While it’s always a welcome thing to see classic franchises dusted off and given another chance to shine, some seem unlikely to ever get the chance. The most some can hope for is a chance as a downloadable bonus or to be included in a compilation pack. Most simply fade away into history.
Imagine our surprise then, when developer Heavy Spectrum (Need for Speed, Starfox, The Sims) and Sims announced that it was bringing back the Amiga and Genesis series Shadow of the Beast exclusively for the Playstation 4. Taking the time at this month’s Gamercom conference in Cologne, Germany, Heavy Spectrum CEO Matt Birch made the announcement on Sony’s European Playstation blog. Going beyond the typical press release chaff and expanding on the trailer shown at Gamescom, Birch included offered some more information about the world of Karamoon, now fully realized in 3D and quite bloody. The original Shadow of the Beast trilogy (the third game is an Amiga exclusive) was dark and brooding to be sure, but there was decidedly less gore involved. Still, the trailer offers only a glimpse at what could be a new start for the franchise, arriving just in time for its 25th anniversary.
The original Beast trilogy had players take on the role of Aarbron, a warrior seeking revenge on the evil beast lord that turned him into a horrible creature. Known for its lush visuals, great parallax, excellent soundtrack and incredible difficulty, the series disappeared in the early ’90s. Now, Birch and Heavy Spectrum seeks to return to the world that Reflections Interactive created and explore it in ways never seen before.
Our vision of Karamoon is filled with beauty, brutality and mystery, whilst allowing you as the player an opportunity to try and piece together what happened to make it and its denizens the way they are.
It is unclear if this is a full reboot or another sequel, but Sega-16 will be watching this project with great interest. We’ve reached out to the developers for an interview, so hopefully we can uncover more details about the next chapter in the Shadow of the Beast saga. For now, check out the embedded trailer below and go try and beat the first game on Genesis. We dare you!
I’m guessing this game in the genesis doesn’t have as much of a following as in amiga…but for me its the reason i bought my genesis in the first place! I’m so happy they are reviving it…and keeping my fingers crossed for it…