Will Garcia Hotspur descent into Hell again in Shadows Of The Damned 2? Horror games were in something of an odd place around the time Shadows Of The Damned was released. The survival horror genre had been greatly inspired by the success of Resident Evil 4, leading to more action-focused titles like Dead Space. The increasing focus on action and co-op play had served to weaken the horror elements of a lot of titles, with 2012's Resident Evil 6 feeling like a wannabe blockbuster than a survival horror game.
Shadows Of The Damned arrived in 2011, and consisted of a dream team of director Suda51 (Killer7), producer Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil) and acclaimed Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka. Despite that horror pedigree, there was no real attempt to make it scary. Instead, it's a quirky b-movie story where demon hunter Garcia literally goes to Hell to save girlfriend Paula, who was kidnapped by Lord of Demons Fleming. Garcia's chatty demon sidekick Johnson can transform into a bike and various weapons, also making for a bizarre buddy comedy.
The sheer oddness of the original has attracted a cult fandom since its release, but what are the odds of a Shadows Of The Damned 2?
Suda51 Had A Bad Time Making Shadows Of The Damned
Despite the promise held by Shadows Of The Damned, the final product was something of a fun but forgettable shooter. Shinji Mikami would later reveal neither he nor Suda51 were really happy with how the game turned out, due to EA requesting constant changes to dial down Suda's trademark quirkiness.
Akira Yamaoka Expressed Interest In Shadows Of The Damned 2
Akira Yamaoka gave fans of the original reason to hope in a 2012 interview where he expressed interest in returning for Shadows Of The Damned 2. Yamaoka's score was one of the highlights of the first game, and he also stated EA would probably finance a follow-up. That latter suggestion was questionable, however, given the lack of marketing they put into the first game, which resulted in weak sales.
Shadows Of The Damned 2 Won't Happen
Despite ending on a cliffhanger teasing further adventures, Shadows Of The Damned 2 isn't very likely. A combination of bad sales and Suda51's experience working with EA on the original all but rule it out. The video game landscape has changed a lot in the years since Shadows Of The Damned was released, and its doubtful EA would see the value in making a sequel to a game that wasn't a success.