Shadowgate

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 556 reviews
  • music
  • graphics
  • story
Shadowgate Game Cover
Shadowgate hates you and wants you dead, but fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Shadowgate is a point-and-click adventure game, and one of the original MacVenture titles, celebrated on various gaming platforms. As "The Seed of Prophecy", players explore a perilous living castle, solving countless puzzles and facing numerous ways to die, in order to defeat the Warlock Lord and save the kingdom. The original development team has now reunited to create a full re-imagining of this classic game.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Windows
  • Mobile Platform
  • Tablet
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 556 reviews
music74 positive mentions
grinding8 negative mentions
  • The game beautifully captures the nostalgic feel of the original Shadowgate while introducing new puzzles and challenges.
  • The artwork and soundtrack are stunning, enhancing the immersive experience of exploring Castle Shadowgate.
  • Multiple difficulty levels provide a tailored experience, allowing both newcomers and veterans to enjoy the game.
  • The user interface can be clunky and cumbersome, making it frustrating to navigate and use items.
  • Some puzzles can feel overly obscure or illogical, leading to trial-and-error gameplay that may frustrate players.
  • The game includes a time limit mechanic that can lead to unwinnable situations, which may deter some players.
  • music176 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the atmospheric orchestral score and its ability to evoke nostalgia through the inclusion of the original NES soundtrack. While some players appreciate the new compositions as haunting and immersive, others find them repetitive or less recognizable compared to the classic tunes. Overall, the option to toggle between the remixed and original soundtracks has been highlighted as a significant feature, enhancing the game's appeal to both new players and fans of the original.

    • “The music is fantastic.”
    • “The art and music presentation are top notch.”
    • “The soundtrack is also alluring.”
    • “The new soundtrack is just unlistenable crap, and stretches way too far from the original, not being recognizable.”
    • “The music is appropriate, but seriously repetitive and a tad annoying at times.”
    • “The music when your torch is about to go out is over the top dramatic, and it gets annoying after a while.”
  • graphics168 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the hand-painted artwork and atmospheric visuals that enhance the overall experience. While some players appreciate the modern aesthetic and improvements over the original, others criticize the retro graphics mode for being poorly executed and pixelated. Overall, the visuals are generally considered beautiful and immersive, contributing significantly to the game's dark fantasy atmosphere.

    • “The graphics are well painted and beautifully animated, the notes, sounds, and cutscenes almost suck you into that living castle!”
    • “The artwork is amazing, the new music hits the same emotions as the original, and the puzzles are as difficult as ever.”
    • “Graphically, Shadowgate mostly has static pictures and some animations, but I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever played a prettier adventure game.”
    • “While the artwork itself, while mediocre, might be considered passable, the visual presentation here is negligible; it might as well be a slideshow or a YouTube video.”
    • “If you choose the classic visuals, instead of getting something like the NES version or the old computer versions, it just drastically lowers the image's resolution; it looks like the background of a bad VGA point-and-click adventure, and while an homage, it's not one to anything that Shadowgate's ever been.”
    • “Not the case, rooms are totally different, puzzles are different, and setting the game to retro graphics is nothing but a pixelated mess.”
  • story107 mentions

    The story in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its expansion and depth compared to the original, while others find it generic or lacking coherence. Many highlight the engaging narration, beautiful visuals, and the nostalgic elements that enhance the overall experience, though some criticize the pacing and complexity of the plot. Overall, it seems to cater well to fans of adventure games, offering a blend of classic storytelling with modern updates.

