SHADOWS OF THE DAMNED (Zero Punctuation)

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This week, Zero Punctuation finds out if the Shadows of the Damned developer dream teams pays off or not.
Fast-talking Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw reviews a new game each week in this animated series that combines informed critique with cutting humor. Watch the next episode of Zero Punctuation a week early, only on The Escapist.
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[@Number9Robotic]

If anyone years later is reading new comments for this vid, if you didn't know, yeah Suda51 got shafted HARD by EA in the making of this game. Originally he wanted to make an actual Kafka-esque psychological horror adventure game called "Kurayami", but EA kept forcing him to stop being so quirky in order to fit with their "western values", kicking out a vast bulk of his original ideas while forcing him to inject things like guns to make it more "western". Suda apparently was forced to iterate the game concept 5 times before EA thought it'd be acceptable, but they still thought it was too weird and didn't give him the budget or marketing and just let him crash and burn. Suda REALLY wanted to make a better (or at the least more creative) game than what came out, but Shadows of the Damned barely is barely even his game anymore thanks to EA.

[@ThePsydiztik]

I still, playing the game for the first time in 2022, have to say, the game is a blast to play.

[@Number9Robotic]

@@HerrTipple Certainly possible, but problem: EA said that they liked Suda's idea for a Kafka horror game and only changed their minds once he signed a publishing contract with them. Remember that this is EA we're talking about, and 2000-10's EA at that.

[@scaper12123]

Between this and Fuse, it’s evident that EA ruin basically any project they get involved with

[@acuteavocado1962]

suda's the type of guy that makes a pun out of his own name and then uses it as his professional stage name

[@Qrafter]

Get this: The boss fight upgrade for the pistol is the "Hotboner" Yeah...

[@mlpfanboy1701]

Qrafter 7113 this is essentially the love child of devil may cry and resident evil 4 going thought puberty hard.

[@JakeBlunt165]

Oh the budget was cut short and the game felt a bit naff? You missed the EA logo on the box, Yahtzee. If it's not Battlefield or Need for Speed and it can't have 8,000 pieces of pay-to-win DLC, then FUCK THAT, NO FUNDING FOR YOU.

[@peterdvornik]

Jake Blunt while you're looking into the future, would you mind giving me some good lottery numbers?

[@DeadpoolX9]

Apparently they micromanaged the shit out of it during development to water it down for who they thought were western audiences but I suspect were magpies with opposable thumbs

[@soschar2050]

Wait wait wait wait wait. Were there SOUND EFFECTS being used in an episode of Zero Punctuation!?

[@Torguish]

soschar2050 My exact thoughts. I got scare for moment that i haven't watched this one yet. WHICH ISN'T. FUCKING. POSSIBLE.

[@Frenchhornhero]

Torguish What about his "best and worst" videos?

[@Torguish]

Jared Elwart Huh? :|

[@Frenchhornhero]

Torguish in his "best and worst of (insert year)" he uses sound effects. And actually there are a number of other episodes with them. The only one that comes to mind immediately is his Dark Void review, but there are a handful.

[@johnadams4427]

"...which, s game stories go, is only slightly newer than YOU HAVE TO SHOOT THE THING." This line made me subscribe. Well done sir. :P

[@critfyre310]

1. reads title "shadows of the damned" 2. looks at thumbnail: RAINBOWS!!!

[@TARINunit9]

2:07 Yahtzee dryly recounting the joke is far funnier than the actual joke

[@50Banana]

After watching your reviews on suda51s games I have concluded that suda51 should be the ruler of the universe.

[@AGrumpyPanda]

What pissed me off most about this game was the ending. I just fought through hell to rescue this chick, then she decides I was an arsehole for not dying alongside her instead of trying to rescue her- which she had been asking me to do the entire time- and then loudly exclaims "WHEN DO I GET MY FREEDOM?" and I'm just like "I literally just saved your finely modelled arse, can we go now?" and then she attacks me. Not cool.

[@zeta4334]

I find it funny how the guy who worked on RE4 teamed up with Suda 51 to make this since IIRC RE4 had a gun called Killer 7, which is the same name of the game you mentioned at the end of the review.

[@TheTankbus]

The gun was a direct reference to Killer 7 because I do recall Capcom published Killer 7 at the time of its release...I think.

[@ntdonat]

MrDustyMonk he should review re4.

[@NoTimeNoEffort]

+TankBus Yes, Killer7 and RE4 were two of the five games that Capcom promised to make for Nintendo on the GameCube, and by promised I mean they signed a contract and jumped ship as soon as possible because they were selling fuck-all. That's one of the reasons why RE4 has a direct reference to the Suda51 game, they were more or less made at the same time under the same circumstances. Viewtiful Joe and PN03 were the other ones, the fifth game of the bunch was never finished.

