The Shadow Hearts games have always been a little odd, both in terms of gameplay and story. Ditching the traditional fantasy setting of most role-playing games, the Shadow Hearts series takes place in a twisted version of our world. At least, the locations are somewhat recognizable: Alcatraz, Chicago, New York City, Roswell, and so forth. Now the demons, the magic, the giant talking cats, the vampires, those might not be as realistic, but it's that juxtaposition between fantasy and reality, the absurdity of it all, that sets Shadow Hearts apart from the rest. And whereas most RPGs are content having the player repeatedly mash the same button to get through battle, Shadow Hearts takes a different approach with the Judgment Ring, instead requiring players to carefully time their button presses.

In this regard, Shadow Hearts: From The New World, the third entry in the series, doesn't change much up. This time around, the story follows Johnny Garland, an orphaned sixteen year old hired to find a criminal hiding out in New York City. But then that criminal gets eaten by a demon, and then a winged creature comes crashing through the skylight, and things just get weirder after that. Take Frank, the Brazilian-trained ninja, for example. Or his master, Mao, a giant talking cat who also happens to be involved in movie production. Or Hilda, the vampire whose appearance changes depending on her calorie intake.

Likewise, the afore-mentioned Judgment Ring is as crucial here as it's been in past Shadow Hearts games. For those unfamiliar with the Judgment Ring, it's essentially a bar spinning around a circle. Depending on the chosen action, a different part of the Judgment Ring is colored in. A quick button press stops the bar, and the strength of the color on its stopped location dictates the strength of the chosen action. Almost everything in battle uses the Judgment Ring, from attacks and magic to item use.

By building up stock, earned by dealing or receiving damage, characters are then able to perform Double and Combo actions, a Double action allowing a character to take two turns and a Combo allowing another character to continue attacking an enemy. Combos also require another timed button press on top of the Judgment Ring, displaying a button on-screen after the Judgment Ring portion. By hitting the button within the time limit, players can continue their attack.

These combo attacks are especially handy in conjunction with the height-changing attacks. With clever use, it's possible to throw an enemy in the air, hit them with an airborne attack that would normally fly over their head, and then slam them back down to the ground. Not only does this result in some serious damage, it's also extremely satisfying to pull off. Stock permitting, it's also possible to perform Double Combo attacks, which then combine the best of both actions.

Given how important the Judgment Ring is, it's fortunate that it's quite customizable. Different versions of the Judgment Ring are available depending on a player's preferences, including an automatic version guaranteed to hit every time. Each version also has its individual pros and cons; in this case, the automatic version doesn't allow for multiple attacks per turn and doesn't include the option for a critical attack. Various items found throughout the game also change the properties of each character's Judgment Ring, such as adding more attacks, a larger critical zone, or a slower moving bar.

In terms of length, most will find the main game takes between twenty and thirty hours. Beyond the main plot, Shadow Hearts: From The New World is packed with sidequests, adding another ten to fifteen hours of gameplay. Johnny's able to snap pictures of monsters and then trade them with collectors for items. Natan's out to trap some elusive creatures, and each one he finds results in a new Gun Fu technique. Mao's on the lookout to cast an upcoming picture. The ghost outside Johnny's building wants ring fragments and rewards their delivery with useful Judgment Ring items. The various lottery members throughout the different towns all have different prizes. Though they're not required for the player to complete, as the reward of a certain sidequest is necessary to receive the better of the two endings, and given the benefits they net, participation in these sidequests is generally recommended.

Shadow Hearts: From The New World also incorporates the small, but noteworthy, ability to pause and skip cutscenes. It's a nice feature to have, especially given that cutscenes tend to precede boss fights and some of those battles can get pretty hard.

However, there are a few problems. In towns, players must talk to the right person or be in the right location to trigger the next event. But as it's not always clear what's required to proceed, it can get a bit tedious running around and talking to everyone in an attempt to advance.

Meanwhile, the encounter rate in dungeons can get pretty high at times. Though the battle system is enjoyable, these constant battles can get rather annoying, especially when trying to solve the various puzzles.

Lastly, the story never really delivers on its potential. Though the characters and their situations are amusing, the direction the story takes isn't all that memorable, more of an excuse to run Johnny and company through the locales and battles than the driving force behind these encounters. The pacing seems a bit off as well, with the plot only picking up just as the game starts wrapping up.

Shadow Hearts: From The New World is not a bad game, by any means. The battle system is entertaining, and the emphasis on the Judgment Ring ensures that things never get too monotonous. But despite being filled with loads of quirky characters and scenarios, the overall plot doesn't come together like one would hope, and the frustrations of a high encounter rate and unclear design don't help to rectify the situation. Still, it's a fun game, and those that can look past its flaws, those looking for something a bit different, those that have found themselves bored with the status quo of RPGs today, owe it to themselves to give Shadow Hearts: From The New World a chance.