Okay Just Adventure readers, pretend for a moment that we have just appeared on The Dating Game.  It’s the end of the show and host Jim Lange is flanked by today’s winning couples.  Now I’m sure you all remember what happens at the end of the show?  That’s right, everyone puts their hand to their mouth and then blows a big old kiss – SWAK – to the outside world!  Let’s all do that now, ready – SWAK – but let’s blow that kiss towards Konami.

Konami?!  Egads, a company known for its console games!?  That’s right, the same Konami that has converted the wonderfully quirky Shadow of Destiny for play on your home computer.  When is the last time you remember a console adventure game being converted to pc?  When’s the last time you remember a console adventure game?   When’s the last time that any company had the courage to be this bold in a press release:

While the PC market has seen it’s fair share of RPG’s, RTS’s and the ubiquitous First Person Shooter, Shadow of Destiny marks a welcome return to the adventure genre.

Cerebral, engaging, and deep, Shadow of Destiny is a game for the intelligent gamer.  With nefarious puzzles to solve and mysterious characters to interact with, players must rely on their wits – not their trigger fingers – to survive.

THUNK!  Excuse me, I just fell out of my chair in shock.  Konami’s public relations department is surely living on the edge; a motley collection of adventurers who would order the Fugu at a Japanese sushi bar.

Now as luck would have it, we posted a mildly brilliant review (written by a handsome young fellow) of the console version of Shadow of Destiny during its initial release.  Please read (or reread) that review for an in-depth discussion of the game. While the game itself remains the same, there are a few differences in the PC version that should be noted. 

The graphics are now high resolution and are much crisper and more vibrant than they were on the Playstation 2 version.  But, Voodoo 1, Voodoo 2 and Banshee cards are not supported thank you very much.  Be aware that there is occasional load time, not a common occurrence in adventure games.  The main character is controlled via a combination of keyboard and mouse.  I did experience a little difficulty maneuvering him at first, but once I mastered using the mouse and keyboard simultaneously for movement, all was fine.  This is a timed game.  Unlike games that include timed puzzles for no reason, there is a valid reason for Shadow of Destiny to include real time events.

Shadow of Destiny is a game about time travel.  You must prevent the murder of our protagonist, Eike by changing time periods and using the clues you have found in the past to alter the future.  This all occurs in a small German village and it is fascinating to explore the changes that have occurred in this village over the different time periods that the game encompasses.  The game consists of ten chapters and each chapter concentrates on your efforts to prevent Eike’s demise in a predetermined manner, but as fate would have it death seems to keep finding another way to win.   Shadow of Destiny is an excellently constructed game in which the tension actually builds as the mystery deepens.  The small cast of characters has distinctly developed personalities that, like a good drawing-room murder mystery, invite you to become more deeply involved in their pasts.

If there is one carryover from the Playstation 2 version that I wish would have been changed, it is the ability to only save in the middle or at the end of a chapter.  Considering the multiple endings available in the game, the ability to save at any time would at least encourage me to replay the game and try to earn the different endings.  As it was, I somehow managed to get the same ending as when I played the console version!  But then I’m also a creature of habit and I’m sure I played the game the same way through as I did previously.

If you’ve not yet played the console version of Shadow of Destiny, then don’t miss out on the experience.  Both versions come highly recommended.  It would be great if the PC conversion were to become a best-seller and encourage Konami to make more forays into the world of adventure gaming. 

Final Grade for Shadow of Destiny: B+.

If you like Shadow of Destiny, then:

Play:  Shadow of Destiny console version!

Read:  My original Shadow of Destiny review!

Watch:  Somewhere in Time

System Requirements:

Pentium III
128Mb RAM
16 MB AGP DirectX 8 compatible video card
DirectX 8 compatible sound cared
Windows 95/98/ME/XP
DirectX 8 (supplied)
700Mb Free Hard Drive Space