Pillars of Dust showed that Something Classic Games knew how to make a solid retro-inspired RPG. It wasn’t very good, but it had competent professionalism and laid the groundwork for something deeper and more meaningful. Perhaps the developers learned from their mistakes and gained enough insight to go beyond making a self-aware Mystic Quest clone? They sure did! This time, they’re doing a more ambitious, yet still self-aware Final Fantasy VI clone. Everything gets dissected in this Shadows of Adam review!
Like any good RPG, the adventure begins when an otherworldly threat appears and hassles an innocuous village. While a larger issue involving ancient magical wraiths exists, the fearful villagers remain unaware. The story opens with Kellan and Asrael descending into a vast and treacherous growth of thorned vines. Deep within the tangle, they discover a mysterious, magical book and encounter a spectral vision of their long-lost father. This encounter sets them on a larger journey beyond the protective woods, pulling them into the wider world like a couple of hobbits kicked from the Shire. As they journey, Kellan and Asrael are joined by two new companions, Curtis and Talon, forming a party of four, each with their own backstories and motivations connected to past events.
Their quest becomes twofold: searching for the missing Orazio while confronting a rising new darkness threatening the land. Along the way, they explore dungeons, awaken ancient crystals, face political intrigue involving a suspiciously Kefka-like power-hungry regent seeking forbidden magic, and uncover layers of family history and wartime secrets that are very Final Fantasy VI-esque. The detail and scope do not match Squaresoft’s classic; the party is small, and the writing and motivations of the main cast remain basic. Shadows of Adam is also a much shorter game, clocking in at about 12 to 15 hours, and that’s with the included DLC content, which adds late-game super bosses and arena battles.
Shadows of Adam moves at a breakneck pace. Characters are given thin personalities because the story and gameplay move so fast that there isn’t any time to flesh them out. Kellan is just kind of a hot-headed dork. Asrael is a thin Terra Branford-like mage with a mysterious past. Curtis is the burly Sabin Figaro-like monk with a no-nonsense personality. Talon is the rogueish rogue with a devil-may-care attitude, and the big bad is a sadistic buffoon. Although the writing in Shadows of Adam is lighthearted and energetic, it also explores genuine themes of humanity, such as the tensions between father and son and the cost of power. Asrael’s internal struggle as a mage in an anti-magic world, combined with Kellan’s idolisation of his father, adds significant emotional depth to the story.
Kellan, Asrael, Curtis, and Talon each have distinct play styles. Kellan excels as a versatile physical fighter, while Asrael serves as a magical powerhouse with healing and elemental spells. Curtis specialises as a high-damage monk and chakra user, and Talon acts as a tricky support character with buffs and luck-based skills. This setup is fairly standard for JRPGs, where players unlock skills by levelling up. Strategic stacking of buffs and debuffs is essential when facing tougher enemies and bosses. Players can further customise their stats through equipment and accessories, including rare items that can slightly expand the AP bar.
The combat system is one of the game’s standout features. It employs a fast-paced, turn-based structure where the order of actions is determined by the speed stats of the characters. Instead of using traditional MP that depletes, each character has an AP bar with a percentage. Every action, whether it’s a basic attack, skill, spell, or item use, costs a percentage of the AP bar rather than a fixed amount. At the end of each round, characters naturally regain about 15% of their AP, with additional bonuses for defeating enemies or utilising special recharge abilities, which often provide buffs. This design creates a fluid and tactical gameplay loop that encourages aggressive strategies and smart resource management rather than conservative play, which fosters a quick pace.
The game’s progression feels balanced and encourages players to advance. It minimises the need for grinding by having non-respawning enemies in dungeons, which only respawn when you exit and re-enter. The encounters provide just enough experience to keep the party appropriately levelled for boss fights, which have almost puzzle-like elements to their strategies. The gameplay emphasises thinking on the fly, smooth pacing, and satisfying combat rather than tedium, creating a fresh experience despite its retro roots. Battles are quick and visually appealing, featuring excellent pixel art and shredding heavy metal music that makes battles feel energetic.
As a retro-inspired RPG, Shadows of Adam scratches that itch with aplomb and won’t demand a huge time sink. The only real flaws it has are that its story can be derivative, and a lot of the attempts at humour fall flat, as they did in Pillars of Dust. The pixel art and music are undoubtedly the game’s strongest features, demonstrating how much the team has refined their skills since their last project. Even Final Fantasy VI didn’t look this impressive and almost resembles Lufia II. Still, the sprites could have been more expressive to highlight the characters’ personalities better.
The gameplay is well-designed, but as an RPG, it feels restrictive since the party size is capped at four characters, and all of them are involved in battles. There is no job system or opportunity to create unique builds for strategic play, which makes the more challenging battles seem less about crafting a solution and more about discovering the developer’s intended approach.
The Nintendo Switch version of Shadows of Adam includes the DLC expansion, Guild of the Artificers, which builds upon the post-game and adds a little more in the middle. A new addition includes a secretive organisation focused on rare artefacts and powerful crafting, which unlocks deeper customisation through a bonus crafting system. It significantly expands equipment options and character builds beyond the base game, but it takes a long while before anyone can make use of it. A black market also appears, offering rare and powerful items from shady vendors.
Mystic Caverns is a new optional dungeon that offers a challenging experience filled with tough puzzles, formidable monsters, and high-tier weapons and armour. It features three new super bosses designed to challenge well-prepared parties, as well as additional side areas and post-game content. The level cap has been increased to 50, allowing players to unlock powerful ultimate skills for each of the four heroes.
