Quest for Glory: Shadows of Darkness

The Good
Many people see the battle system in this game as a disadvantage. I saw it as an definite plus to the game. It made battles quicker, but still allowed you to control the hero (that is, if you want to). Some battles, such as with the wraiths, are still a challenge.

I also found that the setting of this game was by far the best of any of the QfG series. I would go so far as to say it was the best, and most highly original plots, in any game I can remember. The transsylvanian setting coupled with the slavic folklore, like the leshy or rusalka, make a haunting and memorable game. The setting was so colorful and deep, that the feeling of loneliness and sorrow actually rubs off on you. You can feel the sadness in the lonely Mordavia, and get attached to the characters. As such the sacrifice Toby makes for the girl Tanya was quite touching.

Speaking of characters, I must say that they are all, everyone of them, memorable. From Yuri the innkeeper, to helpless old Nikolai, or even the ghost of the paladin Piotyr, they all standout in my memory perfectly. The characters had an almost eerie depth to them.

One of the best improvements from the previous games was the addition of speaking characters. the most memorable? I would say John-Rhys Davies as the narrator, or the screach of the "hungry, hunting hawk". The addition of voices was one of the best choices they could have made to improve the game.

Now the music...I think that the music from Shadows of Darkness was memorable ( as you might have noticed, this game was highly memorable to me) and, I think, was responsible for most of the depth in the game. I would pay good money to buy a Shadows of Darkness music cd. Just listen to the adventurere's guild music, and then you will fully understand how lonely the game is. Who ever wrote and performed that music, God bless ye.

"Here lies the spirit of Barney Blue, To his lover was untrue, So his lover knew just what to do, She fixed herself some Barney stew"

The Bad
In my opinion, there were but two problems with this game. Unfortunately, both are very bad. The first is that the game ends. I know it sounds weird, but I wish that the game would just continue, as I love the setting and characters so much.

The next problem was the BUGS. The god forsaken bugs. May the swamp bug die a horrible death. Just hearing someone say "error 52" still unnerves me.

The Bottom Line
Buy this game! even if you can't beat it because of bugs, just enjoy the characters and music until the glitches catch up with you.