Shadow of the Beast II Longplay (Amiga) [QHD]

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Developed by Reflections and published by Psygnosis in 1990
The original Shadow of the Beast was a technical masterpiece when it launched in 1989, although gameplay definitely wasn't its strong-suit.
Released just a year later, Beast 2 feels like a real step backward. If you thought the original game was unbalanced, just way till you experience the sequel - it absolutely delights in pushing the player into inescapable situations and dead ends if you're not carrying the correct items at the right time!
There are also far too many encounters requiring pixel-perfect timing - 07:34 is a perfect example - and the whole affair is just tiresome. At least the inclusion of health potions to restore health is a small bonus.
The multi-layer parallax that looked so amazing in the first game is largely absent, and the visual style is considerably more drab and dreary. The actual artistry is still of an excellent standard, but the muddy browns and greys of the colour palette don't exactly excite.
Tim Wright replaced David Whittaker as composer on this second outing, and his musical score is probably the only highlight about this sequel.
#shadowofthebeast
#amiga
#walkthrough

[@napalmhardcore]

I'll admit, I could never get anywhere in this game as a kid and I didn't really understand the plot back then either. Even using the cheat I never finished it. Looking at it from an adult's perspective, I can see how flawed the gameplay is too, but despite all that this game still holds a special place in my heart. I actually got slightly teary eyed watching this. I love the artwork and music on the intro screen in particular. I also remember the screen displayed when you die is really beautiful (although it wasn't in the video). The atmosphere and artwork of this game had a really powerful emotional impact on me when I was younger and watching this video brought it all back to me. Thank you for uploading.

[@jamesboydriver]

Literally exactly how i feel... i have memories of playing this as a 3 or 4 year old kid but not really having any idea what it was really about. The opening scene is what's really stayed with me all these years

[@RobJT]

Same, I had no idea what to do in this game as a kid. It has the greatest soundtrack of any game ever though… I think?

[@thewise3551]

Same

[@ciganyweaverandherperiwink6293]

I'm so happy someone left this comment as it's the exact one I wanted to leave. Despite feeling hotshit for figuring out the cheat, I just couldn't get past a certain point of the game either. So many great games from my childhood and teen years. Something about the retro games is just...better. I gasped to be reminded of all the music, graphics and all that too. I'd love to own all the old games and consoles I had back then. My mid-winter days off work as it snows outside would be truly levelled up. I would also need a few old arcade games too, like Streetfighter 2. Too many to talk about, my comment would be ridiculously long. I miss the world before the internet. It sounded so great in theory but in practice humans have screwed it all up. Again.

[@janne6765]

Same here, played it as a kid, never got anywhere in it due to it being so hard, but game still has a special place in my heart due to the music, graphics and death screen.. omg love that

[@BlaBla-sd1ip]

When I look at this video game, one of the best of its time, I say to myself: my God, how time flies !! I had the chance to live this period of the video game and it was extraordinary in many ways.

[@marcint.]

I remember when I got solution for sotb 2. I bought it on August 1994, fckn time real flies 😂

[@BulletTrainFan]

The time was so amazing. Play these amazing games with so many friends at home. Hate the times NOW!

[@jackjude]

These games looked great but were tedious and felt it at the time. Yet, I credit the first game as being responsible in developing my critical faculties - of what makes a good game.

[@RobJT]

@@jackjudefor sure. Great looking and sounding but an absolutely terrible game. So far from one of the best of all time.

[@LovellArt]

I agree, the haunting music and graphics cause such a nostalgic stir in me. I used to go over my friends house who had this on the Amiga 500. it was so magical. I loved when tech was at this level and stuff like this was so impressive and exciting.

[@desult0r]

Nobody set a mood like Psygnosis! This brought back such nostalgia for me. Thanks much!

[@DudeWatIsThis]

Reflections* Psygnosis was the publisher. The game was made by Reflections.

