Universal Pictures filed a trademark for Shadow Hearts on April 27th in Japan. It was made public today, on May 11. It’s not yet clear whether this is in relation to a remake or a re-release of some sort, possibly to align with the new PS Plus Premium service’s launch. The service will offer PS1, PS2, and PS3 titles via streaming, and, given the fan following that the Shadow Hearts series has, it would make sense for all three games to be included with it.
For the uninitiated, Shadow Hearts is a role-playing video game franchise that consists of three titles for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) and its precursor Koudelka on the PlayStation. Sacnoth (later Nautilus) created the complete series; Koudelka was released by SNK in 1999, and the Shadow Hearts trilogy was released by Aruze from 2001 to 2005.
[商願2022-49058]
商標: [画像] /
出願人: 株式会社ユニバーサルエンターテインメント /
出願日: 2022年4月27日 /
区分: 41類(移動体電話・電子計算機端末・携帯型情報端末・携帯用液晶画面ゲームおもちゃ・家庭用テレピゲームおもちゃによる通信を用いて… pic.twitter.com/niDtl2lKKK— 商標速報bot (@trademark_bot) May 11, 2022
The game’s publishing was handled by different entities in different parts of the world. From the late 1890s until the 1920s, the Shadow Hearts timeline follows several casts of individuals caught up in otherworldly mystery. Each title has numerous endings and blends alternate history with cosmic horror, with real-world individuals making cameos.
The Shadow Hearts series follows a similar structure in terms of gameplay; they are role-playing video games that feature exploration of numerous locales across the world as well as turn-based fighting systems triggered by both random and programmed encounters. Optional features such as minigames and side missions are also included. The core structure was introduced in the original Shadow Hearts, with the second and third instalments introducing new fighting components including combo attacks and variations of actions that enabled a character to perform twice in one round.
The Judgement Ring is a major component of all three entries for both fight and non-battle features. The player’s goal is to strike colored sections on the disc’s surface when a pointer travels over them; hit areas are divided into different hues, with smaller red patches at the end of each area enhancing the efficacy of the selected action. At least one character in each entry has the ability to absorb supernatural creatures or make pacts with them in order to take on their shapes and abilities. Transforming costs sanity points, a resource that, when depleted, forces a character to become insane and fight on their own.
