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Shadow Man Remastered from Nightdive Studios

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Arcane
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Codex 2014



https://af.gog.com/game/shadow_man_remastered?as=1649904300

Yet another remaster announcement from Nightdive, Shadow Man https://www.gematsu.com/2020/03/shadow-man-remastered-announced-for-ps4-xbox-one-switch-and-pc

Shadow Man is the brave and powerful supernatural hero who protects humanity from the sinister demons that lurk in the Deadside and spill into our world. The Shadow Man video game was originally developed by Acclaim Studios and published for the PC, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and Dreamcast console in 1999. Considered a “lost classic” for years, the PC version of the game was published again in its original form by Nightdive Studios in 2014.

Now the title is being updated using Nightdive’s proprietary KEX engine which has been used to restore classic video games across all digital platforms including System Shock: Enhanced Edition, Turok, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Blood: Fresh Supply, and Forsaken Remastered.

The Remastered version adds a host of features in addition to console support:
  • 4K widescreen display
  • Dynamic shadow mapping
  • Dynamic per-pixel lighting
  • Antialiasing, and other post-process effects
  • Higher density of particle effects
  • Refined art, audio, and assets
  • Refined gameplay experience
  • Reintroduction of missing content cut from the original game
  • Xbox, PlayStation 4, Controller Pro support
  • HDR Rendering
 
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Bad Sector

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Insert Title Here RPG Wokedex Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming! Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Of all the attempts to restore old games, Nightdive does by far the most effort with their source code modifications and recreations - i guess hiring Kaizer (who was already doing that stuff in his free time) was a great move.

My only concern is that sometimes when they recreate things, some of the minor behaviors are altered or lost (e.g. even though it still feels great to play, Turok was fully recreated engine-wise and it does feel different from the original Windows release). Though that is the preservationist in me speaking (who would also like for them to release the original versions as bonuses - e.g. on GOG -- even if they do not work). In practice this doesn't make much of a difference and they can be seen as "ports" like those that weren't always 100% identical.
 

Infinitron

I post news
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Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth


https://www.pcgamer.com/shadow-man-remaster-pc-gaming-show-2020/

Here's our first look at Nightdive's 4K remaster of occult adventure Shadow Man
The power of voodoo (who do?).

One by one, Nightdive Studios is rescuing early 3D games from obscurity. Earlier this year we learned that Shadow Man, an Acclaim action game from 1999, is getting the full remaster treatment in Nightdive's internal Kex Engine. Now we've gotten a proper look at it in a new trailer that debuted at the PC Gaming Show.

Shadow Man seems to mostly be a game about blasting monsters with voodoo powers and carrying torches through some very dank environments, though readers of the comic book it's based on may know there's more going on. Shadow Man isn't gonna win any awards for beauty, but it's noticeably crisp in Nightdive's engine. The remaster supports up to 4K resolution, and also has some substantial graphical updates around light and shadows and added anti-aliasing and ambient occlusion.

There are a few other interesting bullet points in Nightdive's update as well:
  • Updated gameplay and enhancements
  • Restored lost content
  • Tweaked/improved AI
It's exciting to see a remaster able to dig up and restore discarded bits of a game two decades after it was made, and even some small tweaks to AI and controls can make a big difference in making an old game feel playable today.

We don't have a set date for Shadow Man, but earlier this year Nightdive told us to expect it in early 2021. Here's a pile of screenshots for a closer look.
 
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Infinitron

I post news
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Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth


Shadow Man Remastered is coming to PC, Xbox, PS4, and Switch!

This remaster adds modern resolution support, restores cut content, responsive controls, updated AI, and improved gameplay and features a remastered soundtrack!
 

Wirdschowerdn

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Nightdive is wasting their resources on remakes that actually already run fairly well on modern systems. Sin, Shadow Man, Blade Runner (already runs flawlessly on ScummVM)...

Otoh, the Soul Reaver games are a bitch to run. Or Dark Forces 1. But nothing there. Wtf Nightdive?
 

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Arcane
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Nightdive is wasting their resources on remakes that actually already run fairly well on modern systems. Sin, Shadow Man, Blade Runner (already runs flawlessly on ScummVM)...

For Shadow Man and Blade Runner remasters, they're are likely contracted and paid by the IP owners. So it's like work for hire, supposedly to fund the System Shock remake.

Otoh, the Soul Reaver games are a bitch to run. Or Dark Forces 1. But nothing there. Wtf Nightdive?



Legacy of Kain games are also on their wishlist but I doubt Square Exix would let them.
 

