For those of us whose Hebrew could use a little refresher, "El Shaddai" is typically translated as "God Almighty" – arguably a snappier title, if a touch provocative – whereas the ascending Metatron in question is our protagonist, Enoch. Lead astray by a series of fallen angels, humanity has angered the heavens and now runs the risk of being flooded (again) by an increasingly impatient heaven. As the only man fit for the task, Enoch – with archangels in tow – is sent to find and restrain the fallen angels, correcting humanity's corrupt evolution whilst avoiding the nasty mess that comes with genocide. Whilst this sounds straightforward enough, the plot devices in the game are far from this level of cohesion, and will often leave you confused and detached. Those who expect to feel some kind of connection with the leading roles will be dissapointed by the often-mute Enoch, also. This is not to say there is no charm there at all, however – given their radiant good looks and fondness for designer jeans, you can easily forget that you're observing a divine hit squad, and Lucifel, the most prominent archangel is often found lurking around on the phone to God, obnoxiously discussing your quest, and trivialising your every action in the process.
It's impossible to see El Shaddai moving without making note of its visuals. In no uncertain terms it's a gorgeous game, with some of the finest art design to grace a console in years. Perhaps even more incredible is the speed at which the game shuffles different aesthetic styles in and out; it's to the game's credit but unfortunate at the same time that talking about these at length seems spoiler-worthy, but in short the breadth of creativity on display here is astonishing. To discuss the first levels alone, your eyes are treated to a world so bright, vivid, and ethereal, and with colours over-exposed enough that you could be mistaken for thinking the game was discreetly pumping hallucinogens throughout the room. Whilst later levels take the game in some slightly darker directions, the sense of surreal wonder never diminishes for a second, even with each level taking the design in new directions. Those who would tar the game's visuals purely on account of some niggling performance issues are simply missing the point; this is a triumph of art direction over pure graphical power, and it is where the game excels like few others do. That's not to say it succeeds at every turn – but for every visual effect that does not appease the player's eye, there's countless others quite unlike it to try again to re-capture your imagination.
Whilst a number of sections are kept on a 2D plane, and some focus more on platforming, the brunt of the game is a 3D hack-and-slash affair based around the idea of stealing 3 different weapon types from enemies, that each usurp one another in a rock-paper-scissors fashion. The Arch, light and quick, is a sword for all intents and purposes, whilst the Gale has you shooting weak but plentiful lasers from a distance, whilst the Veil sets you up for some slow but heavy-handed, close-quarters punishment. There are additional benefits to each, but even at its most technical it’s never an especially deep fighting system to work with. Although timing your button presses precisely is required to break through an enemy's defence, with no lock-on function and a single attack button, it's plain to see that there's no intent to go up against the heavyweights of the genre, but rather just to touch at the core of a tried and tested formula. Much the same can be said of the platforming, too – despite a few tricky sections, it never becomes too harsh a test of your dexterity, and with the lack of precision control it's a thankful outcome.
As to be expected with this type of game, there are boss battles. As a general rule, learning attack patterns and counter-attacking is a solid approach to passing these, however one particular rotten apple is that a number of these will end in the frustration of a pre-determined outcome. As a plot device it's perhaps excusable in some cases, but even the most forgiving player will find this level of repetition sits some way from being enjoyable. In general the enemy design is far less appealing than that of the game overall, plus with most of these battles taking place in similarly ring-fenced arenas, and with no real plot inspiration to lead you, these are definitely some of the weaker sections of the game. Yet tucked away in there are some examples of set pieces that do get it right entirely – clever, creative, and just downright entertaining.
Whilst perhaps not as enticing as the visuals, the game does sound superb, again playing off the spectrum of creativity at hand to span a range of styles. Predictably there are outbursts of dramatic angelic choirs, but less predictably there are also more laid-back pieces, and rock-inspired numbers. Even at its most clichéd it's never too jarring from the gameplay, and fits nicely within the themes of the game.
Longevity is catered for in the form of new difficulties, collectables, and a score attack mode – plus the obligatory achievements tied to these. Given that on your first playthrough no HUD is present at all, switching from this to a health bar and a score counter feels a touch artificial, and suggests that these inclusions are more about ticking the boxes for those who need an incentive to re-visit the title. Whilst not a flaw, it does feel like a watering down of the formula, and offers little incentive to those playing the game to merely appreciate it.
Despite a number of faults, El Shaddai is one of the most memorable gaming experiences for some time. Whilst the lack of subtlety in gameplay, and a rather weak plot means the "games are art" poster boys have little worry of being dethroned, it's simply stunning to behold, and one of the truly great examples of why there is more to the future of game graphics than just higher resolutions. It's a shame that such rich source material hasn't really been used to its full potential, but still there is enough intrigue in here to keep you going, and a solid enough main game to entertain you – even if it's not quite up to the inspirational standards shown elsewhere. Those put off by style over substance may be best treading cautiously, but as an example of original and creative design it genuinely feels more than the sum of its parts, and this rare merit makes it a crime to see it go past un-heralded.
Players: 1
Genre: Action
Developer: Ignition Tokyo
Publisher: Ignition Ent.
Platform: Xbox360
Version: USA
Pros:
- Luscious visual design
- Some excellent set pieces
- Creatively unlike all else
Cons:
- Some poor boss encounters
- Overly simplistic combat
- Plot falls short of potential
Score: 8/10
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