The game was expressly designed for the PlayStation 2 hardware, and the result is a good engine able to render in real time big environments, nice particle effects and detailed character models. The framerate is sometimes unstable and the characters' animations are not always fluid, but this doesn't affect the gameplay. Occasionally, awkward camera angles may occur, but most of the times it seems like the developers wanted to use them to increase the difficulty of the game.
The levels of Shadow Man: 2econd Coming are big and dark. While they are not always as detailed as you would expect from an adventure game, the atmosphere is just captivating. Shadow Man is a an eerie game, whether you are exploring the darkest dungeons of the game or the streets of New Orleans.
This effect is achieved with an intelligent use of light and particle effects. The night and day cycle is very effective; you can see the colors of the environments slowly changing according to the hour of the day. Visiting the small cemetery of New Orleans at dawn, with the deep yellow sunbeams between the branches of the magnificent ancient trees, is a spectacle. When night falls, night lamps and the aura of the mask carved inside Shadow Man's chest illuminate the path you have to follow. Particle effects, like the ones used for the voodoo weapons, are impressive. Other details, like leaves falling from the trees or mist moving in the cemetery, really add something to the overall atmosphere of the game.
The character models are detailed, free of aliasing issues, and many animations are simply brilliant. Shadow Man and the biggest demons look just gorgeous. The living skeleton wrapped in muscles and flesh is a proof of the power of the hardware; his sinister rotten face is crafted with skill, his movements are ferine, his glowing eyes eerie.
The in-game cutscenes aren't impressive, but the good dialogues and the excellent voice acting make them highly enjoyable.