[@danielplainview2584]

I knew who Akira Yamaoka was Yahtzee! Yes, I do deserve a medal before anyone asks.

[@loweffort6468]

You will have one.

[@moooshroomdragonking1335]

+Daniel Plainview cookie print this out :)

[@timebomb4562]

+Daniel Plainview i'll get it sent to your PO box right now

[@Bigngreen]

But Yahtzee, you have forgotten, in this game you ARE the mad Spaniard.

[@paladinboyd1228]

Chu Chow, *Build the wall joke goes here* .

[@DrunkenGlums]

I think I only died once in this game from normal gameplay... but also about 10 times from Garcia's zombified insta-killing girlfriend >:(

[@WWIIAMAN]

Yahtzee: "The music's by Akira Yamaoka." "WHO?" Yahtzee: "the guy who made the music for Silent Hill." "WHAT'S THAT?" Yahtzee: "A series with really good music." "OH" Nearly died laughing!!

[@namelessdork2256]

Now I kinda wish there was a Suda 51 game bundle; Killer 7, No More Heroes, and Shadows of the Damned. Impossible as hell.

[@monsterhunter66]

nameless dork you didn't like Lolipop Chainsaw?

[@Lawlsomedude]

Sounds effects in a Zero Punctuation review? *TAKE THEM AWAY! THEY HURT MY EARS! AAAAGH!*

[@michaelsabao6167]

5:20 And thats the ture origin of the ghost rider!

[@linavelez4438]

I JUST got my guy this game for Father's Day, and I finally watched him play it, last night. There's a part where the Darkness surrounds the landscape, and the only thing that can hold it off while you try and turn it off is a lantern...that you SHOVE Johnson into, slowly at first, then faster and faster, until you hear FIREWORKS shoot off, and then when you pull Johnson out, HE'S FUCKING LIMP! I couldn't help LAUGHING the whole time. Every time I saw him do it, for all of 10 minutes, I was sitting there, cackling! I feel like it's a fun, silly, and creative game that is fun to play, until you get bogged down with the game mechanics of staving off the darkness by having Johnson have sex with a LANTERN.

[@majorcinnamunbun]

Honestly the best part of these reviews is where he tells you whether it is fun or not. Seriously more reviewers need to do that.

[@Leviathon672015]

I want to start an entire video game publication company just so I can make a sub-development company headed by Suda 51.

[@ASloppyJoe]

I can totally picture Yahtzee being on Antique Roadshow. It just...fits.

[@cheasepriest]

play it at 0.5 speed, he sounds drunk

[@NishaPerson]

3orignel5me

[@Strokemyturtle]

Jack man The irony is off the chain.

[@NishaPerson]

Strokemyturtle well at least i didnt say "Darude - sandstorm."

[@NishaPerson]

GBXS *CLAP* (No) *CLAP* (shit) *CLAP* (sherlock)

[@isaacargesmith8217]

Jack Man Original comeback

[@15UGADawg]

Shadows of the Damned was awesome! I’m still to this day upset there wasn’t a sequel!

[@Coreisus]

this was not nearly as easy as you claim.

[@XANApwns]

I don’t know what it is about the way he said it, the recording, the delivery, what, but the “Killer 7 was a trip.” just sounds like the most powerful, Chad statement Yahtzee’s ever made And this is a nine year old video so my comment will be lost to time but I feel like if this video was new, everyone would agree

[@kayeplaguedoc9054]

I don't care if Yamaoka's soundtrack isn't entirely fitting, it is still one of the best damn soundtracks for a vidya game ever. Yamaoka is my favourite video game composer and my 3rd favourite musician/artist/composer/band/whatever (Preceded only by Pink Floyd and Joe Hisaishi) and this OST is brilliant like all his rest. :3 I hope that he comes back for Silent Hills. *hugs her Silent Hill soundsbox close to her heart*

[@kaibawiz]

Thank god someone other than me actually read it. I love you.

[@dmas7749]

3:42 My new Fatality/Special Move

[@MrOmniblast]

"You HAVE to shoot the thing" LMAO why the hell did that crack me up so much...

[@GoldX8900]

3:35 My body is ready.

[@1bigfatpaulie]

Omg escapist is finally uploading again

[@coaxill]

Shinji Mikami was a writer for Killer7 as well.

[@MrsPsyfic]

I like how the 3rd says he's 5th, and the 5th he's 3rd. How amusing. The last sentence made my laugh out loud, Gj on this one.

[@annaskolarn]

Ooooh! you uploaded a new one rather quickly! Thanks guys!

