Shadow Hearts (video game)

Shadow Hearts
Developer(s)	Sacnoth
Publisher(s)	JPN Aruze NA Midway PAL Midway
Designer(s)	Izumi Hamamoto (director) Matsuzo Itakura (writer) Miyako Kato (character design) Yoshitaka Hirota (composer) Yasunori Mitsuda (composer)
Series	Shadow Hearts
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Release	JPN June 28, 2001 NA December 11, 2001 PAL March 29, 2002
Genre(s)	Console RPG
Mode(s)	Single player

Shadow Hearts (シャドウハーツ, Shadōhātsu) is a console role-playing game developed by Sacnoth and published by Midway in 2001. It is the first official game in the Shadow Hearts series and Koudelka is its prequel. Shadow Hearts follows the adventures of a Harmonixer as he is guided by a mysterious voice in his head. He finds himself thrown into the conflicts prior to World War I and eventually having to save the world from destruction.

Shadow Hearts was released around the same time as other productions and was consequently shadowed by their success and overlooked by many gamers. However, Shadow Hearts has gained a cult following in video gaming circles for its quirky use and misuse of historical facts and situations in a form of secret history.

Gameplay

Shadow Hearts contains many elements of a traditional role-playing game. Like Koudelka, the player controls a 3D character and maneuvers around in a 2D pre-rendered background representing the environment called a Submap. Throughout the course of the game, there are many items that can be found in the submap in the form of chests while some are marked with a shining dot. There are also items that are less obvious and are only noticeable when the player is directly in front of them. To change locations in Shadow Hearts, the player can choose from a World Map. The world map is essentially a drawn map with different locations indicated by dots.

Battle

Like many RPGs, Shadow Hearts has a turn-based battle system where the player must choose their actions from a menu. The actions include many of the basic commands such as Attack, Items, and Escape. Enemies are encountered through random encounters and are not visible in the submap. Here the characters battle in a 3D environment which is modeled after a section of the character’s current location. The characters and enemies stay in their respective positions and never move. This is different from the grid-based battle environment found in Koudelka where both characters and enemies move around. The characters are controlled by the player and the enemies are controlled by the CPU.

The party is made up of three characters and can be changed, with the exception of Yuri, by speaking to the NPC Meiyuan. These characters can be positioned either in the back row or front row. The back row is suited for characters with lower physical defense and attack while the front row is suited for characters with higher physical defense and attack. Another aspect of the battle is the character's base statistics. There are the traditional Hit Points (HP) and Magic Points (MP) plus the new Sanity Points (SP). Like many other RPGs, the character's HP will decrease every time they receive damage and their MP decreases when a skill is used. SP decreases every turn and dictates how long a character can last in a battle before they become 'mentally unstable'. When SP decreases to zero, the character automatically goes into a state of Berserk and the player will lose control of that character. Each character gains HP, MP, and SP every time they gain a level and there are many items which help restore lost HP, MP, and SP. There are also items which alleviate status ailments as well as revival items. At the end of every battle all the character’s SP is replenished.

Judgment Ring

The Judgment Ring is a unique element in Shadow Hearts and is used in many aspects of the game including battles, minigames, and even shopping. The success of the characters actions is dependent on the outcome of the Judgment Ring.

Essentially, the Judgment Ring is a circle with different colored segments and a rotating needle which is stopped by the player's input. When an action is chosen, the Judgment Ring is presented on the screen. Players then have to watch the rotating needle carefully as it rotates and hit the colored segments.

Judgment Ring Segments

Segment	Color	Description
Hit Area	Yellow Green Blue Orange Red	Hitting these segments in a Physical Attack will do damage to an enemy. If using an Item, the item will be used successfully. The same can be said about the rings in Shopping and Minigames. In some cases this appears in a few Special Abilities where the effect is always at maximum, for example Alice’s White Magic Ability, Arc.
Critical Area	Red	These are located at the end of a Hit Area or a Modulate Area. These are very small in size and when hit, extra damage is done or the effect of an item is raised.
Modulation Area	White to Blue	These only appear in Special Abilities or Items. By hitting closer to the end or blue, the amount of damage or effect of an item is increased.
Step Area	Green	These must be hit in order for the Special Ability to be successful.

