Shadow Man 4K Remaster Set to Release in 2021

In a surprising, and somewhat confounding, bit of news, developer Nightdive Studios has revealed that they are remastering the “cult classic” action-adventure title, Shadow Man.

Originally released in 1999, Shadow Man was based on the Shadowman comic book series. The game told the story of a man named Michael LeRoi who becomes the latest member of a long line of voodoo warriors who protects us from the creatures of the Deadside. It should very much be noted at this time that certain events in the game’s story involve Jack the Ripper being asked to build an insane asylum in the Deadside. What we’re saying is that the plot was a bit…odd.

Throughout your Shadow Man adventures, you’ll control Michael as he battles various evil forces in an attempt to prevent a Deadside army from taking over our world. Said battles typically take the form of some fairly simple combat from the rough early days of 3D action games. It wasn’t exactly on the same level as Ocarina of Time or Majora’s Mask.

It’s entirely possible that some of the rougher edges of the original game’s visuals and combat will be smoothed over by this upcoming 4K remaster. Along with improved graphics and gameplay, Nightdive has noted that their Shadow Man remaster will feature improved A.I. and even the addition of some “lost content”. However, they’ve stopped short of sharing more information regarding the specifics of how this remaster will differentiate itself from the original game or even the 2013 re-release of Shadow Man that is currently available on Steam and GOG.

Truth be told, though, we’re kind of curious as to why Shadow Man was targeted for the remaster treatment. While’s the original was hardly an all-time bad game, it is somewhat notable for how generally unremarkable it was. Some praised the title for its thematic design elements and occasionally intriguing story sections, but given the ways that this game has not necessarily aged well over the years, it would probably benefit more from a full-fledged remake rather than a comparatively simple remaster.

At least Shadow Man has a better legacy than its sequel, Shadow Man: 2econd Coming. That poorly named follow-up briefly became infamous when Acclaim attempted to advertise the title by offering to put small billboards on actual tombstones in exchange for payments made to the families of the deceased. Suffice to say, their plans were not well-received.

The 4K remaster of Shadow Man is expected to be released in 2021 for currently unconfirmed platforms.