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Mento

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ST-urday #013: Shadoworlds

By Mento 2 Comments

Greetings, fellow enthusiaSTs, to another ST-urday: where the puns are labored, but I'm relatively less so. Between the spoilercast, the frequent UPF segments and the upcoming new season of Metal Gear Scanlon, I'm getting the sense that I should probably be playing the new MGS game. That's neither here nor there as far as the ST is concerned - it didn't see a port of the MSX Metal Gear, alas - but it did make me want to track down something with a stealth element. Proper stealth games are still a ways away from the ST's heyday of the early 90s, but there was one game I could recall that did some interesting things with light and dark mechanics. Whether that related to how well-hidden you were in dark areas I couldn't recall, but it's a launching point as good as any.

In more unrelated ST news, I also beat Suikoden III this week. I'm thinking of working a blog around it, but I'm not sure how well-received the last couple of RPG blogs - the geography-heavy An Around the World Tour of Dominus and A Delve Into the Abyss - were compared to how much work went into them. Suikoden's world is fascinating though: a relatively nascent planet born of the omnipotent 27 True Runes, one or more of which inevitably becomes the McGuffin of whichever game they feature in. I'll think of something.

Shadoworlds

No Caption Provided

Shadoworlds is a top-down isometric real-time squad RPG and the 1992 sequel to Shadowlands. Unlike the generic fantasy setting of its predecessor, Shadoworlds has more of a space sci-fi Alien/Metroid feel to it, and your party in this case is a group of space mercenaries with different levels of technology affinity and gun expertise. I wasn't sure if I should play this or Shadowlands first, but given that I played Ishar relatively recently I figured it'd be more of a change to take to the stars instead.

Shadoworlds has more than what amounts to some difficult X-COM: UFO Defense real-time squad combat. It was one of the earliest games to tackle dynamic lighting (at the time referred to as "photoscaping") as a game mechanic: using the game's grid-like structure, it was able to calculate in real-time how much illumination each square in the grid world received from nearby light sources. Light sources in this case not only include lamp wall fixtures, but also energy beams shot by weapons and flashlights attached to the player characters' spacesuit/power armor. By standing outside these light sources, a player character has a better chance of evading detection from enemies, though their accuracy in combat takes a hit in turn. At least, that's what I've been able to ascertain while playing the game; the actual rules behind how much being in the dark affects certain statistics isn't completely apparent. It's an innovative idea (though credit goes largely to Shadowlands, its predecessor) and has the secondary bonus of greatly enhancing the game's spooky atmosphere, making its metal hallways feel all the more dangerous and claustrophobic.

Two other things before we begin. First, the game is the product of UK developers Krisalis Software, who had at the time recently changed their name from Teque Interactive (confusingly, GameFAQs lists both companies separately). We last saw Krisalis during our inaugural ST-urday Demo Derby: they were the developers of that Mad Professor Mariarti platformer. The second, and this will be evident with the screenshots, is that the game has some inexplicable anime art design. 1992 was still several years before any sort of mainstream recognition of "Japanimation" in the UK, and the game seems to be influenced in part by early underground VHS successes like Bubblegum Crisis. That I've once again rolled up an all-female party was an unconscious decision spurred by this, no doubt.

