ShadowCaster: An old Gem.

[Andhaira]

Does anyone remember this game?

Basically in this game, by Origins, you played a shapeshifter with 6 available forms. Once you got each form you could transform into the form at will. Each form had different strength, weaknesses and powers. Combat with each form was different, it played different and it FELT different. For instance, with the powerful dragon form you transformed into a firedrake, and could destroy nearly any enemy in melee. You also had a powerful breath weapon and a tail stinger. You could also fly.

OTOH with the nymph form, you transformed into a small, physically weak character who had unique, nature oriented abilities. Combat was totally different using this form.

You also had a fishman form, which allowed you to travel underwater. Areas in the game therefore had multiple ways of traaversing them; fly, swim, travel underwater, become swmall and slip through bars, etc etc. Very fun.

The only flaw with the game IMO was that it was real time combat. However since the game was first person it didn't really matter that much. And combat was pretty fun especially since you had so many options.

I urge ppl, especially Ultima Underworld, Arena and Daggerfall fans to download and play this game today.

 

[Norfleet]

I've never understood this hate-on people here seem to have for any real-time combat. To me, real-time combat is neither good nor bad in and of itself, nor necessarily superior to turn-based combat. The devil is all in the details. How it's done determines whether it's good or bad, not the style.

 

[Andhaira]

Could you comment on the game?

 

[theverybigslayer]

Thread stealing! LOL!
Real-time versus Turn-based, which is better and why?

 

[Jim Cojones]

I've never understood this hate-on people here seem to have for any real-time combat. To me, real-time combat is neither good nor bad in and of itself, nor necessarily superior to turn-based combat. The devil is all in the details. How it's done determines whether it's good or bad, not the style.

I've never understood this strange need of generalisation especially when talking about imaginary problems. I can assure You it would be difficult to find a single person here on the Codex who hates RT and all examples of its implementation so where did You find those "people"?

 

[obediah]

I've never understood this hate-on people here seem to have for any real-time combat. To me, real-time combat is neither good nor bad in and of itself, nor necessarily superior to turn-based combat. The devil is all in the details. How it's done determines whether it's good or bad, not the style.

Congratulations! You've achieved level 12 of Codex understanding (RT did not rape your mom!). Somewhere around lvl 437 you'll realize that it's not about TB over RT, but rather restoring balance to the world.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

I see that AndhairaX never made the mistake of calling Shadowcaster an RPG. Good. Because it's a first-person beat'em up clickfest.

Oh sure, it has an inventory and a system of character advancement (if you kill enough monsters, you get more HP and Mana) but beyond that it's as linear as a rail shooter. It uses the Ultima Underworld engine, but the only thing it does better than the Underworld games is that it features underwater areas.

The different monster forms are an interesting concept, but they just aren't used that much. The first form is the four-armed cat thingie whose only power except being better at combat than the human form is that it has Trap Vision, which you'll use twice in the whole game. The nymph form heals faster than any other form, so that's the form you use when catching a break between fights. The Beholder-like form is a ranged attacker that floats sluggishly through the air, the fishman is vital to survive the underwater areas, the dragon form flies (which is needed when you enter a level that's virtually nothing but lava) and the final form is a virtually indestructible stone golem that crushes everything in its path. Once you get the final form, there is one level (three if you have the CD version) between you and the boss fight that ends the game. The various forms have limited selections of spells, but nothing to write home about.

The most dangerous enemies in the game are the two wizard-types. The blue ones do no damage but drain your mana while the red ones drain your health so fast they can kill you in a matter of seconds. Guess what the final battle is full of?

The levels are nothing special either, except for the CD-only second-to-last level which is a passageway full of staring eyes embedded into the wall. You get your forest, graveyard, dungeon, mine, submerged dungeon, castle, dungeon full of lava, dungeon that looks like it's made of flesh, a fortress and a throne room of sorts.

I would not go so far as to call Shadowcaster a gem - it was a mediocre game back in 1993. The years have not been kind to it.

 

[Major_Boobage]

'Unkillable cat' ? Thats the worst name ever!

 

[Sckarecrow92]

'Unkillable cat' ? Thats the worst name ever!

and that's coming from Major Boobage....?

 

[Damned Registrations]

Actually, he used an underscore because he's a freaking moron.

 

[Major_Boobage]

Txs guys, you are so sweet.

 

[Seboss]

I would not go so far as to call Shadowcaster a gem - it was a mediocre game back in 1993. The years have not been kind to it.

Indeed, and it was the released the same year as UW2, Serpent's Isle, Betrayal at Krondor and other real gems. I think it slipped by completely unnoticed.
Are you sure it used UW engine? Mobygames says it uses ID software engine (Doom?).

 

[Unkillable Cat]

At first I was certain that Shadowcaster used the UW engine (because they looked and performed very similar) but after comparing the two games I see that Shadowcaster is using some bastard child version of the Wolf3D engine. Shadowcaster levels are made out of 90° square blocks. Both Doom and UW could do better than that, Wolf3D could not. Which really makes me wonder, because then whatever modifications Origin did to the Wolf3D engine reduced its overall performance. Also, reviews from that time stated that Shadowcaster used the UW engine.

