SHADOW OF THE BEAST

 SHADOW OF THE BEAST, Psygnosis' latest (and I think greatest) release, goes
well beyond any other game available in terms of graphics and sound design. With
an animation rate of 50 frames per second, 13 levels of parallax scrolling, 128
colors displayed simultaneously, 850K of music data, 2.2 megabytes of graphics
data, 350 different screens, and 132 entirely distinct monsters, this game
manages to set high standards on all fronts that will be difficult to exceed for
a long time to come. The fact that gameplay itself is also rich, deep, and
exciting seems all the more astonishing, given the quality of the audio-visual
aspects. SHADOW OF THE BEAST is proof that good gameplay and state-of-the-art
sound and graphics are by no means mutually exclusive in the design of a
computer game. (This review is based on the Amiga version.)

 In this program, you're in the classic arcade game situation: You must fight
your way through several regions to reach your ultimate enemy. In the process,
you have to overcome both local and end-of-region monsters with a variety of
techniques. You find keys, weapons, and potions, all of which are collected and
used in the usual fashion. Keys open up certain areas, certain weapons are
necessary to defeat certain creatures, potions increase strength or revive your
energy. There are also various puzzles involving transporters, levers, treasure
chests, wrenches, etc., that affect what happens in a particular area. You can
jump, crouch down, move right or left, climb up and down ladders, punch, kick or
use your available weapon. There are pits and ledges to be avoided, as well as
ladders to be climbed.

 SHADOW OF THE BEAST is distinct from most arcade games, though, in that
gameplay isn't really reflex-oriented. Your success in each area has much more
to do with your astute observation of what-happens-when than with the speed or
precision of your joystick actions. There are no time limits to pressure you,
and no restrictions on direction of movement. At any point, you can go all the
way back through an area you've reached the end of; in fact you _must_ do so in
some areas in order to get out. You can take as much time as you need to move
carefully through a challenging section, and can flee (in certain circumstances)
if a section you've entered seems too difficult. Your heart rate is displayed
(along with your strength) in the upper left hand corner of the screen at all
times; if that rate gets too high, your heart bursts and you die.

 The game is advertised as an arcade/adventure, but unlike some others (in which
the arcade elements are crude intrusions upon an adventure game, or vice versa),
SHADOW OF THE BEAST really does manage to balance the joys of both genres
nicely. You'll spend equal amounts of time thoughtfully solving intriguing
puzzles and gauging how far to step to avoid being hit by, say, a bouncing
eyeball. As in SWORD OF SODAN, you'll have to discover where your opponents'
weak points lie while you try to get past them. And you must determine which
particular weapons are useful on which particular creatures. As should be
apparent, this is not one of those arcade games in which you simply increase
your capacities in linear fashion. SHADOW OF THE BEAST's many facets all
contribute to the richness, variety, and replayability of the game.

 Arcade fans will rejoice as much as adventure fans: Like most Psygnosis
releases, this is one hard game! While reflexes aren't really on trial here,
timing certainly is. You have to be very precise in determining exactly when and
just how far to propel your onscreen character in a particular direction. Very
frequently, going too far will have an adverse affect on your ability to deal
successfully with enemy onslaughts; in other words, you have to learn to wait
sometimes for them to come to you, rather than rushing into their waiting arms.

 But in the end, the quality of the graphics and sound is what distinguishes
SHADOW OF THE BEAST as a truly exceptional game. Everything moves so quickly and
fluidly that the creatures onscreen seem almost alive. The parallax scrolling
gives each scene a real three-dimensional feel (especially above ground). Both
the background drawings and the huge, animated sprites are colored beautifully
and subtly, completely free of any "jaggies" or flatness. The pictures' depth
and dimensionality make them seem more like scenes from a alien space movie than
an animated cartoon. And the music (by the same person who did the wonderful
soundtrack for FRIGHT NIGHT) is rich and orchestral; the programmers have
learned how to use the Amiga's built-in sound capabilities to full advantage.
Each of the incredible variety of compositions sounds less like electronic music
than the digitized, electronic simulation of wood instruments. (The lead voice
in many tunes, for instance, sounds just like Gheorghe Zamfir on his pan flute).

 There are only a few potential negatives. When you die, you're obliged to
experience the "death scene" and related music for 30 seconds before you can
begin again (I consider this a built-in inducement for players to rest their
eyes). You cannot save where you are, so if you're obliterated, you have to
start over from the beginning (which, in this game, is more of a pleasure than a
chore). And, finally, the two game disks are copy-protected, not to mention full
of highly compressed data, rendering them more susceptible to damage, despite
the ability to leave them write-protected during use. Perhaps the piracy problem
is so severe in the UK (where this product originates) that no other solution
was deemed acceptable. We can only hope that some day, after initial sales, an
unprotected version will be released. The good news is that there are no time
limits to the warranty; Psygnosis will replace damaged disks at any time, no
matter how long you've owned the game. Just return the original diskettes for
exchange (no other proof of purchase is necessary).

 SHADOW OF THE BEAST comes with a black T-shirt (size large, unisex) displaying
the fabulous Roger Dean graphic on the front. The documentation consists of a
nice little six-page story to help set the mood, a guarantee that the program
and disk are virus-free, background information about the designers, and clear
instructions for loading and play. The program requires a joystick, only 512K
RAM, and runs on Amiga 1000s, 500s and 2000s. Only the internal floppy drive can
load the double-disk game; extra floppy and hard drives are not utilized. Game
saves are not allowed. No manual look-up procedures are necessary, and there is
no disk-swapping during actual play. Screens and sound load quickly and
smoothly.

 I rate SHADOW OF THE BEAST right up there with SIMCITY and POPULOUS as one of
the few choice games that exceed the conventions, technology, and standards of
most other gaming products. We can only hope that it indeed foreshadows great
things to come from Psygnosis who, with this release, establishes itself once
again as the leader of the pack.

 SHADOW OF THE BEAST is published and distributed by Psygnosis.

*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253