Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 360, el shaddai, impressions, ps3, video games
I’ll be honest with you from the start: I’m not finished playing “El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron.” But I just have to say something. I especially have to say something because you probably have no idea what the hell I’m talking about.
El Shaddai is a Japanese game that garnered a lot of critical buzz and reviews… yet no one really heard of it. I blame the name and the lack of marketing for its slip under the radar. But one thing is for certain: you can’t miss this cross-platform gem (360 and PS3).
I’m only about half way through this epic, spiritual journey, but can confidently say that it might just be one of the greatest gaming experiences I’ve ever had. If El Shaddai continues its great narrative and sprawling, jaw-dropping graphical stylings until the end, it would be no surprise if it slipped into my Top 10 games, probably Top 5.
My favorite games are the ones that leave lasting impressions; that suck me in and transform my world not only as I’m playing, but when I’m the farthest away from my television. With its captivating art style, El Shaddai is a tremendously well put together game that features visuals that are remarkably unique and tantalizing, providing a feast for my imagination at every turn. And even though the game more or less follows a typical “tower” storyline (climb the tower; each level of the tower is a different level in the game), El Shaddai shatters every convention turning each “level” into a completely different “world.”
When I play Metal Gear Solid games I feel as if I’ve been pulled into a separate world; my current existence on Earth is pointless. There are jokes and subtleties that make the MGS series feel hauntingly smart, as if the game is living and breathing of its own accord. The subliminal messages Hideo Kojima infuses into his games bring a sense cultness that I can hardly describe. El Shaddai feels the same way; almost like a Ouija board: it’s more than just a game; almost like its self aware. It’s tendencies for oblong pacing chop up the game and keep you constantly wondering, “Did I succeed?” “Have I died?” “Was that supposed to happen?” “Do I have to start the WHOLE game over??” All these questions have ran through my head and El Shaddai’s religious/mystical subject matter makes it feel bigger than a typical game. As of this point, I’m pretty convinced it is…
If you really care to know, the whole point of El Shaddai is that you play as Enoch and it’s your job to bring the Fallen Angels back to heaven. They escaped thousands of years ago and have erected a tower, with multiple worlds inside of it, shrouded by a veil that not even God could see. Within this tower the people who live there have forgotten about God and worship only the Fallen Angels, who are driven by vanity. Chock full of mythology and religious undertones, El Shaddai is immense and is unlike anything you’ve ever seen, heard, or played.
Literally every moment is breathtaking. Not every one obviously feels this way (a “33″ on Metacritic brings the rating down quite a bit…), but I’m in the upper percentage that gave the game perfect scores, feeling confident in the fact that I’m not over exaggerating my experience thus far.
As I said, if the game continues as it is and clinches the ending, this could easily be one of the best games I’ve ever played. But as of right now, it’s at least the best game of the year.
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