Setting/Concept:
This is the stuff dreams are made of. More accurately, what nightmares are made of. Everything about this game positively contributes to the overall mood of the game. You've got blood instead of water in all instances within Deadside (the world of the dead which all people go to without exception when they die), as well as baddies abound. Some of them will slice you up good if you don't make full use of the game's controls, but that'll be covered more in depth later. The basic premise of Shadow Man is that Mike Leroi (a former English major) takes on the persona of Shadow Man in order to prevent anything from Deadside threatening those of Liveside. I'd go into more detail, but anything else could I say here will be covered in further sections.

Graphics:
Keep in mind this is a Dreamcast game that's roughly three years old. Of course, it's multi-platform, but from what I hear they're largely the same graphically. In any event, lighting effects are done superbly. Enemies die in a very Unreal/Quake/bloody fragging chunks style, though a bit more ceremoniosly (light effects and extensive flailing, at times) than you'd actually see in an FPS. I really should stop using that simile, it isn't very good. The sort of smokey effects that pop up from time to time look great as well. The characters look smooth for the most part, with my biggest complaint being that their mouths move sparatically during cinema scenes. Someone could say "Gasp!" and their mouth would move the whole time the camera was focused at them. Another problem, though not really glaring or that annoying, is that Shadow Man's arms will sometimes go through the walls of a tight corridor, and (in his Mike persona) his shirt will sometimes flap into his body due to the running and stopping effects. Overall, pretty good if you consider the time it was made and the fact that these aren't the most advanded platforms.

Character design:
The character design for Shadow Man is nice. Nice, indeed. Some are uninspired (a couple of the regular enemies are bland, and one or two of the bosses is as well), but most are genuinely good. For the most part, The Five (5 of the 6 bosses; mortal men who have immortal Dark Souls) are done just as you'd want crazed killers to be done. The Home Improvement Killer is perhaps the best, though maybe due to the wonderfully done area you fight him in. Either way, still good stuff. Jaunty has the best design, I think. Something about a giant Irish skull snake wearing a big purple top hat makes me miss the golden age of gaming.

Area design:
The areas in this game are MASSIVE. Two of Shadow Man's biggest shining points are the emphasis on exploration and the excellent areas. The serial killer areas and many of the areas within Asylum are creepy to the max. I remember one area in Asylum that particularly struck me as good. In a little prison type area, there are a few rooms (they're either tiled or padded, I can't tell) that are smeared, drenched, whatever, with blood. Then the last one is totally clean except for (in incredibly tiny writing) some lettering on the wall, presumably in blood. I can't recall what it says, but that's just neat. Shadow Man makes comments about the areas a lot, as well. In the serial killer areas especially, a "Jesus..." or "Oh God!" can be expected occasionaly. That's the one thing that bothers me about the series... If Deadside is where everyone goes, then the conventional Heaven and Hell must not exist in the SM universe, so why do they say things like that? Just something to think about.

Controls:
Simple and easy to use. SM uses a dual weapon system, and the ability to holster both weapons at the same time if you need to (for grabbing a rope or ledge or somesuch, though you can generally grab with just one hand). The lock on button is a bit annoying, as sometimes you'll lose your target and end up jumping somewhere you'd rather not, instead of dodging an attack. Doesn't happen too much, but it can be bad when it does.

Gameplay:
This game is almost pure fun. A few puzzles can get nerve racking, but most aren't that bad. You'll always feel rewarded when you collect enough Dark Souls to increase your powers a bit more. There are a good number of items and weapons to be had, as well. The best part is that you don't have to use many of them outside of solving puzzles, but you can if you want to. The inclusion of two shotguns (in case you want to be a real bad ass and use them both at once) is also one of those guilty pleasures we're faced with from time to time as gamers. There are enough areas that you don't get too bogged down in the same thing, and the serial killer and Asylum areas are generally especially unique.

Sound:
The voice acting is tons better than it has to be. Jaunty's is probably the best. All of them are done well, but a couple are a little on the sterotypical side (main baddie having a really deep voice, one character having the cookie-cutter "crazy" voice). The sound effects are also good. The music is great to set the mood, though given the way it changes when going to and from certain places within areas, it can sound a tiny bit awkard in transition.

Overall
Setting/Concept: 9
Graphics: 6
Character Design: 8
Area Design: 9
Controls: 9
Gamplay: 9
Sound: 8

Summary
A great game and a great experience. Though, unless Shadow Man acquires freakishly large breasts and an utterly boring persona, I doubt any possible third installment will be any more popular to the masses than Shadow Man and 2econd Coming.
-Fuma