Game about time travel stuck in the past. In Shadow of Memories, death becomes the only way forward
Shadow of Memories is a forgotten experiment in Konami's portfolio. This adventure lacks combat or complex puzzles, but it has an amazing storyline.
It's the year 2001, my young mind can't tear itself away from a certain magazine, absorbing every word from the Shadow of Memories review. In the head of a kid who ionately watched Quantum Leap and just discovered 12 Monkeys, a fascination was born not only with time travel, but also with excellent stories. Almost a quarter of a century later, as a mature fan, I'm even more excited about Konami's work than I was back then.
There, where the Homunculus says goodnight
The fictional German town of Lebensbaum (Eng. "Tree of Life") is a peaceful and almost dreamy place. Despite this, young Eike Kusch is murdered in broad daylight on a street. However, the protagonist doesn't end up in the crime section; instead, a mysterious creature - Homunculus - crosses his path and offers him the chance to stop the killer. For this purpose, he hands the protagonist a Digipad, a tool that allows for time travel. From this moment, we begin a deadly game with the murderer.
One defeat isn't enough to make the opponent abandon their intentions. So we travel back in time to the years 1980, 1902, and 1580, gradually uncovering a complex intrigue focused not only on the fight against fate but also on manipulating people and events. With each chapter, the atmosphere thickens, and the killer turns out to be just one of many obstacles in our way. The first playthrough of Shadow of Memories will take only about 4 hours, but that won't allow us to discover everything. The title has 8 endings, including 2 hidden ones. Only after unlocking them we get the full picture of the story.
The game really shines because of its well-developed characters. Lebensbaum seems deserted, but almost every resident of the city is somehow interesting. I enjoyed learning about the fate of the Wagner family, who are closely related to the protagonist, as well as the history of the museum owner, who in the 80s lost his wife and child. Homunculus and The Fortune Teller steal every scene they appear in. The first one seems to be helping us, although his intentions remain unclear. In turn, The Fortune Teller perfectly predicts the time of Eike's death. Both are like Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy - although we see them rarely, they always make a stunning impression.
One step ahead of the killer
Death is a constant part of the gameplay in Shadow of Memories, driving the action forward. Only by knowing the intentions and modus operandi of the murderer can we thwart his plans. We do this by going back in time, often to very distant events that surprisingly connect to Eike's fate in a meaningful way. So if the murderer plans an attack from the treetops, it's worth doing everything to replace the sapling with a monument. Do you need a rare book? Just suggest to a certain rich man to organize a library instead of a museum. Many possibilities encourage us to experiment and lead to many paradoxes.
Cell phones can be dangerous, especially in 1580. Konami.
We solve most problems through exploration and conversation, which brings to mind the Shenmue series. The main character leads the dialogue, and we only get to choose our responses occasionally. The game also features equipment, although we rarely use it. We don't combine objects, but we use them on different characters or items, like chasing away a 16th-century crowd with a cell phone or a lighter. Quests can be difficult, but the solutions to puzzles are still logical and satisfying.
It's interesting how the scenery in each of the visited times is so different from the contemporary version. Thanks to this, we can observe differences in the appearance of the city and its residents. This, however, isn't everything. Each age also has unique elements: in the 80s, Lebensbaum experiences a harsh winter, at the beginning of the 20th century, the surroundings and residents are in black and white, while in 1580, sepia dominates.
A girl from the early 20th century wants a cat very much, why not bring one from 2001? Konami.
Finishing up the mechanics topic - in the game, not only travels, but also time itself is crucial, as it flows in a realistic way. So, usually we have about 30 minutes to outsmart the murderer. If we don't find a way to avoid death before time runs out, we must return to the year 2001 and well... let ourselves be killed. Then the counter resets, we keep the previous progress, and continue the game. But if we stay in the past at the moment of death, we'll see the sad message "game over."
What is hidden in Junko Kawano's head?
When talking about the fate of Eike Kusch, it's hard not to mention the character of Junko Kawano, who is a real one-woman band in the gaming industry. We mostly have her to thank for Shadow of Memories - she was the writer, director, and character designer during production.
Lebensbaum looks like historic German towns such as Bavaria's Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
While creating her work, she was inspired by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust. Kawano didn't just include Homunculus or the Philosopher's Stone in the story - just like in that classic work, she made Eike a hostage to his own choices and their inevitable consequences. The devs also considered giving the game titles such as Days of Walpurgis or The Day and Night of Walpurgisnacht. This refers to the Walpurgis Night appearing in Faust, which is an old German festival of the dead associated with witches.
In the end, the game was called Shadow of Memories in Europe and Japan, and Shadow of Destiny in North America. Both titles are very accurate - Eike's memories play an important role in the plot, as does the theme of fighting against fate.
Homunkulus insists that he only cares about our survival, but he doesn't tell us everything. Konami.
Junko Kawano is famous for her work on the Time Hollow. Although it is not an official sequel, it features many motifs from Kawano's previous creations.
How to play Shadow of Memories today?
Junko Kawano's game was originally released only on PlayStation 2 in 2001, and currently, this is the most easily accessible version, with prices starting from about 20 bucks. In 2002, the title also hit the PC and Xbox. The list is closed by a slightly improved PSP iteration from 2009, priced at about $15.
If you enjoyed the themes explored in Shadow of Memories, it would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the Fullmetal Alchemist manga by Hiromu Arakawa. Both works debuted around the same time in 2001 and share common themes such as the search for the Philosopher's Stone, the desire to bring the dead back to life, the presence of a homunculus, and inspiration from Western culture. Some game fans have even speculated that the game was one of the inspirations for Arakawa, but this has never been confirmed.
Unfortunately, Shadow of Memories is not available for digital sale. However, there is a glimmer of hope that this will change, as the title has been submitted to the GOG Preservation Program. The platform's initiative aims to protect older games from being forgotten and make it possible to run them on new operating systems. Shadow of Memories definitely deserves to be checked out by modern players. A less interactive game may not stick in your memory, but you won't quickly forget about its story.
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