A Physical Attack Ring possesses three Hit Areas and a Strike Area at the end of each hit area. By hitting all of the hit areas, the character will perform three attacks. If any of the hit areas are missed, the character’s turn will be skipped or their amount of attacks is reduced depending on the hit area that is missed. If the first hit area is missed, the turn is automatically skipped. If the player hits the first hit area but misses the subsequent hit areas, the amount of attacks will be reduced.

Magic Attack or Special Ability Rings differ from Physical Attacks Rings. These rings possess Step Areas, a Modulation Area, and a Strike Area at the end of the modulation area. All the step areas must be hit or else the special attack will fail. The modulation area operates like the hit areas of a physical attack.

There are also Item Rings which possess one Hit Area by itself or coupled with a Strike Area. This depends on the item being used and its effect. Items that cure HP, MP, or SP for a specific amount can be enhanced by strike areas whereas items that cure fully or alleviate status effects don’t require a strike area to enhance the effect.

Another type of ring is the Minigame Ring. Minigame Rings only possess Hit Areas which must all be hit in order to win the minigame (with the exception of the Lottery). The Push Ring is a timed game, which has only one hit area, where the player must make the needle move towards the hit area and keep it there until the time runs out. The Normal Ring has three hit areas and the player must hit all three of them and for as many rotations the game states. Lastly, there is the Lottery. The Lottery has many different colored hit areas each corresponding to a different prize. The player only needs to hit one of the hit areas to be successful.

Special Abilities

Every character in Shadow Hearts has unique special abilities. These abilities include offensive and restorative spells. Every character, except for Yuri, will gain their abilities as they gain experience and level up. Yuri on the other hand must acquire his Fusions by collecting Malice or Soul Energy.

Malice

Malice in Shadow Hearts is the vengeance of monsters that the party has killed. Malice is collected every time a player finishes a battle. Most enemies give one point of malice while bosses give higher amounts. Yuri possesses an accessory called a Talisman that can display how much malice has accumulated. It changes color from Dark Blue (lowest) to Red (maximum). Once it has reached the maximum, the door to the dark side opens and the Grim Reaper is summoned to the real world. The Grim Reaper manifests itself as the one Yuri fears the most. Once this occurs, the party will randomly encounter the Grim Reaper and fight him alone with Yuri.

To clear the malice the player must go into the Graveyard in Yuri’s mental realm. Once inside there are four masks (Sword, Grail, Staff, and Gold) that will allow the player to fight a monster to clear the malice. This monster is a manifestation of the accumulated malice. Depending on the amount of malice, the monster will be different.

Shopping

Shopping in Shadow Hearts is similar to most games of the same genre. The player can buy items or equipment using the in-game currency, Cash. The element that sets shopping in Shadow Hearts apart from other games is the use of the Judgment Ring. Throughout the course of the game, the player can collect certain Guild Cards to attain different ranks. Once the player has a card, they are automatically given an option to get a discount when buying or a price rise when selling. By collecting different guild cards, the player can receive different privileges.

Once the player chooses to receive a discount a ring with three Yellow Hit Areas is presented. To be successful, all three hit areas must be hit. Depending on the item being bought or sold, the size of the hit areas and the speed of the needle changes. When the player aims for higher discount or price raise rates, they must complete individual rings for each level.

Characters

Playable Characters

• Yuri Volte Hyuga (Urmnaf "Uru" Bort Hyuga in the Japanese version) is the protagonist of the game and was born in 1890 to a Japanese father, Ben Hyuga, and a Russian mother, Anne. His birthplace is unknown but it is revealed that he has moved throughout China during his childhood due to his father's military occupation. One night, while his father was away, he and his mother were attacked by zombies. His mother was killed and the trauma triggered his fusion powers to arise. Being a Harmonixer, an ability he inherited from his father, he has the ability of Fusion. He can fuse into demons of all the elements and even some non-elemental demons. By fusing, Yuri can use different abilities these demons have to offer. When Yuri is not using his fusions, he uses knuckle mounted blades as his weapon. As the protagonist, Yuri does not possess the qualities of a true hero. At the beginning of the game it is clear that his actions are not of his own will and are influenced by the mysterious voice. The thrill of battles was the only thing that kept him interested. But after he finds out Alice had used her own soul to save him, his character begins to change. He is influenced to fight for the world he lives in and the world his father died to protect.

