A classic, re-imagined!
Shadowgate 2014 is a re-imagined homage to an old classic.
That means that developer Zojoi sought to respect the source material, but add some modern flare. For the most part, they did a great job.
For a fresh pair of eyes, Shadowgate offers a 1st-person Point & Click Adventure with the ability to interact with lots of objects. For fans of the original, many of the iconic scenes will be familiar, but slightly modified. I like that some puzzles and items have more of an explanation behind them, vs the original. I like that there are a bunch of new puzzles that keep a similar vibe. I also like that there are a number of options at your disposal: toggle new orchestrated soundtrack vs. classic chiptunes, toggle classic transition screens, toggle classic descriptions. Zojoi understood what made Shadowgate good the first time around, and kept the same spirit for this reimagining.
What doesn't work so well is that the UI remains clunky. Simple tasks can take a bunch of clicks, but I presume some fans may not want it any other way. As you get used to the key shortcuts, it does get a little better, but it's still clunky. The addition of story elements in the form of cutscenes also doesn't work that well. The art and acting is fine, but I found the writing to be dull and didn't care to follow it. And the whole thing does seem overpriced at the $20/$30 asking price.
That being said, Shadowgate has a lot to offer as a point-and-click. It's got puzzles. It's got enemies, that you have to figure out how to get around. It's got more items than you know what to do with. But most of all, the best thing is that once you've finished the game, the other difficulties mix it all up again. You'll encounter NEW puzzles. NEW enemies. Even NEW locales!
Although imperfect, it's about all I could ask for.
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