[@dannymills2782]

Music sends me right back, more of a pleasure to watch walk through than actually play!

[@Ben-xl7ft]

This game will always be very special for me. It came with the Screen Gems Amiga 500 pack that my Dad bought in either 1990 or 1991 with half a meg upgrade and second disc drive. I cannot put into words how excited I was as a 12/13yr old loading this game up for the first time and my jaw dropping to the floor after watching that intro sequence (this from me previously having an 8 bit MSX). I know the game play sucks as it’s way too difficult (although you do a great job here!) but those graphics got me completely hooked into gaming. “Ten pints” and you’re away!

[@leobatchelor8952]

I never felt that the gameplay sucked, strictly speaking (I found ball and chain really satisfying). It's just extremely difficult.

[@Ben-xl7ft]

Leo Batchelor - That’s a fair point. I might revisit this game as a more maturer gamer to see if I have any more luck with it!

[@mark6302]

half a meg upgrade haha how far we've come

[@subconscious.com_usa6691]

Did you ever use the ten pints cheat

[@dominikgruskovnjak2511]

Event TEN PINTS didnt help always...

[@pawel23467]

TEN PINTS saves the day back then

[@flickitywickity9189]

Only if you didn't fall into the acid stuff. Then it was F10 (If I remember right😂)

[@altikirkbes]

Thank you for asking all possible questions to NPC's. I've never seen this in other walkthroughs. :)

[@rafa-ariel.9487]

He forget ask forest guardian. They can leave you alone without attacking. "secret service" magazine wrote about it.

[@altikirkbes]

@@rafa-ariel.9487 I think it is a cheat

[@westcountryfarmer6557]

So many memories. This game was tough, never did complete. Remember I used to watch the intro every time, music sets the atmosphere. Bring back the 90’s - simpler times hazed in bong smoke

[@phaikyouser9499]

My attention span is usually too short to finish games. What one of my Fondest Memories is coming home from school every day and getting a little bit further in this game. In the end, I finally finished it! I will never ever forget that time. I will never ever forget that time. It truly was the Dark Souls of its day. Anyway, my room got demolished soon afterwards and my life has been on a downward spiral ever since. So this video brings back fond memories!

[@Evab3vA]

One of the most iconic Amiga games and brings back memories for me.

[@johanrevelid2067]

My childhood right there .. all the Psygnosis titles were the bomb back in the day. 😊

[@youuuuuuuuuuutube]

That's the best longplay I've seen from this game. I couldn't finish it myself. Good that you just didn't "cheat" your way in with no damage. Also good that it's at 50Hz and with integer scaling. This game has an atmosphere I haven't been able to find anywhere else, just looking at the black background makes you think it's a vast and mysterious world, possibly dangerous too. Masterpiece.

[@madscare923]

Hin und wieder, denk ich an alte Spiele zurück. Und denke die waren früher nur so gut weil ich ein Kind war. Jetzt sitz ich hier und merke, so eine geile Atmosphäre, Musik und Stil, kriegt heut keine Spieleschmiede mehr hin.

[@v509-cassiopeiae3]

This game, this world, this atmosphere, this melancholic mood, this music, in the form of Elden Ring. it would be a revelation. A huge, cryptic open world, as hard as Elden Ring but with the style of Shadow of the Beast II. Who's for it?

[@darkzentai7417]

That’s something I’d like to see a dark souls shadow of the beast game.

[@Gamingbeast82]

Well played man, that game is hard as nails. Beautiful otherworldy setting and music tough.

[@Emulous79]

You're a genius, mate. This is the toughest game in the series.

[@giddue]

And by the way, thank you for uploading this, I'd like to be able to put more than just one like!

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

Glad you enjoyed it 🙂

[@TheMalevolentPath]

Some of these Amiga intros really are timeless, they still look amazing. The same cannot be said for any of the early ps1 game intros or anything of that era.

