Back to Deadside
Valiant Entertainmenthas announcedthat Blowfish Studios will be returning Shadowman to the world of video games inShadowman: Darque Legacy. This will be the first game to feature the property since 2002’sShadow Man: 2econd Comingon PS2.
We don’t have much to go on here. Valiant has released a short teaser for the upcoming title, and boy, is it teasing. It’s one of those teasers where it pans across junk lying around before finally settling on one particular thing. In this case, it’s a scythe. And then something sinister happens, and it cuts out.
Thankfully, the press release has a bit more information, such as this quote from Blowfish Studios:
“It’s been an honor to breathe new life into such an iconic IP, withShadowman’s first venture into gaming since the PlayStation 2 era,” said Clinton McCleary, Game Director, Blowfish Studios. “We’re looking forward to ushering fans into the horrifying, punishing, but rewarding experience we’ve crafted. Stepping into the role of Shadowman, players will encounter a compelling cast of heroes and villains while taking their scythe to the most wretched denizens of the Deadside.”
That’s not a lot. There isn’t really any clear confirmation as to which Shadowman be inShadowman: Darque Legacy, as Shadowman isn’t a single person, but a progression of different people taking the role. Sort of like how The Flash hasn’t just been Barry Allen the whole time, but a succession of different flashers.
Succession
Shadowmanwas one of the few things that Acclaim really did okay with. In 1994, the publisher bought up Valiant Comics’ parent company and gained the rights to licenses likeTurokandShadowman. They then morphed the properties into something that was a lot more ‘90s but also more approachable to newcomers.
They released the firstShadow Mangame in 1999. More recently, in 2021, Nightdive Studios rebuilt the game asShadow Man Remastered. While the game shows its age, Nightdive Studios outdid themselves with a terrific source port. Surprisingly, they’ve continued to support the title with new content and improvements that pull from cut features from the title.
Hopefully, Blowfish Studios will be able to pull from the goodwill created by the fantastic port andShadowman: Darque Legacywill live up to that.
Currently, the platforms announced forShadowman: Darque Legacyare PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. it has a target release window of 2024.