• Alice Elliot was born in 1893 to Father Morris Elliot, an English Priest. She was raised in London, England and began to hear supernatural voices at a young age. She later became an exorcist and helped her father perform exorcisms. She has the ability to do White Magic allowing her to heal party members and damage enemies. This makes her the best healer in the game. She uses books as her weapon. When Alice was saved by Yuri, she was not sure how to think of him. But after spending more time with him and seeing him risk his own life to defeat Dehuai, she grew attached to him. She eventually chose to use her soul to save him.

• Zhuzhen Liu (劉朱震, Hanyu Pinyin: Liú Zhūzhèn) was born in China and is believed to be over 60 years of age. He is a Sage who was taught by Master Xifa along with his peer Dehuai. 15 years prior to Shadow Hearts he traveled with Yuri's father and helped to stop Dehuai from succeeding in the Demon's Gate Invocation. He happens to meet Yuri and Alice in the village of Zhaoyang. He is able to perform Yin and Yang allowing him to heal allies and do damage to enemies. He uses staffs in battle.

• Margarete G. Zelle is a world famous spy and she happened to meet Yuri and Alice during her mission in Fengtian. Her mission was to keep the Japanese soldiers stuck in Fengtian by destroying the Railway with a bomb but Yuri and Alice get caught in the explosion. Margarete uses Secret Weapons during battle to deal damage to enemies. She receives her weapons by using her cell phone to call for aid. She uses guns in battle.

• Keith Valentine is a vampire who is believed to be over 400 years old. He occupies Blue Castle, the home of his ancestors, and has been sleeping for a long period of time before he meets Yuri and everyone else. He decides to join them as a result. Keith performs Rituals during battle allowing him to heal himself also do damage to enemies. His weapons are swords.

• Halley Brancket is the son of Koudelka Iasant, the main character of Koudelka. He was separated from his mother in London when she was taken away due to a Witch Hunt. He takes the role of a big brother to the orphans in London and is aided by Yuri to save the orphans at the orphanage from Jack's attempt to revive his mother using the Émigré Manuscript. Like his mother, Halley has the ability of ESP. He uses slingshots in battle.

Non Playable Characters

• Albert Simon is the antagonist of the game and very little is known about him. At the beginning, he uses his past teacher's identity, Roger Bacon, to deceive everyone. His birthplace and date is unknown but it is believed that he might be older than Roger Bacon. In order for his plans to work he must use Alice's powers.

• Roger Bacon is an alchemist who found a way to keep himself alive for over 600 years. He was present in Koudelka and aided Koudelka Iasant in Nemeton Monastery. In Shadow Hearts the party finally meets Roger and figures out Albert Simon's real identity and goals.

• Dehuai was a student of Master Xifa along with Zhuzhen. 15 years prior to Shadow Hearts, he tried to perform the Demon’s Gate Invocation to summon to god Seraphic Radiance; a being of pure power who is neither physical nor spiritual and destroys all in his path. He planned on destroying Japan and at the same time rule Shanghai. He was stopped by Ben Hyuga and most of his power was eradicated. But over the years he regained his powers and again tried the same ritual. However, this time Yuri was able to stop him and at the same time killing Dehuai.

• Koudelka Iasant plays a small role in Shadow Hearts. She is the mother of Halley but was separated from him due to a witch hunt. Albert Simon reveals to the party that Koudelka is the opposite, in terms of her power, of Alice and could replace Alice as a key for his goal.

• Ben Hyuga (Jinpachiro Hyuga in the Japanese version) was the father of Yuri and the person who Yuri inherited his Fusion abilities from. He died after attempting to use his fusion powers to forcefully merge with the god, Seraphic Radiance. Apparently no Harmonixer was ever able to successfully fuse with Seraphic Radiance except for him, but this fusion cost him his life. He protects Yuri which is revealed by Koudelka when she told Yuri that he was being protected by a being that is even feared by Albert. Eventually Yuri was able to contact his father's spirit and battle him to acquire the fusion of Seraphic Radiance.

