Shadow Hearts Covenant review

A turn-based monster-battling game for the PS2 historically set in WWI mixed with monsters straight out of Lovecraft's tales and the most facinating intrigees on Historical Events, Shadow Hearts Covenant, the second game in the SH trilogy, is by far the greatest game I've ever played, after beating it 4 years ago.

I am a ardent History Buff, and this game encompasses so many passions of mine in history, and kindled so many more. It seemed after every time The game referenced a new element, I was instantly looking it up and finding a whole new area of historical interest. From Kaiser Germany's Alsace-Lorraine Campaign in the First World War, to Parisan life during the time, The Russian Revolution, the fall of the Ottoman Empire, flash-backing to medival psychopathic murderer and alchemist Giles de Rais, The Russo-Japenesse War, are but a few elements from history incorporated in the game.

But don't get the idea its just a jumble of historical events to perk the fancy of history buffs like me. the overall storyline fits everything together and with its own amazing twists. The story takes so many giant turns, so many intreeging twists, those alone make an unforgettable game experience.

Though Covenant is the continuation of the first game, I will tell you you don't need at all to play the original to enjoy it, as this is exactly what I have done. I honestly wouldn't even recomend you play the first one first, as honestly in my opinion it wasn't that great, neither was the 3rd. There are a few things that would deffinately be helpful in knowing when playing Covenant, that I did not have when I played it. The first game is the romance between Yuri and Alice, but at the end of the game, Alice sacrifces her life to same Yuri's soul. The second game goes off that and makes Yuri a tragic forlorned character. The second good thing to note of of the side character Kato, who in the first game also lost his lover when they were both officers in the Imperial Japanesse Army. Kato became a friend of Yuri's. and lastly there is a central object of desire in the game called the Emegre Manuscript, which appeared in the first game. It is a powerful book that has the ability to bring the dead back to life, though none yet have been able to use it correctly. Those facts will help you better undersand the story, though I didn't need them to fully enjoy the game.


Anyway, if you're needing anything more to want to play it, it's probably something telling you what the game is even about. Well I'll tell you. Yuri, after loosing his lover in the first game, he takes the guise of a demon to morn. The Vatican sends an exocist, Nicolai, to defeat him. he places a curse on Yuri, which starts the premise of the game; trying to cure him. It's later found that Nicolai actually works for a secret underground society, Sapientes Gladio, which is bent on unleashing a great malice upon the world. Yuri and the companions he meets along the way (which include a pupet master, a female German military comander, a querky frech vampire, A white wolf, among others) set out to stop them. Their journey takes them all over France, to England, Russia, Turkey, and later into Japan. The game is cut into two halves, a European and Asian. I'll leave the rest of the storyline up for you guys to find out.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDoEmAJCE3Y
Here is the Opening sequence to the game. I honestly haven't seen an opening of this caliber ever since.




oh, and be wary of incredibly cheesey jokes. It's Japanese, what can I say. Though some of them honestly can be kinda amusing.




/ [another brick in the wall]

   More computer game reviews