The game's intro tells a story through these little cutaways while we see a staff roll underneath. It's sorta movie-like.
The game's intro tells a story through these little cutaways while we see a staff roll underneath. It's sorta movie-like.
So far, so Super Metroid. (Super Metroid came out a couple years later, but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt that its intro wasn't lifted from this.) Anyway, the plot is essentially that a meteor lands, an alien lifeform is found, it is transferred to an immense space station for research and, inevitably, it escapes and kills everyone and the space mercs are called in.
So far, so Super Metroid. (Super Metroid came out a couple years later, but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt that its intro wasn't lifted from this.) Anyway, the plot is essentially that a meteor lands, an alien lifeform is found, it is transferred to an immense space station for research and, inevitably, it escapes and kills everyone and the space mercs are called in.
All right, so it's little less
All right, so it's little less "anime" and more "How to Draw Manga" in the style of those crappy art books. Still, this was not a common look back in the early 90s. It caught some eyes back then.
You can opt to play with the default team or pick your own from a larger selection of pre-made characters. Ginger racism still exists in the future, I see. Each character has their own little backstory, most dealing with psychosis, though I have no idea if it ties into the game in any way. It's hardly Darkest Dungeon (though it can seem that way with the lack of light sources).
You can opt to play with the default team or pick your own from a larger selection of pre-made characters. Ginger racism still exists in the future, I see. Each character has their own little backstory, most dealing with psychosis, though I have no idea if it ties into the game in any way. It's hardly Darkest Dungeon (though it can seem that way with the lack of light sources).
As you can see, it's fairly X-COM-like (which, again, is another 1994 game that came years after this one). The UI is absurd but you get used to it: every type of interaction is dictated by which part of that paper doll in the center bottom is currently highlighted. By highlighting the head, you can read messages and turn a character's headlamp on or off. The left arm is for weapons, the right arm for activating switches or picking up items, the right leg is for walking around and the left leg is for walking around as a group in a pre-determined formation. It all makes sense eventually.
As you can see, it's fairly X-COM-like (which, again, is another 1994 game that came years after this one). The UI is absurd but you get used to it: every type of interaction is dictated by which part of that paper doll in the center bottom is currently highlighted. By highlighting the head, you can read messages and turn a character's headlamp on or off. The left arm is for weapons, the right arm for activating switches or picking up items, the right leg is for walking around and the left leg is for walking around as a group in a pre-determined formation. It all makes sense eventually.
By clicking the right mouse button (the game is entirely mouse-driven, incidentally) you can see everyone's status and inventory. The eye icon puts people to sleep, which increases health regen but also hunger (and yes, there's a hunger mechanic in this sci-fi RPG). The intravenous icon is how characters
By clicking the right mouse button (the game is entirely mouse-driven, incidentally) you can see everyone's status and inventory. The eye icon puts people to sleep, which increases health regen but also hunger (and yes, there's a hunger mechanic in this sci-fi RPG). The intravenous icon is how characters "eat" and "drink" while in spacesuits: they can find fluid bags that contain either nutrients or medicine, and are used for filling the hunger and health bars respectively. We also have the various formation settings on the right as well as a "save anywhere" feature. Given how tough the game's encounters can be, that save option is very welcome.
Here we see the game's light/dark mechanics in action. I'm barely visible as a silhouette in the near-center of the screen, and as a result that floating recon droid hasn't seen me yet. In order to initiate combat, I need to make sure a weapon's in my left hand and the left arm is selected on the paper doll. Combat then just happens automatically once a target is chosen.
Here we see the game's light/dark mechanics in action. I'm barely visible as a silhouette in the near-center of the screen, and as a result that floating recon droid hasn't seen me yet. In order to initiate combat, I need to make sure a weapon's in my left hand and the left arm is selected on the paper doll. Combat then just happens automatically once a target is chosen.
This early corridor is really just a tutorial. It shows you how pressure plates, wall switches and keycards work. It doesn't actually tell you how to play the game, how the paper doll works or how combat functions, so it's barely doing its job as a tutorial, but that's why we had manuals back then. (It's a good thing I remember a lot of this.)
This early corridor is really just a tutorial. It shows you how pressure plates, wall switches and keycards work. It doesn't actually tell you how to play the game, how the paper doll works or how combat functions, so it's barely doing its job as a tutorial, but that's why we had manuals back then. (It's a good thing I remember a lot of this.)
These wall monitors are handy fonts of knowledge, though right now they're more focused on the bleeding obvious.
These wall monitors are handy fonts of knowledge, though right now they're more focused on the bleeding obvious.
My first plan was to skip past the two droids in this room and head directly to this elevator at the end.
My first plan was to skip past the two droids in this room and head directly to this elevator at the end.
Yoko made it just fine, but Jade wasn't quite so lucky. Enemies have a habit of trapping you, making it difficult to fight them off before they wear your HP down to zero.
Yoko made it just fine, but Jade wasn't quite so lucky. Enemies have a habit of trapping you, making it difficult to fight them off before they wear your HP down to zero.
The blue bar is HP, and Jade is fresh out. What we can do is pick up her DNA Pod for later. I don't recall if there's any kind of medical gizmo we can stick it into to have a clone pop out, but I'll hang onto it for safe keeping anyway.
The blue bar is HP, and Jade is fresh out. What we can do is pick up her DNA Pod for later. I don't recall if there's any kind of medical gizmo we can stick it into to have a clone pop out, but I'll hang onto it for safe keeping anyway.
Operation Rush For the Elevator was... well, I don't want to call it a complete failure, but let's just jot down
Operation Rush For the Elevator was... well, I don't want to call it a complete failure, but let's just jot down "room for improvement" on the report.