    • “The story, music, art, and dialogue are nothing I've ever seen in a game!”
    • “The atmosphere, enhanced graphics, well-told story, remixed music, different difficulty modes, and varied puzzles and paths make this one outshine the original version even.”
    • “A fantastic remake that stays true to the tone that made the original a classic while adding more depth to the storyline, and creating a more immersive atmosphere!”
    • “The audio is a bit repetitive and the story - 4 hours in - isn't super coherent.”
    • “The story is pretty basic, good guy vanquishes evil guy, but sometimes it's nice to play an uncomplicated story.”
    • “The story seems very barebones and typical 'one hero destined to vanquish evil sent into some corrupted dungeon'.”
  • gameplay54 mentions

    The gameplay of Shadowgate is a blend of classic point-and-click mechanics with modern enhancements, offering a challenging experience that emphasizes trial-and-error and exploration. While some players appreciate the nostalgic elements and the addition of new content, others find the mechanics frustrating, particularly the timer and inventory management systems. Overall, the game appeals to fans of the original and those who enjoy intricate puzzles, though it may not resonate with everyone due to its steep difficulty and occasional clunkiness in interaction.

    • “The gameplay is still basically the same, though the HUD we were used to from the original is no more.”
    • “Shadowgate is a gorgeous remake of a timeless classic, expanding on one of the genre’s most beloved titles with refined mechanics and a wealth of new content that’s sure to keep you glued to your PC for weeks deciphering the castle’s cryptic secrets.”
    • “There are certain achievements tied to specific actions and sub-routes you take through the castle; exploration is key and trial and error is a must. It almost feels like a low-key sub-quest system as you play a streamlined adventure, adding to the replayability.”
    • “For the PC, however, this game and its gameplay mechanics feel like a step backwards in time.”
    • “The biggest flaw in the gameplay is some UI-related clumsiness, as using items on the environment can get very clunky very quickly when you're experimenting on a puzzle.”
    • “I thought this was a classic dungeon crawling, puzzle solving experience, but in reality, it's just a frustration fest full of zero-logic puzzles, tons of dead ends, and gameplay that can only be appreciated by someone who used to love the original.”
  • atmosphere33 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive dark fantasy elements, enhanced by beautiful hand-painted graphics, atmospheric music, and a well-crafted story. Reviewers note that it successfully captures the essence of the original while adding depth, creating an eerie and foreboding ambiance that complements the challenging puzzles. Despite some minor criticisms regarding controls and differences from the original, the overall consensus is that the game offers a rich, nostalgic experience perfect for fans of the genre.

    • “The game does what it sets out to do well: create an immersive puzzle-solving atmosphere set in a fantasy world that pays homage to the original game.”
    • “This modern update is successful in capturing the atmosphere of the original, while also building on the elements that made it so great.”
    • “I'd recommend this for anyone looking for a game with exquisite atmosphere and good storytelling.”
    • “The atmosphere was eerie, foreboding, and the graphics were enjoyable, even though a bit rough-looking.”
    • “One thing my nostalgia wants to nitpick is that the atmosphere doesn't quite feel the same as the NES version, but I think that just might be difficult to recapture.”
    • “This also accounts for some of the difference in atmosphere between this and the original: the original seemed very much like it took place in its own world - the descriptions of lands beyond the castle itself created a great sense of the bigger picture.”
  • replayability23 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability through multiple difficulty settings that alter puzzles and unlock different areas, encouraging exploration and experimentation. Players can also pursue various achievements tied to specific actions and routes, enhancing the overall experience. However, some reviewers noted that once familiar with the puzzles, the replay value may diminish, despite the game's engaging mechanics and hidden challenges.

    • “There are certain achievements tied to specific actions and sub-routes you take throughout the castle; exploration is key and trial and error a must. It almost feels like a low-key sub-quest system as you play a streamlined adventure, adding to the replayability. Certain parts of the castle will be locked off depending on the difficulty you're on, so harder means more, but also less time. Again, the keyword here is replayability.”
    • “The inclusion of multiple difficulty levels helps decrease frustration and increase replayability. There's replayability because the four different difficulty settings all change the game to certain degrees.”
    • “The three difficulty settings and many achievements add a great degree of replayability to this game.”
    • “However, if you restart, you know the puzzle ahead of you, so the replay value of this game is quite limited.”
    • “The multiple difficulty settings, plus the myriad achievements, also solve the 'lack of replay value' that the original game had.”
    • “Ultimately, I enjoyed Shadowgate and the addition of difficulty levels (with differing puzzles and win conditions) and achievements for time and turn limits, mean that there's decent replayability here.”
  • humor14 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a wicked, dry wit and a blend of snarky commentary that often catches players off guard, reminiscent of the original's balance between serious and goofy moments. While some players appreciate the dark humor and clever writing, others feel that the humor can sometimes feel out of place in the game's dark fantasy setting. Overall, the game successfully incorporates humorous elements, including amusing death scenarios and callbacks to the original, making the experience enjoyable despite its challenges.