Plot

Setting

Shadow Hearts takes place in an alternate reality of the real world in the year 1913. The characters start off in China and end up traveling to Europe. Here is a list of the different locations found in Shadow Hearts:

China: Trans-Siberian Railroad, Zhaoyang Village, Fengtian, Dalian, Shanghai, and Kowloon
Europe: Prague, Bistritz, Rouen, and London.

Story

Koudelka was set in 1898. Shadow Hearts moves considerably ahead and starts in late 1913 on a branch of the Trans-Siberian Railroad in Manchuria. The game begins with Yuri hearing a voice in his head telling him to rescue a girl named Alice Elliot, whose priest father was recently murdered in a most brutal fashion in Rouen, France. After an English gentleman by the name of Roger Bacon attempts to abduct Alice from the Japanese army himself, Yuri saves her, and starts a quest through China (and eventually Europe) to discover Alice's importance, Bacon's intent, the identity of the mysterious voice, and his own relevance.

Endings

There are two endings to Shadow Hearts: the "good" and the "bad" ending. The good ending occurs when Yuri fights alongside Alice in his mental realm, the Graveyard, and defeats Atman, the protector of the Four Masks. The "bad" ending occurs when Alice fights an impossible battle against Atman and "dies" in the dream.

The difference between the two endings is only seen when the game credits are rolling after one has completed the game. Alice and Yuri are seen sleeping on a train back to her hometown, Zurich. In the good ending, Alice wakes up on the train after a while. In the bad ending, Alice does not wake up since she has sacrificed her soul to Atman to protect Yuri's life.

Development

The brainchild of Matsuzo Itakura (art director of Koudelka), who succeeded Hiroki Kikuta as the president of Sacnoth, this game plays more similarly to standard console RPGs than Koudelka yet features some innovations that set it apart. It marks the introduction of the "Judgment Ring" system and it also introduces Sanity Points, a somewhat Lovecraftian addition.

Audio

Shadow Hearts only features vocals during certain [cut scene]s and FMVs. Most of the game consists of written dialogue accompanied by emoticons to display emotions or reactions.

Voice Acting

The voice actors in the English version of the game are as follows[1]:

• Eric Stuart — Yuri Hyuga
• Veronica Taylor — Alice Elliot
• Madeleine Blaustein — Margarete G. Zelle, aka Mata Hari
• Scott Rayow — Zhuzhen Liu
• Ted Lewis — Keith Valentine
• Carter Cathcart — Roger Bacon

Soundtrack

The OST (Original Soundtrack) of Shadow Hearts was released as two Compact Discs under the name of Shadow Hearts Original Soundtracks Plus1 by Scitron in Japan on July 18, 2001. It was composed and arranged by Yoshitaka Hirota and Yasunori Mitsuda and recorded at TwinTail Studios.

The OST packaging was unique in that it was released as a small hardcover book with the CDs contained in cardboard sleeves serving as the first and last pages. The soundtrack was later re-released on January 19, 2005 in a regular plastic CD case and having an altered cover. A review of the soundtrack along with some samples can be viewed here[2].

The ending theme, titled Ending Theme ~ Shadow Hearts, was composed by Yoshitaka Hirota and the lyrics were written by James H. Woan. It features vocals by Hiroko Kasahara and Kyoko Kishikawa.

The 'Plus1' in the OST title refers to a bonus track titled Bonus Track ~ true voice. The track was composed by Yoshitaka Hirota with lyrics written by Kyoko Kishikawa who also performed the song.

Reception

Shadow Hearts is considered unique by its fans for its quirky style. The setting is an alternate Earth where monsters and mystical forces seem common. Throughout the game, the seriousness of some of the game's subject matter and the horror elements clash with its sense of humor.

Reviews were somewhat mixed, some gave the game a low score claiming that it lacked originality, while others praised it for being original and innovative. [3]

External links

• Official Shadow Hearts site (Japanese)
• Shadow Hearts series at MobyGames