'Shadow of the Beast' Confirmed For PS4 In May; Release Date & Gameplay Details Here

The official launch date of “Shadow of the Beast” has been confirmed. The game will be released for PlayStation 4 on May 17 in North America.

Matt Birch, Heavy Spectrum Entertainment Labs CEO and founder, stated on the PlayStation blog that the development team has attained a critical point in creating the game. They reportedly made huge changes in the previous months. They are aiming for the video output to run at 60 frames per second, while the combat system was geared towards optimal response times.

A video was also provided by the development team to share some details on how the gameplay, scenes and characters were made. They were reportedly inspired by old games, such as Golden Axe. The clip showed some details from behind the scenes, the gameplay and moves that players can do in-game. The video also showed scenes from the original title so players can compare the similarities and significant adjustments. The creature was featured battling enemies and performing combos.

Cinema Blend reveals that the plot of the upcoming title is quite different from the original “Shadow of the Beast” for Sega Genesis and Amiga. In the old game, players played a man who was converted into a beast by an evil mage. The result was a violent and murderous beast that destroyed everything in its path.

The new game has a more solid storyline that players can understand from the beginning. The main protagonist Aarbronfinds himself on a strange planet called Karamoon, controlled by an evil mage. He manages to escape and starts to discover the secrets of the planet while becoming stronger. The original game was more of an action-platform type, while the new one focuses more on fighting and combat. Players can do both melee and ranged attacks while playing the character.

According to the same PlayStation blog post, Aarbron also went through big adjustments. He was allegedly enhanced to the full extent of his abilities and equipped with mystic artefacts that provided more depth to the overall gameplay. Roger Dean, the original artist and designer of the creature from the original title, was hired by Heavy Spectrum to redesign Aarbron for current-generation gaming. The results have been impressive so far, particularly the graphics and fight scenes.

“Shadow of the Beast” will be available for preorders in the United States and Canada soon. More updates and details are expected before the huge launch on May 17.