Ben-DutkaShadows of the Damned was a good game. We thought it was the positive result of an all-star Japanese collaboration at Grasshopper Manufacture.
Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami teamed up with another industry icon, Suda51 ( Killer7 , No More Heroes ), and they brought in Silent Hill sound director Akira Yamaoka, too. But in a recent CVG interview , Mikami said that despite decent critical acclaim, Shadows was very much not the game Suda51 wanted to make.
Here was the somewhat surprising response to the question, "Did Shadows of the Damned , your collaboration with Suda51, turn out as you'd initially intended?"
"No, it became a completely different game. That was a bit disappointing. I think Suda was unable to create the scenario he'd originally had in his head,and he rewrote the scenario several times. I think his heart was broken. He's such a unique creator, so it seems to me that he was not quite comfortable with making this game."
Interestingly enough, Mikami added that if the game had turned out the way his colleague wanted, "it probably would have sold even less." It still would've been "unique," though. As a side note, Mikami added that he didn't play Resident Evil 5 until last year; he just couldn't bring himself to play the first RE with which he wasn't involved. As for his stance on the franchise continuing on without him:
"I'm not especially happy or sad about it. I think they're working very hard on it. The guys at Capcom are working hard."
He's not sure he'll play it, either. But anyway, it's interesting to hear that Shadows wasn't what Suda51 wanted. …wonder what he did want.
Related Game(s): Shadows of the Damned
If it was that far out it might have sold more, Shadows wasn't bad but I hope Suda was pleased with how Lollipop Chainsaw turned out.
Its sad that he was forced to change his game.
So what do you think happened that made him have to rewrite the scenarios a few times?
I would surmise that others who had input on the story and direction of the project decided it wouldn't have a wide enough appeal.
Suda 51 said that it all went well with the development of the game until they had to wrap-it up because EA was getting impatient and felt that they were taking too long with the game.
Suda 51 wasn't really complaining about that, though. He just said that if it wasn't for EA, they would've continued working on the game way past it's launch date. Suda 51 said that EA allowed them to do what they wanted, but that they didn't have all the time to do that.
Who knows what the game would've been like if they were given more time to polish and refine it.
That's one problem with giant 3rd party publishers.
Whoa. Currently playing it now, and I am now wondering what it could or should have been. Loved the Evil Dead level.
Last edited by cLoudou on 7/17/2012 12:24:45 PM
Gotta love the references to Evil Dead in any game.
It was a good game, one of the most under-appreciated games of the generation.
It had some decent horror but some good humor.
The action is intense, I also love the variety of enemies and of course the puzzles.
I'd take this game over RE5 on any other day.
Never got around to playing it.
Seemed ambitious enough.
I heard the dialogue ruins a bit of the story however.
knowing suda it probably dident have enough scantly clad sluts.
i wish he would go and do a cop based game like stranglehold next.
one game i think that would actually suit his wacky nature really well!
stranglehold is still one of the most unique innovative shooters out there!
had so much fun with that game.
one game max payne 3 could learn allot from!