[@jamesboydriver]

100% i feel like a lot of the amiga games really lent on the intro to drag you straight into the storyline

[@DeanH92]

Hands down the hardest game ever made. I'd put it up against your Battletoads and Silver Surfer any day. Also, the Idiots who complain about Dark Souls, I'd like to show them this.

[@JJ-qo7th]

There's a difference between a game that's hard because of execution and a game that's obtuse with multiple ways to functionally block off your way to proceed that are never hinted at during gameplay.

[@DeanH92]

@@JJ-qo7thSorry I’m gay. No need to get all scientific about it. I don’t even know which of your 2 examples is supposed to relate to this game

[@JJ-qo7th]

@@DeanH92 What does being gay have to do with anything?

[@DeanH92]

@@JJ-qo7thYou tell me, you responded first

[@MasoodMatin]

this is the first Open-World video game that I can remember

[@Music-tg5is]

Great atmospheric soundtrack.

[@giddue]

What a gloriuos, wonderful, magical and mythical game. My absolute favorite in Beast's saga. I'd love to see a hd remake of this one (but still in pixel art, not 3d)

[@Bembel81]

Pixel art is low res 8 bit pixel shit. These are 16 bit 2d graphics.

[@nebularain3338]

@@Bembel81 Pixel art is classed as such if you can see the pixels on the screen in the bitmap graphics, and you most certainly can see them in 16-Bit games. The Amiga, Megadrive, SNES, Neo Geo, and vintage arcade games all have pixel art graphics. I should know, I was a pixel artist in the 90s.

[@kawanbruh]

well...the first beast got a remake for the ps4.

[@CreateActionLtd]

As many of thr comments have said. Amazing intro snd graphics, stupidly hard game and it came with my Amiga 500. Very fond memories ❤

[@fRikimaru1974]

I remember the intro perfectly, but I never was able to complete the game...

[@AegisAuras]

I like how is method of escaping jail is to just punch the cell door off the wall

[@turricanedtc3764]

It only works if you get the guard drunk though - if he's sober and awake, he'll re-lock the door and zap you with electricity.

[@kamratsmusiccorner3646]

While the first shadow the beast was impressive for it's time the second one is a much better game with proper art-direction, gameplay as well as enemies having better animations. The first one will always live on in my heart as great tech-demo while I remember the second one more fondly as a game.

[@SendyTheEndless]

Your cellmate tried to stop your kid being kidnapped, but when it comes to the spike hallway, "You first good sir!"

[@malcm79]

Loved this. I got it with my amiga 500 pack with Batman, back to the future 2 and nightbreed in 1991

[@Jimbatron]

Nice that you asked lots of questions to do with the wider plot, not just those you needed to progress. Oh and also that you can actually complete it, still one of the most insanely difficult games of all time for me.

[@stefanoperis488]

Masterpiece 😍

[@Greenie5902]

Ten Pints was the cheat code if you walked t right at the beginning of the game and typed it in.

[@dragonlord83]

Finally completed this (on the Megadrive as I no longer have an Amiga 😭) and I'd say it's as good (and as hard) as the first game but for different reasons. The first game has ridiculous enemies flying at you at top speed and you had a punch with limited range which made combat harder yet there weren't many puzzles and dead ends. The second games combat was so much better due to enemies being slower and you having good attack range due to the ball and chain. Yet the puzzles were hard and nonsensical at times and one mistake often means starting from the start... This is due to the era the game was released I suppose. The game was short so Reflection wanted to make it last so you would die, write down your mistake and do it differently next time. Both are 8 out of 10 games imo and I do think Beast 2 is underrated.

[@weirddudehi]

Always wondered how many people would play and finish this game legally "NO CHEAT,ORIGINAL DISKS" ,it is an incredible adventure.