    • “This was all narrated by a writer with a wicked, dry sense of humor, with lines that seem innocuous but are laden with snark.”
    • “Great graphics, new locations and puzzles, all combined with the trademark dark humor of the creators make for an awesome return to the castle.”
    • “How you proceed in the remake has changed greatly from the original, and in fact, what were solutions to problems in the original now kill you in somewhat humorous ways and even offer secret death endings which I greatly enjoyed.”
  • grinding9 mentions

    Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and frustrating, often requiring excessive trial and error to progress. Many reviewers express disappointment, noting that the experience can become boring and unintuitive, detracting from overall enjoyment. Despite occasional moments of satisfaction from solving puzzles, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grinding feels more like a chore than a rewarding challenge.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The best word to describe this game is 'tedious.' I got it on sale for like $5 and I still wouldn't recommend it.”
    • “I wanted to like this game, but it was surprisingly more tedious and unintuitive than I would have ever expected.”
    • “Gave it a go, after a while it just got too tedious and boring.”
  • monetization5 mentions

    Shadowgate is priced at $15, which some players consider steep compared to older AAA titles, yet it offers impressive graphics and high replayability without microtransactions or significant bugs. While the game is a well-crafted remake rather than a simple cash grab, the ending is marred by an advertisement for a sequel, which detracts from the overall experience.

    • “Awesome graphics, high replayability, and no microtransactions.”
    • “The game offers a fair monetization model that doesn't hinder gameplay.”
    • “I appreciate that there are no game-breaking bugs and no pressure to spend money.”
    • “Shadowgate has the greedy, cash grab price of $15 USD, for which you could easily get any number of older AAA games.”
    • “The ending is severely hampered by an advertisement for a sequel.”
    • “You die somehow and you defeat the dread warlock lord and live unhappily ever after due to the presence of an advertisement for a sequel.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players express that the game evokes strong emotional responses through its nostalgic elements, such as classic puzzles and music, while simultaneously feeling fresh and modern due to its updates and redesigns. This blend of past and present creates a powerful sense of nostalgia that resonates deeply with players.

    • “Playing this game practically made me feel like I jumped back in time, except I didn't... the game jumped through time to this modern remake and made the past available.”
    • “The puzzles and music are classic enough to bring every bit of emotional response you want in nostalgia and so much updating and redesign that it feels current and new again.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game's stability is notably poor, particularly on Mac, where users report significant bugs related to achievements and frequent freezing that can lock up the entire system, necessitating hard reboots. Overall, there appears to be a lack of developer support for these issues.

    • “If you play on Mac and look for achievements, you can forget this game as this part is buggy and the developers do not seem to care about it.”
    • “The game freezes up every time I try to load it, locking up my PC and forcing me to do a hard reboot.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviewers express a desire for more character development, particularly through dialogue, indicating that the current narrative lacks depth in exploring characters' growth and relationships.

    • “The character development is incredibly rich, with each character evolving in meaningful ways throughout the story.”
    • “I appreciate how the game allows for deep character development, making each choice feel impactful.”
    • “The dialogue options really enhance character development, allowing players to shape their personalities and relationships.”
    • “I would have liked some character development through dialogue.”
    • “The characters felt one-dimensional and lacked any real growth throughout the game.”
    • “There was little to no backstory provided, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game is well-optimized, delivering smooth performance and impressive graphics.

    • “The game runs smoothly and the graphics look great.”
    • “The optimization is top-notch, allowing for seamless gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
    • “I appreciate how well the game is optimized; it maintains a steady frame rate without sacrificing visual quality.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

70% average critic score

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