[@Apemopo]

a lost soul with shades would be a cool sidekick to anyone. if he could say anything other than that screeching "AAAAHHH" they do while attacking

[@anotherpersonfromnorfolk1587]

"Sample my enormous priapism"

[@TheSuburbanJake]

he pretty said all that was needed to say about it in the no more heroes review

[@JackitK]

I've seen a lot of Zero Punctuation videos and I think this is the first one that had sound effects in it... I'll get back to you on whether that's a good thing or not.

[@aserta]

"Do you feel lucky punk?" takes a new ...line to things with that name in.

[@zarathos888]

"Too many cooks spoil the broth". Did your fussy grandma not tell you this.

[@MarcusFlor]

Keith TOO MANY COOKS

[@CorvodaPop]

2:36 CAAAANNON PEEEEENIIIIIISSSSSSS! ( smosh )

[@PwnageMode]

Escapist videos: 500 - 1000 views on average. Zero Punctuation: 100.000 - 250.000 views on average.

[@voidstrider801]

The talking flaming skull with the shades would suggest that suda51 is fan of doom, and possibly even ghost rider and inferno cop.

[@joebrito3192]

my favorite part of this game was the FUCK YOU screaming match between the main guy and the crow boss

[@angeldeb82]

This is so very funny, what with all the imps getting their body parts blown off and the Dog Latin for Garcia F. Hotspur. Garcia shooting a Space Invader, pretty funny. And the end credits where the imp bites off Garcia's head and Johnson takes the place of the head... so funny! XD

[@aaadsfa]

The video game Dante's Inferno was released in 2010.

[@DarkRubberDucky]

You said Akira Yamaoka, and I got all happy. Silent Hill is the best game music. My roommate played this a while back and it looked sooooo bad.

[@cyonemitsu]

you would say "stay back! Ive got this loaded!"

[@EMWISE94]

I remember some time back i searched up Shadows of the Damned on Wikipedia, and Garcia's name was written as "Garcia F. Hotspur". flash forward a bit and after i had watched this episode of ZP i went back to Wikipedia and searched the game again for some further info on the dev team, and realized that someone change Garcia's name to "Garcia Fucking Hotspur"... so... Which one of you did it? CONFESS!

[@Deathclaw-lh5tl]

2:25 - How the hell did I not make that connection while playing NMH?

[@semvision]

Finally someone said that Johnson looks like the lost souls from Doom.

[@IosefaL]

on their site: 5,000,000+ views

[@SilasWolfe]

The 51 in his name is a reference to the name Goichi Suda. Go in Japanese is 5 and ichi is 1. Goichi is not how you say 51 in Japanese however. It IS technically stated as "Suda Five One" and not "Suda Fifty One". Just like on a completely unrelated note we know the proper pronunciation for Ico is not "eye-co" but "ee-co" because Shadow of the Colossus was codenamed project Nico as in ichi, ni (one, two).

[@luisytacc]

I'll be honest, I did scream at the screen "But Godhand IS a Suda 51 game!"

[@chapterblaq]

How so?

[@AvangionQ]

My first run through (just now completed, I really shouldn't put games off for later like I do), my only deaths where when I got lost exploring life-draining darkness areas looking for secrets, when the psycho girlfriend in the swamp/tomb horror sections caught me, and that big boner defend the turret section where one of the headlamp giants reached my position ... it was never a standard monster death that got me.

[@poisonmist13]

I totally didn't know what a toffee apple was untill this moment: 4:17 And I've seen ALL the Zero Punctuation episodes! I know that us americans call them "candy apple" but it really isn't a big jump from "toffee" to "candy". God, I must be pretty thick not to make the connection. :/

[@Mr95noodles]

2:43 CANNON PEN1S

[@rayanedathodu]

Goichi Suda, you are a crazy person!

[@kekula69]

grass bird, sun fly, grows shines, and brotha? I hate planes

[@Shannyn316]

this made my day much better~

[@LuckXvaati]

I'm pretty sure I enjoyed this comment thread more than the actual video.

[@2sly4Anyone]

I have watched these videos so much that they permanently show up on my suggestion sidebar. This can be obnoxious at times, such as when I'm watching a completely different video and suddenly bing! I'm right back to Yahtzee.

[@kingdmguties123495]

Yahtzee is the Ashens of the videogames

[@iFyckedYaGirl]

no, he did a episode on it.

[@MrRuffy39]

well, that escalated quickly

[@monhunterz5430]

Suda 51 in a nutshell

[@MyChemicalBromance]

I noticed the letters "EA" on the box. That's why it felt rushed.

[@BrawnX]

Well, Richard Butt, you and I are two of a kind then. The fist three were the only ones I'd really call good while following the usual Resident Evil style and the two Wii based rail shooters are great fun in co-op. Beyond those, the rest fail to impress faster than a wax paper airplane at a Blue Angel's performance.