[@keithlittle293]

Reckon most people that searched this are late 30s early 40s. I too could get no where.. what was the bloody password. What memories though🙏🏻🙏🏻😂

[@NoirBadGuy]

Dude, the spawn rate of the enemies and traps looks really obnoxious. I would probably rage quit this game so fast, like the enemy pushing spiky block - it's pure anxiety. And even if I'd keep playing I don't know how I would figure half the stuff out. I like the RPG elements tho, 'Ask about' function, quests. And to be honest there aint many games with crazy stuff you see here so it's cool someone suffered through it so I can watch it :) This QHD series is awesome, keep it up. BTW guy's sister lives in normal house, has child, wears normal clothes... and her brother is caveman running around half naked with iron ball on a chain? Is there like lore I am missing here that explains it?

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

I think Aarbron (the player) is returning home after the first game, and the Beast Lord's magic is starting to wear off - rather than just a savage beast, you're regaining human form. I think the lack of clothes is to convey the sense you're still quite bestial and uncivilised 😆 Be sure to watch the first game if you're not familiar with it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2qlnaeJq7CAorM

[@dragonlord83]

@@AL82RetrogamingLongplays he is still part beast it seems. If Aarbron dies in this game his skeleton is still shaped like his Beast form from the first game.

[@Eliminaattori]

That's a tough game! Very well played. There is actually pretty much extra health and its not so hard game to complete if you can play smart like here. Thank you for adding some conversations! There were many comments I haven't heard before.

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

Glad you enjoyed it - I tried to find what options the chat parser would recognise. It's fairly limited - there might be more options than I found 🙂

[@Eliminaattori]

I remember one that you didn't talk to - the "forest people" when going right. Goblins: "Disgusting creatures!" Wood: "(something I don't remember)... but you cannot go through our wood." And after you go to their territory, pressing A gives two different messages - either "they ignore you" or "get out of our wood". Never asked anyone about Maletoth though. I laughed when some people went pale when they heard that name :) Edit. You can also talk to Ishran before fight. There is a command that makes him mad and fight starts but I don't remember it.

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

@@Eliminaattori Yeah - it wasn't because I deliberately chose not to talk, it's because the game really doesn't make it that clear that you CAN talk to them. It would have been a lot better if Reflections had implemented a dialogue system where combat won't start until you've actually talked to the characters.

[@SuperScoot1978]

At 17:02 if you time a left jump into the base of that branch, you can get into the underworld section there. There's also another easter egg jump somewhere else that I can't remember exactly. All found through many months trying to complete this as a kid

[@rafa-ariel.9487]

Nah, I always clues why they did this, nothing there, you must touch tree from the right side and use "little jump" to get there. Not hard.

[@garethroyle5240]

Yes, I remember this game fondly, but mainly because of the atmosphere and the incredible music. I never got anywhere on it myself, being content to watch others struggle. The menu theme that kicks in around 2:14 is quite possibly my favourite video game music of all time.

[@laurencerushton3544]

This sprung to mind after someone mentioned Another World. Great to have it, even if just to watch.

[@stephenmcclean4996]

10mins till you got to some where I never got to. I loved this game growing up.

[@2PeteShakur]

"Shadow of the Beast II was born out of the obvious need to add far deeper gameplay to Beast's follow up, and a general frustration with often lazy sequels that we would all see. So everything was redesigned from scratch including the scrolling system. It didn't look as pretty as the orginal due to this but it allowed far greater design freedom and monster movement. In typical Psygnosis fashion, they went all out with the packaging as it came in another huge glossy box with a poster and T-shirt." -- Martin Edmondson (game designer, graphic artist and founder of Reflections)

[@104d_3rr0r_vince]

When it rains (like now) I fire up the Amiga and watch and listen to the main screen. Too lazy to do that today, so I watch this.

