Summary
The development ofShadows of the Damned: Hella Remasteredappears to be on-track for its 2024 release, as new details about the re-release have emerged regarding its ESRB rating.Shadows of the Damnedis one ofGrasshopper Manufacture’s more underrated titles, released in 2011 on Xbox 360 and PS3 as a result of a collaboration between Grasshopper and Electronic Arts, with Suda51 at the director’s chair. Despite creative clashes between Suda51 and EA, resulting in mixed reviews at launch, fans and Suda himself have come around to the game, with it accruing a cult following.
After the game was delisted from digital stores in 2021, Grasshopper and Suda51 bought back the distribution rights from EA, resulting in the surprise announcement ofShadows of the Damnedbeing remastered. The game was fullyunveiled asShadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered, and got a playable demo at PAX East 2024. Grasshopper also confirmed that the game will be launching sometime in 2024, though it didn’t give a specific release date. Based on a recent ESRB rating,Shadows of the Damned’s developmental progress appears to be on-track and will likely be released this year.
TheESRB ratedShadows of the Damned: Hella RemasteredM for Mature, which is the exact same rating the original game got in 2011. The ESRB’s rating warnings for the game state that “Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Themes, and Strong Language,” which all fit within the hyperviolent, gory, andover-the-top nature ofShadows of the Damned’s world. This is confirmed in the rating summary, which succinctly describes the amount of gore and sexual imagery in the game, from demons getting decapitated, along with an area that is a red-light district.
Shadows of the Damned Release Date Could Be Revealed Soon
Ratings from the ESRB usually indicate that a game should be coming out relatively soon, or that the game is potentially locked in for a release date and is content complete. It also gives some insight as to what to expect for the game as well.Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remasteredis a multiplatform game, and will be launching on both the previous and current generation of PlayStation and Xbox consoles, along with Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remasteredalso has two new featuresthat were not in the original game: a New Game Plus mode and more cosmetic outfits for protagonist Garcia Hotspur to wear. The original game was a rather short affair, clocking at around six hours long, and had no New Game Plus option for fans to run through the game again with their fully upgraded hero. The New Game Plus and new outfits should provide some extra incentive for fans to play it again.
