maybe because it reminds me of the controls of Monkey Island 4 and Grim Fandango, which had similar control problems. Although it's not bad enough to warrant a gamepad. If you want to use a gamepad, you might be better off playing the PS2 version. Share Share this post on Twitter

User Name		Remember Me?
Password