Best of the Beasts by Aceupsleeves on August 24, 2009
Rating: 9/10
After the success of SOTB (Shadow of the Beast) 1 & 2, Psygnosis raised the bar even higher with SOTB 3. Our once demonic character is out of his beastly shadow as is quite recognizable as a human in his search for his stolen sister. This third installment concludes that search, as long as you can stay alive. Chances are, you will. This is possibly the most playable game in the series. More attention has be focused on puzzles and less on simple hack and slashing. If you start off with the previous game's kill or be killed mentality you may inadvertently kill someone or something that you need to progress through the level. Good thing you have the option to restart that level with no loss of lives as a consequence.
In terms of presentation I can't find too many faults, other than a slightly bland color pallet. The graphics are top notch with fluid animations. The many sprites are highly detailed and creative. Again the use of parallax scrolling is put to expert use for a strictly 2D game. Some creatures are downright nightmarish and will surprise you only seconds before draining your life vials. The sound effects are solid and the music is breathtaking. Each level has it's own ambient poppy track that changes to fit the mood of the action.
Gameplay is a solid mix of hack and slash with a very strong puzzle element thrown in. Some of the puzzles are downright impossible if you don't know where to start. Be prepared for a lot of level restarting if you don't time things perfectly. You have three health vials. This translates into three lives. There are no health pick-ups or extra lives to be gained so mind your health, however when you complete a level your remaining vials are replenished.
All in all this is one of the best side scrolling games ever made. A lot of effort went in to making this game a standout, both in gameplay and design. If there was one game to bring to a console download, this is the one.
