P.S: A Tale of Shadows is a first-person suspense horror game by IDK Studios. Released for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux platforms, the indie game is the company’s debut and has an average play-through of five hours. Throughout the game a central character explores a dark shadow world, with the challenge of defeating monstrous bosses to reclaim his existence.

Primarily released on PC network Steam, the game also branches out to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. A limited addition box set is available which includes a ‘shadow journal’ with concept artwork and ideas, and a limited edition figurine of Decrier, one of the six bosses.

Story

The game is set in England’s Georgian Era, the year 1779. The storyline was influenced by two Hans Christian Anderson fairytales: The Angel (1843) and The Shadow (1847). Peter Schlemiel (the player) is walking around in a picturesque Edwardian house, after a whisper is heard that encourages the player to flee. Schlemiel then sees flashes of blood smeared across the walls, along with lightening. The shadows thrown from the fireplace are of a woman screaming as she is stabbed by what seems to be the players shadow. Schlemiel is encouraged to approach an out of place mirror and as he approaches, a giant thud knocks him back. From the mirror steps Ephemerist, who wants to make a deal with Schlemiel but he refuses. His soul is then pulled away from his body and thrown out of the window into the courtyard where the colours fade away and trees twist into grotesque shapes. The player looks back inside and his body fades away. Schlemiel’s empty soul then comes across Ammest, who he finds near the eerie blue lamps on the side of a path. Ammest tells him that he must obtain colour in order to repossess his body. The player then finds himself on a mission to collect colour from the budding flowers that grow from the soul energy on dead animals. The player must also defeat several bosses in order to reach higher levels.

Gameplay

P.S. is a first-person RP exploration game with control’s similar to the standard WASD system of play. For non PC releases the control system is similar to that of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The game environment is semi-open as the player is able to walk around at their own leisure, but is restricted access to some parts such as the house they begun in. A levelling system determines progression throughout the game, which drives strength. Combat is a diverse combination of magic and blunt-force trauma. Each of the bosses the player has to fight are not equipped with any external weaponry, as their bodies can create harm. The player follows a set path with definite ending, but they can change their strengths to suit their play style. The player can also choose whether they want to kill animals they find to gain immediate colour, or whether they want to take the animals back to their fort and harvest them for a renewable source of colour. This is a difficult choice because colour becomes a highly-addictive substance for Schlemiel, as it rushes through his veins every time he acquires it.

Combat is done via the ‘object selection’ process. Certain objects will glow slightly, colour is then applied to it and whatever critter is in the area will then attack the object causing a series of actions. Similarly some objects can have colour taken away from them to remove stability of the object.

Characters and bosses

Peter Schlemiel: This is the player’s character throughout the game. Because the player’s decisions are based on moral choices, his moods alternate depending on what the character wants to do. He is gluttonous and addicted to acquiring colour, but also possesses some degree of self-control around how much colour he wants to obtain.

Ephemerist: The very first monster Schlemiel comes across but does not have to battle. It is hard to know whether he is Schlemiel’s enemy or friend because he seems cunning. He has bizarre external features, with a second head attached to his shoulder.

Ammest: A virgil character that counteracts the work of Ephemerist. He gives Schlemiel tasks and appears to be kind and compassionate as he guides the player in the shadow world. This character was inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s fairytale, The Angel.

Decrier: One of the bosses, a sloth who Schlemiel encounters early on in the journey. The battle begins when Decrier confronts Schlemiel about killing his pet Eckzahn. Decrier attacks first and the boss battle begins. Colour is gained from his kidneys after Schlemiel defeats him.

Metem: A slow creature who moves similarly to Decrier, but rather than impale his victims engulfs them instead, wrapping his arms around them and holding them to his ooze covered chest to be decomposed in a matter of minutes. If unsuccessful Metem resorts to laying traps by having his leeches attach themselves and weaken individuals before Metem himself comes to collect the spoils of their juicy flesh Hereto: So named due to his schizophrenic nature has developed a cruel and cunning mindset. He appears as two minds able to converse with each other out loud while sharing the one body. Blind as a bat, this creature is constantly surrounded by flies, attracted to the vibrations of his insect 'pets', Hereto will feed on anything that stays still enough for the flies to gather around or similarly anything that moves to much in his own domain.

Galena: The final boss Schlemiel encounters and the most difficult of all. Galena is the only female boss and possesses extra-strength and defence mechanisms. The player must defeat this raging beast in order to acquire their body. Galena has a long tail and a demonic, skeletal figure.

Eckzahn: A hostile creature which camouflages with the foliage of trees and piles of leaves before launching into an attack. Travels in packs of 2-5

Frabbit: A critter that attracts colour to the flower attached to its head before consuming it, similar to the tactic of the angler fish