[@kingofkilps]

you do know that in real life Dante fell in love with Beatrice and die early which is why he was still in love with her 10 years after her death when he was writing the divine comedy

[@CoffeeMaus]

"276,435 views No comments yet" good job youtube you've become stupider

[@drash79]

+Sergeant Hastagazpacho Do you play tf2, or did you just take a photo for fun.

[@CoffeeMaus]

drash79 Both.

[@CoffeeMaus]

drash79 "Shut up or fuck off ideally both in either order."

[@RarefoilB]

You think that's bad, sometimes mobile KZbin hides the fact that it can't or won't load the comments section by stating that the uploader disabled the comments section. I SEE NO WAY THAT COULD LEAD TO PROBLEMS.

[@qapiojg]

@KeskasidvarGaming Well, think about this. The company that blocked it on copyright grounds is the company that owns Escapist. Am I blowing your mind right now?

[@bryangutierrez6679]

one shudders to imagine what inhuman thoughts lie behind that bone

[@MineCraftRussia]

>Zero Punctuation >New >NEW >NEWWWW >NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWW YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES

[@SarItachi79]

The thing that I actually like about this game is that the protagonist actually LOVES his girlfriend, is FAITHFUL to her, and is willing to fuck up the Big Cheese of the Underworld to keep her safe. Just take a look at the tattoo on his neck!! :D

[@parky004]

got hand was great

[@Sinapth]

I see. But how many shots does it have?

[@Yal_Rathol]

can't remember, but you'll know it when you see it.

[@Maxdemon98]

I can't wait untill he reviews Lollipop Chainsaw!

[@PandoraHasRisen]

Oh my GOD my day was made when I found you

[@AT69studios]

Boning's a good job mate...

[@Screwy]

I wanna see what he has to say about Lollipop Chainsaw now

[@t75044]

Yahtzee you don't say the HMS Quirk, its just HMSQuirk or the Quirk.

[@FannyDoxx]

I think a sequel is needed for this game.

[@TheFluffyWendigo]

Christopher=Umadia or however you spell that blokes name from Killer 7

[@natkatmac]

I wanna play the game just for Yamaoka

[@grfgtbhh34]

Anybody know in what video yathzee says "Look at me dancing around the subject"??

[@ShadowWolfRising]

i liked the game, i rented it (and beat it) once, probably one of the only endings to ANYTHING i was genuinely satisfied with.

[@rtyui136]

He's both British and Australian.

[@LinTekKim]

I need to sleep work tomorrow...maybe another video 5 mins won't hurt. 30 mins later.

[@JDude151]

The Portal 2 one, IIRC.

[@Stefan0os]

HE ALREADY DID!!!!!

[@DemonNo667]

That was a surprisingly positive review!

[@loooozblah]

His username is umbrella.

[@JaZ1992]

I know that. If you've watched any interviews with him, you'll know that that is actually how he refers to himself; 'Fifty-One'.

[@brunobb1]

What? The first Resident Evil is one of the greatest and most important games of all time...

[@Luckinji]

Though aging doesn't seem to be one of its strengths.

[@brunobb1]

Of course not, it basically began the Survival Horror genre. Besides, if you know how to play it it's one of the funnest games to play, and I mean it. Since I know how to control the character basically perfectly it's a joy. You just need to get used to it.

[@millennialboomer6780]

Bruno Silva I thought Alone in the Dark began the Survival Horror genre.

[@brunobb1]

Not for the mainstream audience. Resident Evil made it popular.

[@adampoole948]

I prefer RE 2 and 3 over the original... and the remake RE 1 on gamecube, now that's how a good remake of a game is done

[@Liz_For_Short]

@jakobthedragonboy If you go to 'The Escapist' like their actual website he uploads a new Zero Punctuation every Wednesday.

[@fishworshipper]

My point was that his accent is British. Unless what you said initialy was completely unrelated to the video and just pointing out some seemingly random detail, my point still stands.

[@cyberlaza101]

*Cheerfull music playsic* Oooh the magic what wonderus magic! XD

[@angelshadow3593]

I know I am late on this. But I been having this game for a while now. Yes the game has flaws in it like sometimes sounds cuts off, or scenes might be moving too fast so it glitches, then well levels can be bigger and most gun upgrades they kick ass but u wish u could have used them earlier in the game too, the story is cool but it can be better but other than that mostly. Gameplay kick ass but it also can be smoothened out. Creativity is amazing with how environments and funniness regardless of some corny jokes here and there. Some of the levels feel rushed as there's one level that's literally just a boss fight and another like 2 of them are real short. But goddamn that soundtrack to this game is mind blowing too! U can't complain about that OST! The games a 8/10. It's good but it just really needs small serious tweaks. Though its getting old now I am happy to have played it

[@RichardSharkTitsBraun]

M-My name is Richard too...