Developers often pay tribute to their beloved pets in the credits of their games, a trend I’ve noticed increasingly in the indie game scene. Sometimes it’s a simple mention of the pet’s name and lifespan, other times a heartfelt picture accompanied by kind words. It’s a touching reminder that game developers are real people with lives and passions beyond the digital worlds they create.
Shines Over: The Damned features a lovely dedication to a canine companion in its credits, and throughout the game, a dog serves as your spirit guide through its strange, yet occasionally frustrating, world.
This first-person adventure is a curious experience. While the visuals and soundtrack are exceptional, the gameplay mechanics and abstract narrative can be somewhat underwhelming.
Let’s start with the story. It revolves around a protagonist transported to a purgatory-like realm, seemingly trapped in time. You’re searching for a mysterious woman who led you to this world, but the narrative is fragmented and elusive, and this is me picking at bits and hoping they stick. There are no cutscenes or explicit exposition, leaving you to piece together the story through environmental details and subtle cues. While I appreciate abstract narratives, this one feels somewhat lacking in purpose and direction. And it’s not helped by the extremely short playtime, clocking in at around 30 to 45 minutes, which further contributes to the feeling of incompleteness.
The gameplay works as a blend of walking simulation, puzzle-solving, platforming, and light combat. Exploring the game’s world is initially intriguing, with its unusual topography, abstract elements, and evocative location names drawn from fantasy literature. A dog occasionally guides your path, offering a welcome presence amidst the gloom. However, the platforming sections, where you must leap across chasms onto invisible ledges, are frustrating. First-person platforming is inherently challenging, and the game’s mechanics don’t alleviate this difficulty.
As you explore, you’ll encounter strange, twisted demons that emerge from pools of light. These encounters involve rapidly tapping the LB and RB buttons to banish the creatures back into the darkness. While initially novel, this mechanic quickly becomes repetitive and tiresome. The puzzles are enjoyable but relatively simple, offering a brief respite from the less engaging gameplay elements.
Further to that, there were instances where respawning after death placed me in disorienting positions, making it difficult to regain my bearings. Overall, the gameplay found in Shines Over: The Damned is a bit of a mixed bag, with moments of intrigue overshadowed by frustrating platforming and repetitive combat encounters.
The visuals are a highlight, with a striking and imaginative aesthetic. The abstract environments and dreamlike atmosphere are effectively rendered, and the lighting is well-implemented, even if it does sometimes feel dark. The boat sections are particularly visually appealing, whilst the soundtrack, composed by the developer, is equally impressive, featuring haunting melodies and melancholic strings that perfectly complement the game’s atmosphere. The other sound effects are also well-suited to the gameplay.
While I typically enjoy walking simulators and narrative-driven adventures, Shines Over: The Damned falls short of its potential. The visuals, soundtrack, and world-building are commendable, but the gameplay elements, particularly the platforming and combat, are frustrating and detract from the experience. The short playtime also leaves you wanting more.
However, if you’re looking for a brief, atmospheric experience with a unique visual style, Shines Over: The Damned might be worth a look.
Shines Over: The Damned – A Haunting First-Person Horror Experience for Xbox – https://www.thexboxhub.com/shines-over-the-damned-a-haunting-first-person-horror-experience-for-xbox/
Shines Over: The Damned is on the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/shines-over-the-damned/9N3FKFKBSWNB
