Shadow Hearts (2001)
Genres:Role-playing (RPG)
Themes:Fantasy, Historical
Game modes:Single player
Story:Shadow Hearts is the first official game in the Shadow Hearts series and is the sequel to Koudelka. Shadow Hearts follows the adventures of Yuri Hyuga, a Harmonixer guided by a mysterious voice in his head. He finds himself thrown into the conflicts prior to World War I where he must save the world and the woman he loves from destruction.Show more
Vote to bring this game to GOG and help preserve it.1 682
Shadow Hearts has been my favorite game since it came out in 2001. It has always held a very special place in my heart. I remember watching my uncle play it and immediately falling in love with the weird and gothic world and all of the amazing unique characters. I have a tradition where I replay the game every year to help share it with as many people as I can in hopes of seeing the series come back. This game means so much to me and I would love to see it on GOG so more people can fall in love with one of the best most unique and wonderful JRPGs to ever exist.
Shadow Hearts has been my all times favourite JRPG since a store clerk handed the game to me when I asked them for Kingdom Hearts over 20 years ago. Shadow Hearts' unique blend of horror and RPG, set in a semi historical setting in the near past with many notable historical figures making appearances and being involved in the story is something that you don't find in any other series of games. The series has been languishing in limbo for years now with no plans for a re-release in sight or any potential of any further installments. Shadow Hearts deserves more eyes on it and for people to finally have the game in an accessible form.
My first game I played on the PS2. It’s got an amazing story full of twists, humor, deep and dark elements. There’s a lot of interesting gameplay mechanics and the wheel of fate really makes things fun.
Shadow Hearts series is my most favorite series in PS2!!! The story is one of the most brilliant (particularly the first duology!), the music is amazing, the characters are all so funny and lovable. BRING BACK THIS GEM PLEASEEEEE
Genuinely one of the best and most overlooked RPG series out there, with their blend of horror fantasy and real world events along with a great story, memorable characters, fantastic monster design, and a really good combat system with the Judgment Ring and the Fusion of the MC with badass demons. This game along with both it's sequel and From the New World hold special places in my heart and being able to play them again on modern hardware without having to break out my ps2 would be amazing, and anyone who is new to the franchise is in for an absolute gem of an experience!
the opening alone was such a shock to the system when I was a kid, the setting, the music and the skill-based combat set in a turn-based game, I haven't seen a game since try to do something like the judgment wheel, it gave you the perfect amount of risk to reward, and mastering the timing on your abilities meant that if a battle got under your skin you could miss time your inputs.
the setting itself is another I haven't seen done as well in RPGs, and while it is horror, the narrative balances it well with brevity, alongside a genuinely enthralling story with some absolutely amazing cutscenes.
Shadow hearts as well as its predecessor koudelka need to be made available to everyone, this classic RPG needs to live again.
It's the game that made me a JRPG fan again. Refreshing ideas, a fun and unique turn based combat system, a historical fantasy scenario with horror elements (pre ww1) and very crazy and fun characters.
Also one of the few ps2 Era games with a returning protagonist (Shadow Hearts covenant).
It's also the continuation of the classic game Koudelka!
The fusion system (protagonist fuses with set monsters) is basically a prototype of the Archetype system of Metaphor Refantazio.
My brother and me played the sequel and likes it a lot. After finishing the first disc I randomly found a used copy of Shadow Hearts 1 in a local video store for 10 Euros.
We immediately started playing it (it even fit well narratives from where we left off)and it was one of the best JRPGs we played and is still one of our faves.
I'd love to see it preserved on GOG, play it and gift it to others I know will be interested.
shadow hearts 1,2,and 3 need to ABSOLUTELY be brought to GOG,these games are incredible,i spent countless hours playing all of them on the ps2,and hands down 3 of the best rpgs i have ever played
Shadow Hearts is a wonderful game with many unique charms that can't be found anywhere else. The story is truly exceptional, and I even cried when I played it.
I'm eagerly waiting for a remake or a port.
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