[@robertmoritz7954]

Kult. I love this game. Good old Amiga times. LG

[@Antonio-hx7yh]

very difficult but also underrated. Classy graphics, awesome sound. Graphically less impressive than the first one but cleaner and much more atmospheric. It has a great dark fantasy vibe. The initial menu and death screens are awesome. A more balanced difficulty and gameplay and this could've been a masterpiece

[@alchimiepsy]

❤️❤️❤️ culte, still have the original game in original box

[@stupormundi3295]

Thanks to Andrew Bond for the compressor 🙂

[@cocktailzombie]

I remember this was my first game that i owned as a kid on my amiga 500 which i got for Christmas, remember vaguely being scared of it think it was the music and the intro, also remember playing the first level over and over never really getting too far

[@rafa-ariel.9487]

Same here

[@100kgsex]

ten pints......thanks for this video.awesome game and music and all......never finished but this game had it all....still rules in 2024 thanks 4 video:)

[@PadPoet]

Love your playthroughs dude, I've told you before. Ah, Beast 2, the most difficult of all probably. Even though we remember this fondly - who doesn't, the music by Tim Wright is amazing - it stink from bad game design. The feedback loop is non existent and most of the times it's impossible to figure out what to do. Plus that one small mistake and it's Gtrl + A + A (Amiga reset) and let's go all over again.I remember getting so frustrated as a child playing this although loved the music, dark atmosphere and setting. Beast 3 is by far my favourite but even though this is kind of a "black sheep" I love it.

[@giddue]

I love this game from neginning to the end, but it was so hard that the "ten pints" cheat mode was the only way to play and enjoy it.

[@RedStarGlobe072]

What a great game. Can we also admire the fact it was created only by 5 (five) people?

[@sborromale]

I remember cheat ..."ten pints" when talk the first time... maybe...

[@benjaminex3009]

For a game this difficult, that ending is pure ass

[@caucasoidape8838]

I got CDI Ganon vibes from that final boss.

[@navigator6974]

This channel is seriously trippin me out. I gotta get my Amiga 500 back!! Nostalgia injection!!

[@greenhowie]

Hah, save the Mudokons but only so they die to the spikes before you.

[@PeterJohnson76]

Great Game, Music and Graphics

[@HKvalhe]

Still awesome today 🥰❤️🙏

[@timetorelaxfocus9642]

This brings back great memories, thanks

[@AdriftForWeeks]

Proto-metroidvania goodness. The Beast games stand out most for their brilliant art direction and sound, but this game had some really neat ideas for its time!

[@Quickdrawingartist]

This makes me wish they were able to make that O.D.T. sequel. Psynosis were very original and creative with what they thought of.

[@greenhowie]

Never considered ODT to be a spiritual successor to Shadow of the Beast before but you're absolutely right. And yes, they should.

[@eyeshandy]

This takes me back

[@yandereSyndrome]

I'd love to see a detailed explanation of how they did that opening animation sequence.

[@ItsBigIan]

Beast 2 is iconic.

[@deceiver444]

An unfair classic

[@craigix]

One of the few Amiga games to use a 4 colour sprite for the main character? It's a clever way to free up resources.

[@Karanthaneos]

Other than the music and the game over screen, this entry seems to be the one with the most cohesive story in the whole series. The puzzles are really bad and softlocking, but watching this being longplayed truly feels like it is telling the story of a guy on a journey. The first game is too all over the place to really convey that feeling and the third one having disconnected levels makes the world feel a bit more disconnected. I enjoy watching them all, but story wise SotB II is the one I like the most as a story.

[@doctorsocrates4413]

Preferred part 3 myself out of the entire series..the artwork was tremendous with all of them and a lot of work went into these games.

[@nickwilliams9887]

If I remember correctly, wasn’t the cheat mode activated when you typed in Ten Pints or something??

[@rafa-ariel.9487]

Yea, thats right!

[@mikieboddy5873]

I remember the cheat code asking for 10 pints at the tribe person in the woods. He then gave you unlimited life. Even with this cheat it was very hard to complete if you didn’t do correct things

[@iranclassic]

It's wonderful menu music ... 💘 Tim & lee wright .. Where are they now ?!