By handing around the one weapon we have - a light sabre, so good luck avoiding the wrath of LucasFilm there - to each other, we managed to eliminate the two aerial robots and move into the elevator/teleporter. The game doesn't mind if you want to split the party up: any characters that are on another map (say, the next floor) appear as backwards-facing helmets. It requires a loading transition each time but you can move between units from anywhere on the station. Given that combat's easier to manage as a one-on-one affair, you could theoretically send everyone off in different directions to do their own thing. Once we get far enough to see some branching paths, anyway.
By handing around the one weapon we have - a light sabre, so good luck avoiding the wrath of LucasFilm there - to each other, we managed to eliminate the two aerial robots and move into the elevator/teleporter. The game doesn't mind if you want to split the party up: any characters that are on another map (say, the next floor) appear as backwards-facing helmets. It requires a loading transition each time but you can move between units from anywhere on the station. Given that combat's easier to manage as a one-on-one affair, you could theoretically send everyone off in different directions to do their own thing. Once we get far enough to see some branching paths, anyway.
Oh thank Space Jesus. I piled the second group into this teleporter elevator without thinking to move the initial duo out first. Half-expected to find them telefragged.
Oh thank Space Jesus. I piled the second group into this teleporter elevator without thinking to move the initial duo out first. Half-expected to find them telefragged.
We find more gear exploring. I tend to drop the heavy crates as soon as I've emptied them, but once I start getting a lot of inventory items they might become more useful. This one had some flares in it, which ties into a puzzle coming up a little later. I also found a colt pistol, which is an odd weapon to see on a space station. (I now recall that there was also a revolver starting weapon in BSS Jane Seymour. I guess they can't give us phasers and plasma rifles right off the bat, huh?)
We find more gear exploring. I tend to drop the heavy crates as soon as I've emptied them, but once I start getting a lot of inventory items they might become more useful. This one had some flares in it, which ties into a puzzle coming up a little later. I also found a colt pistol, which is an odd weapon to see on a space station. (I now recall that there was also a revolver starting weapon in BSS Jane Seymour. I guess they can't give us phasers and plasma rifles right off the bat, huh?)
This one requires some ingenuity, though not a whole lot if you're already at grips with the game's obtuse interface.
This one requires some ingenuity, though not a whole lot if you're already at grips with the game's obtuse interface.
Before I solve this one though, I spy something humanoid skulking around behind the door. The game has a very stringent field of vision mechanic, making distant enemies or those behind doors impossible to interact with. Still, we as the player are afforded an ominous look at what's to come.
Before I solve this one though, I spy something humanoid skulking around behind the door. The game has a very stringent field of vision mechanic, making distant enemies or those behind doors impossible to interact with. Still, we as the player are afforded an ominous look at what's to come.
The way to solve this one is to stand around the corner of the monitor (where that red thing is) and turn on the player character's head lamp to illuminate it, which then opens the door. You can also light a flare and throw it over there, though it's kind of a waste of a flare.
The way to solve this one is to stand around the corner of the monitor (where that red thing is) and turn on the player character's head lamp to illuminate it, which then opens the door. You can also light a flare and throw it over there, though it's kind of a waste of a flare.
Those weird bone-like things are batteries, and they run down the longer you keep the head lamps on. Sometimes you need the light on in order to fight enemies, so it's a good idea to find lots of batteries and spread them around. I also found a flamethrower, so maybe the game's not going to be stingy with the munitions after all. (You can also see a couple of fluid packs there too: the green is food while the blue is medicine, to match the colors of the respective food/health bars.)
Those weird bone-like things are batteries, and they run down the longer you keep the head lamps on. Sometimes you need the light on in order to fight enemies, so it's a good idea to find lots of batteries and spread them around. I also found a flamethrower, so maybe the game's not going to be stingy with the munitions after all. (You can also see a couple of fluid packs there too: the green is food while the blue is medicine, to match the colors of the respective food/health bars.)
These helpful (but I imagine fairly rare) ports allow us to recharge weapons. Weapons don't have ammo, but instead they will expend their energy supply with every shot, which essentially amounts to the same thing. Empty weapons can be thrown away for new weapons, or kept in case you find another one of these.
These helpful (but I imagine fairly rare) ports allow us to recharge weapons. Weapons don't have ammo, but instead they will expend their energy supply with every shot, which essentially amounts to the same thing. Empty weapons can be thrown away for new weapons, or kept in case you find another one of these.
I didn't quite capture the effect here, but this image works as a
I didn't quite capture the effect here, but this image works as a "before and after".
Here, the projectiles hitting the T-800 thing prowling the corridor light it up at the same time. The explosion it creates as it falls to pieces might also create some illumination. Point is, the game is often playing around with light sources and it's actually quite interesting. I can think of a large number of games that use lighting in this way (I think I wrote a list about it once) and it's what I wanted to show off with this ST-urday entry in particular.
Here, the projectiles hitting the T-800 thing prowling the corridor light it up at the same time. The explosion it creates as it falls to pieces might also create some illumination. Point is, the game is often playing around with light sources and it's actually quite interesting. I can think of a large number of games that use lighting in this way (I think I wrote a list about it once) and it's what I wanted to show off with this ST-urday entry in particular.

I think you get the idea. Though the game moves sluggishly, the pathfinding when moving through narrow doorways is terrible and its abstruse body parts UI was clearly conceived by nutcases, the game's kinda neat. I recall being mesmerized by early screenshots of it around 1990/91 (and of Shadowlands, but I liked the space stuff more at the time) and it then became one of those games I wanted to hunt down simply because it looked so cool. Of course, once I had it, it turned out to be a little too leisurely-paced and mechanically dense for Lil' Mento to properly appreciate, but some small part of me has always wanted to revisit it and give it its due.

Next week will be the second edition of the ST-urday Demo Derby, which ought to be interesting. I've not yet decided whether I'll follow with the ST Action coverdisks (chiefly game demos) or switch to another magazine for something a little more app-heavy. Until then, everyone.

(Back to the ST-urday ST-orehouse.)

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