Nifft Batuff

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Nightdive is wasting their resources on remakes that actually already run fairly well on modern systems. Sin, Shadow Man, Blade Runner (already runs flawlessly on ScummVM)...

Otoh, the Soul Reaver games are a bitch to run. Or Dark Forces 1. But nothing there. Wtf Nightdive?
Maybe because their target are consoles and the Switch where these old PC games cannot natively run. The PC "remaster" is a byproduct.
 

Ash

Arcane
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Oct 16, 2015
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I bought the original a few months back. Played up to some cool temple with badass music (like level 3 or something) but by that point was a little fed up as level 1 and 2 were somewhat mediocre and the combat is shit. Maybe I gave up too early?
 
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once you take away from shadowman its superb atmosphere there's nothing much left. also the beginning is extremely slow, you're weak, have no tools other than basic shot and it's the land of backtracking and losing bearing. still the atmosphere was so damn good it made us overlook all the game's shortcomings.
 

DJOGamer PT

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y4o99thik8o41.png

Hey guys
Shadow Man here
Just dropping by to remind you that I am the true Shadow Man™ and you can play my game right now
Simply go the Google App Store and download RAID: Shadow Legends
It's a totally free RPG, PVP for people with ADHD
 

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Arcane
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Codex 2014
https://www.ign.com/articles/shadow-man-remastered-new-screenshots-and-details-revealed

Shadow Man Remastered: New Screenshots and Details Revealed
Get a look at how the old and new versions compare.

Nightdive Studios has revealed new screenshots of Shadow Man Remastered, and told us a little more about the project - including how it restored cut content from the original version of the game.

The remaster of the 1999 cult classic action-horror game will bring the original up to a 4K resolution, update many visual aspects, and add previously cut content back in. You can check out 7 new screenshots below (and 7 comparison shots with the original version).

Speaking to IGN, Nightdive CEO Stephen Kick explains, "The most meaningful change from an artistic perspective is the lighting. Our developers have implemented fully dynamic lighting to create a new but familiar world to explore. The particles, projectiles, and flames all emanate an eerie other-worldly glow that cast haunting shadows. When you’re playing a horror game the lighting plays a huge role in creating the atmosphere and we wanted to ensure that we contributed to the feeling of dread you experience in both the Liveside and Deadside levels."

The game also makes major updates to Shadow Man's controls, making them far more responsive, and taking into account changes such as dual analog sticks and other modern additions.

Perhaps most interesting is how the Remastered edition of the game includes content that never made it into the 1999 version. Original composer Tim Haywood (who is a part of the Remastered team) explains that the switch from a sole PC release to adding N64, PS1, and Dreamcast ports led to development issues that would have caused a delay had the content not been cut.

Kick explains how remaster brings back those planned extra elements, including entire new levels and bosses: "Parts of the missing content such as level geometry, enemies and bosses were still contained in the original game files which gave us something to work with. Other content such as cut levels were never built, so we had to build them from scratch and work off design documents from the original developers. It has been a challenge, but the end result will hopefully be the definitive version of Shadow Man that the original developers intended to deliver."

It's clear that Shadow Man is something of a passion project for Nightdive, and I ask Kick why his studio chose to work on this game in particular.

"I think Shadow Man still holds up over 20 years after it’s initial release for a myriad of reasons," he explains. "Shadow Man was one of the first M rated titles to appear on a Nintendo console which let consumers and fans of the platform know that the N64 was not just for kids. Shadow Man had other ports on PlayStation and Dreamcast as well, but the inclusion of the N64 meant the potential audience would be exponentially higher. For many of those N64 owners this was most likely their first experience with a horror game that had a much darker tone and foreboding atmosphere than what they were used to, and it strongly resonated with them.

"Shadow Man also incorporated a non-linear style of play which was something refreshing and offered the player choice and agency. Another reason Shadow Man has stayed relevant is because it was also one of the first games to have meaningful representation. Michael LeRoi, the main character is an African American protagonist in a story that takes place in the deep south. I believe fans still fondly remember their time playing the game and we’ve seen the excitement build as we continue to work on the remaster."

The remaster will arrive on PC (via Steam and GOG), PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo consoles in 2021.

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The first one looks cool but I find the second one looks questionable. I've always find it wired putting extra lights/shadows to old games when levels are not designed with them in mind.
 

Nifft Batuff

Prophet
Joined
Nov 14, 2018
Messages
3,169
From the screenshots I think that the remake looks worse. The original has more atmosphere. In particular, the shadows in the second scene are asinine (the only source of light that casts shadows is the least intense among all others in the whole scene.)
 

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