[@frankmastromauro5630]

Great video

[@SerBallister]

Some great artwork here, that main sprite has the same number of colours as Mario on the NES (an entire 3 of them!)

[@youuuuuuuuuuutube]

Don't forget the transparent color! That makes 4.

[@AFCManUk]

I would never have completed this game without 'Ten Pints' ;)

[@query1527]

Shadow of the Beast 2 was my dark souls.

[@hunter141072]

That was Psygnosis trademark, amazing intros, technically awesome games with crappy gameplay, and the worst endings anyone ever saw.

[@MisterGibbycrumbles]

I like how they thought the player character wasn't important enough to use more than three colours on, but all the other sprites use like twice that number of colours.

[@Retroconsole]

Very difficult game! But one day I will beat it :P

[@louis5384]

Le temps de chargement avec la main est mythique pour moi.

[@EdgyNumber1]

I would love to hear the main level theme being played on a Yamaha DX7 👍

[@emmaevans9498]

This game could destroy you back in the day;

[@Whatever4690]

Very hard game due to the puzzles but even better than the first.

[@AndreasKopp-c1s]

The first Beast has the best graphics, this one has more puzzles.

[@user-ws8rf5zk2m]

Krass das ist das erste game wo ich bewust mitbekomme das man nach links läuft und eben nicht nach rechts!

[@phelipemello3355]

At 8:51 I always do the same method as in the gaming videos, but the floor always opens and I fall into the acid. What happens? I make the character crouch, press the button to open the correct lever and I can never get up, I fall into the acid and lose. Its some bug/glitch?

[@JNPollard]

Was Castlevenia a spiritual successor to this game or something. Feel like they got a lot of their elements from this game

[@GoogleAccount-vn8mu]

No because Castlevania predates this game. Also its highly unlikely that a massive Japanese franchise would take inspiration from what would be a relatively obscure western game over in Japan. The Amiga only sold around 10,000 units in japan.

[@paumic6366]

I was about 9-10 years old back then, and the intro was very iconic and spooky for me. The game (the whole series) itself was not good in my opinion. I played stuff like The New Zeeland Story, Flood, Killing Game Show and Wonderboy instead.

[@Abazigal]

Kinda felt like there was a last level missing, like there should have been a whole castle stage before fighting the final boss.

[@rafa-ariel.9487]

Yea, I felt it too so damn long

[@klausgoldfisch3231]

29:18 When the game-over-screen ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnjJZqumlrd8rpo) is nicer and more epic than the "reward-screen", when you've played a really tough game ...

[@dwaciastka1111]

First scene has a scarry. My chillhoud first horror

[@Kyntteri]

🍺 🍺 🍺 🍺 🍺 🍺 🍺 🍺 🍺 🍺 🥴

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

Very subtle! 😆

[@Kyntteri]

@@AL82RetrogamingLongplays Sure thing. Smooth as gravel. 😉

[@unphoto]

If you walk and talk the "right way" first ;)

[@gchecosse]

This one's on you Roger

[@EirulanX]

Great Playthrough! How many savestates?? ;-)

[@Zerit0]

Ten pints :)

[@OdaVenom]

21:59 well, he at least freed them from cages, so the rescuing operation was half successful! XD

[@tosgem]

I just watched the Megadrive /Genesis version on video. What is the matter here, ST lazy port?

[@rushifellpainting4631]

Sister child?!

[@ThumbdownMan]

The game doesnt have sound effect?

[@Salamander676]

He looks like a caveman in this game

[@angeldeb82]

There's a lot of grammar and punctuation typos and problems in the story, but otherwise, not too bad.

[@Fergit_]

10 Pints

[@GurmeetSingh-fr8uo]

How can I play this is on my iPhone ?

[@nasstak3440]

Never got past 13:19! Could never figure out the password.