Shadow Man was originally released in 1999 for the Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Dreamcast, and PC. I didn't play it back then, and the excited reaction to last year's PC Gaming Show announcement that Nightdive is bringing it back caught me a little by surprise. But after watching today's Shadow Man: Remastered launch trailer, I am intrigued.
Shadow Man—the man, not the game—is Michael LeRoi, the latest in a long line of possessed voodoo warriors who protect the world of the living from threats crossing over from the land of the dead. That means exploring crime scenes in Louisiana swamplands, a New York tenement building, a prison in Texas, and other locations in the worlds of the living and the dead, using both guns and supernatural powers to send evil back to the darkness from whence it came.
Of course, it won’t be quite that simple—especially after a voodoo priestess shares a prophetic dream of the apocalypse, driven by the five Dark Souls (no, not that one) and a man named Legion.
- Nightdive's spent 6 years on its update of System Shock 2, so it's now the '25th Anniversary Remaster' and will finally announce its release date on March 20
- The sci-fi adventure game from Deus Ex's art director now has Adam Jensen's voice actor, a September release date, and more techno-freak horror vibes than you can shake an augment at
The remastered edition includes technological updates such as support for 4K resolution, improved lighting, anti-aliasing and ambient occlusion options, and improved AI. It will also feature content cut from the original release, along with bonus material including free digital comic books, the soundtrack, a map, and a 162-page digital strategy guide.
But my favorite thing about it is that it's so damn weird. "As a god, I step forth upon the writhing, suppurating surface of the Deadside Serpent," our narrator, the titular Shadow Man, intones. "What sleep is here, what dreams there are in the unctuous coilings of the snake's mortal shuffling. Weapon in my hand—my hand, the arcing deathblow at the end of all things. The horror. The horror. I embrace it."
OK, what?
"Shadow Man is the perfect franchise for the remaster team at Nightdive Studios," Nightdive CEO Stephen Kick said. "It has a dark, unique setting and is a cult-classic with a significant fan base. We’re extremely pleased with how the remaster turned out and can’t wait for players to jump back into the world of Michael LeRoi, joining his fight to keep Deadside at bay—this time in glorious 4K."
Shadow Man: Remastered is available now on Steam, GOG and the Epic Games Store at a launch-week discount of 25 percent off its regular $20 price.