 

[Fowyr]

Sixteen years ago I had a crush on this game. It was a crush in absentee of game, but still. I saw pair of screenshots, quickly browsed solution and game was awesome! It was made by Raven (who I knew because of Heretic) and Origin (!). It was an RPG (or so I was told). You could change various forms, fly, swim and even dive! But I could not find it anywhere and my old 286 was not helping either. Then I got P166 and modem, downloaded it from some BBS or Internet (can't remember) and was flabbergasted.
a)It's not RPG, though levels are pretty neat.
b)Morphing was much less awesome than sounded.
c)It was a RMB clickfest, much more than Anvil of Dawn, for example.
d)Items are meh. For example, potions doesn't even consume when last gulp is made, thus you litter level with useless shit. And wands, shitton of wands. They are useful to quickly get several levels for new weak forms like Caun or Opsis, though.

Now I'm replaying it.
Don't save when dem fireballs a-flying (Spider Den, mine room), I lost my save and progress for one level.

Unkillable Cat
What about CD-only levels?

 

[octavius]

I watched a friend playing it back in the days; it looked moderately fun, but not nearly as fun as Ultima Underworld or Doom.
A year or to ago I gave it a try myself, but evidently I was not very impressed since the only comment I made on my Play List was "Meh".

 

[Zetor]

This game was... mediocre in every way. May have been an inspiration for Lands of Lore 2's shapechanging, though... not that LoL2 was that great a game to begin with.

 

[Fowyr]

Version 1.12F
Looks like after several castings of Light, light returns to level permanently.
Items can be recharged by use of Power Pools, that are drainable. So use them to regain power points only if you are really need it.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Unkillable Cat
What about CD-only levels?

Going by memory here, and I played them like back in 2007 or something, but they offered a varied selection of obstacles that required each and every shapeform available. I recall flying being the biggest thing here, as the floor was often unfriendly. I thought they offered a decent challenge, compared to virtually any other level in the game. They do make a nice "bridge" between the lava level and the last batch of levels that lead to the endboss fight.

In terms of which version I'd recommend, I'd recommend the CD version if you're enjoying yourself while playing the game, as it prolongs the experience. If you're not, however, you might as well skip them. In terms of appearance they're funky, but not by that much.

Zetor I agree with you that LoL2 is not the great game that it could have been, but it's clearly a "flawed gem" in my books. It's trying something, but doesn't quite pull it off. It's also cursed with being stuck right in the middle of "standard video cards" vs "3D GRAFIX CARDSSZZ!!111" that were struggling to make a name for themselves in the late 90s, which is why the graphics look outright obscene nowadays in quality.

 

[Fowyr]

Another corrupted save. Now just before room with a Grost's obelisk tip.
Even measly potions of health are rechargeable by Power Pool.
Lava could be temporary freezed by ice spells.

This game is so big waste of potential.
"We are making dungeon crawler, guys, right? We need a pressure plate puzzle!"
Two boulders used to weigh two pressure plates nearby. Very nearby.
Grost form can destroy some walls!
Instead of making several secret stashes of useful items in previous part of the level (it's rife with nooks and crannies), these stashes are right in next room. If you retrace your steps, you can find one secret compartment. With an easter egg book of credits.
Diving and underwater sounds awesome, but you can dive in only two parts of the game. Right in the start (without water form , useless sublevel with a boulder) and in water level. Why do not make again several secret stashes? Ok, diving really is changing level, but technically they could make just one big underwater level with completely separate areas. In before noclip hack and appearing in next stage of the game (with crash, because level was not loaded properly).

 

[Turok]

My god i play this game, was awesome, after see the screenshots i remember it clearly, thanks for the post, good memory's came back to me.

 

[I'm Big Into Anal]

wow codex circa 2009 was really really shit

look at all those unfunny posts my god

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Diving and underwater sounds awesome, but you can dive in only two parts of the game. Right in the start (without water form, useless sublevel with a boulder) and in water level. Why do not make again several secret stashes? Ok, diving really is changing level, but technically they could make just one big underwater level with completely separate areas.

The last level also had a couple of pools you could dive in...can't remember if you needed to, though.

 

[Andhaira]

I watched a friend playing it back in the days; it looked moderately fun, but not nearly as fun as Ultima Underworld or Doom.
A year or to ago I gave it a try myself, but evidently I was not very impressed since the only comment I made on my Play List was "Meh".

You kind of have to play these games at around the time when they were released to truly enjoy them. It was good fun for the time. Also had a kick ass opening cutscene.

 

[Fowyr]

The last level also had a couple of pools you could dive in...can't remember if you needed to, though.

That Maze of Madness level has area reachable only through diving (via River of Blood). Nice touch.

 

[Agesilaus]

I've never understood this hate-on people here seem to have for any real-time combat. To me, real-time combat is neither good nor bad in and of itself, nor necessarily superior to turn-based combat. The devil is all in the details. How it's done determines whether it's good or bad, not the style.

liberals​