And so my impossible quest to acquire a PS5 continues, but I have to say having a PS2 and some great games to play in the meantime is a very nice diversion. One of my favourite games (arguably the single best) I’ve ever played is the RPG Shadow Hearts: Covenant. But how does it stand more than a decade and a half down the line? I’ve kept this retro-review as spoiler-free as possible, though the premise is revealed.
As a side note: the PS2 remains magnificent. It’s smaller than its successors, quieter, and the load times are actually quicker.
Story
The story sticks with the protagonist of the first game, Yuri Hyuga. He’s an interesting lead for an RPG, as he’s half-Russian, half-Japanese, and the game’s set in the real world (during World War One). Yuri’s a bit of a smartarse, but a likeable fellow, and he’s mourning the love of his life. Germany’s rolling through the Ardennes Forest, and Yuri’s protecting the church where his paramour is buried. Until he suffers a curse and is defeated.
The premise, then, is to cure Yuri if possible, and to stop the group of politico-religious lunatics who attacked him in the first place (the German army brought one of them in to try and take the church). Aided by an assortment of allies including a former German soldier, a very cool wolf, and a vigilante superhero vampire wrestler, Yuri sets about knocking seven bells out of the secret society. But it turns out they have ambitions way beyond him…
It does help a bit to have played the first game, but it’s not essential. Characters that return stand perfectly well on their own and context should not be a problem. The plot moves along rapidly, there’s little flimflam, and my playthrough (not going for many side distractions) took me around 30 hours over the two discs. Yuri’s the focus but most other characters get fleshed out at least a bit. Lucia was, and remains, both my least favourite in gameplay and story terms.
I’d remembered well a certain clash of powers near the end of disc 1 (being deliberately vague) and it was just as fantastic as I remember. The second disc I was fuzzier on, but also has some great moments, both in terms of fun and seriousness. The pillow question still makes me laugh.
There are two endings, good and bad, and more by fluke than memory I managed to get the good one. Take seriously the questions Yuri gets asked about his happiness, if you want to try and get the happy ending. Also, I’d forgotten a post-credits plot revelation so stick around and see what happens.
Gameplay
This is a huge strength of Shadow Hearts: Covenant because it makes excellent use of its unique ring mechanic. Instead of just pressing attack and an attack happening, the ring is summoned. Players must then try to hit areas (ranging from 1 upwards, with 4 or 5 eminently possible) to attack the enemy, with strike attacks causing more damage. Miss one and the attack ends (unless you’re using a practice ring). Other ring variations include one with bigger hit areas and no strikes and, I think, small hit areas but bigger strikes. Both areas can be affected by boosts you find throughout the game.
In addition, the ring soul is a cool NPC who bestows an extra attack on you (you determine who gets it) and has some nice dialogue. Explore dungeons properly to increase your chances of finding him, and enjoy the fourth wall-breaking speech you get when you’ve seen him often enough.
The ring is also used for discounts and markups when buying and selling goods, for healing items and spells, and for the lottery. This requires tickets, which you can find here and there, and has some nifty prizes including accessories and crests.
Crests are demonic powers that everyone who isn’t a shapeshifter (like Yuri) can equip. These gift the wearer magical spells. But there’s more to it than that thanks to some smart design decisions by the developer. Slap two Cure crests on one character and that character can cast Cure for half the normal cost. And complete an area of Solomon’s Key (a book of demonic lore where you can place the crests you own) and you can unlock new abilities, so the old crests you got 10 hours ago can still be of value.
The ring also means there are new status abnormalities such as the line speeding up, areas getting smaller, or even the dreaded fake ring which presents a load of false areas to hit. Standard bad statuses (petrification, poison, paralysis etc) also exist and poison’s particularly well done as it can get worse, with deadly poison causing massive damage.
There’s also a sanity depletion system, characters losing one point per turn. Get down to zero and you lose control of that character who just starts going berserk and attacking stuff. This happened to me a grand total of once during the game. Not the most important feature, but it’s there.
Oh, and the ring mechanic also makes it worthwhile to try your best even in easy fights because putting in good performances (such as a perfect ring battle, taking zero damage, or reducing the enemy to no or few turns) can yield rewards including extra cash, experience, and healing items.
Graphics
This was the most jarring difference for me, switching from the PS3’s Dragon Age: Origins to the PS2’s Shadow Hearts: Covenant. And your TV better able to take a SCART or you won’t be able to see the regular resolution. I got used to it fairly quickly but at first it really was a step back in time, and not in a good way.
Menus etc are all fine, and the FMV often looks surprisingly
good (crying’s interesting. The scene where Yuri cries blood is great, the ones
where he cries tears with a sad rather than angry face looks a bit… less so). Textures
are often flat or basic and Yuri’s getup (dark grey) can occasionally blend in
disconcertingly well with the background. The character design is good,
especially Karin, Joachim, and Blanca, and the varying number of attacks is
handled well too.
Sound
The music’s pretty good in this game and there are moments
(again, crying blood scene) where the sound really adds to an already dramatic
moment in the story. I also really liked the Saturday morning adventure style
theme of Joachim. Voice acting varies a little, even with the same actors,
which makes me wonder if sometimes they were lacking context. Kato’s voice is well
done, and while we don’t hear Blanca talk too often (he is a wolf, but does
speak with other wolves) his boundless confidence and occasional contempt for
those who dare challenge him is rather endearing.
Bugs and Other Problems
I have very few gripes. No crashes, freezes, hangs, or suchlike, and while save points are required these are very common in dungeons and saving can also occur on the world map.
One problem that did irk me somewhat is that companions not in the party get only half experience. Throughout the game, until disc 2, you don’t need to worry about that at all, or buying them equipment. But then there are two parts (one early in disc 2, one optional and right near the end) that requires the whole party to have good crests and equipment. Because this wasn’t necessary until then you may find (as I did, having forgotten this part) your non-regular characters are incredibly weak, and the lack of warning means you can’t buy some fresh gear. I did get through the story part of this ok but decided to give up on the optional bit (a shame, as the Man Festival is a… unique videogame experience) because Gepetto and Lucia were just rubbish.
Replayability
This is an interesting one. There are optional things you can do, if you go looking for them. Completing steps in the pedometer challenge is one such example, likewise completing the Man Festival, finding wolves for Blanca to fight (I didn’t stress these but, if you want to, try going back to areas you’ve cleared out to find more, such as the wine cellar), and fighting the ‘ghosts’ that Solomon’s servant offers you.
The story is a good one and combines the personal strife
Yuri faces with potentially cataclysmic events that threaten to reshape, or
destroy, the whole world. A bit like The Last of Us, the strong but linear
story means it’s a game I like a lot but not one I’ll be replaying in the near future.
Conclusion
Shadow Hearts: Covenant looks dated, but in many ways it still knocks the socks off modern counterparts. The ring mechanic really keeps combat engaging and is used smartly throughout, the cast is likeable, the story is both intriguing and moves along rapidly without padding, and the final boss is suitably challenging (I’d cruised through the penultimate fight only to spend an hour or so desperately surviving before getting the upper hand with the last fight). It’s a damned shame Shadow Hearts: Covenant didn’t get a sequel that it deserved, as it’s a humorous, innovative, and very enjoyable game. If you haven’t played it for a while or you’ve got a PS2 kicking about and have a chance to buy a copy, give it a shot. You’re in for a treat.
Thaddeus
