Shadow Hearts and sequel

[Realm25]

I recently just finished a play through or Shadow Hearts, and it's sequel Shadow Hearts: Covenant.

I thought both games were excellent and was just curious if any of you have played either game, and what you thought of them?

[The Ceej]

I skipped the first one, Koudelka, due to its impossibility to find and its unnecessity to the series, and went straight to Shadow Hearts. I rather enjoyed it, but the ending I got, even though I worked my ass off to get it, does not match the beginning of the sequel. I had to ask people here to describe the "true ending" to me.

The ending that one has to work to get should be the true ending.

The ending that you get by doing the bare minimum required to get through the game should not.

So, no. I haven't played Covenant or From The New World yet, though I do plan on it. I have so many games I must complete.

[Dreddz]

I skipped the first one, Koudelka, due to its impossibility to find and its unnecessity to the series.

Its also complete trash too so it's good you managed to avoid it.

[The Last Ancient]

I like Koudelka a lot. The gameplay is very slow and tedious. I did love the story though. The story is very dark and reading the soldier's diary and stuff like that is really interesting. I liked all three characters and the story is somewhat relevant to the first shadow heart game.

(SPOILER) James O'Flaherty is mentioned as a friend of Alice's Dad.

The element of bringing elena back to life using the emigre maniscript in Koudelka was repeating with that guy and his mother in London.

The return of the real Roger Bacon and the Nemeton Monastery.

Koudelka returns as the mystery voice that speaks to Yuri and Halley is Koudelka and Edward's child, etc

I love the first Shadow Hearts game very much. It is my favorite in the series. I love it for it's similiarly dark setting and story. I love Yuri's irreverance and his underlying humanity and all of the characters. I think Alice is a good female lead. Plus you got Yasunori Mitsuda doing the score. It's one of my top ten rpg's.

I think with Covenant and the last game, the series started going down hill. The only part I enjoy of Covenant is the completion of Yuri's and Kato's stories. The series took a turn and tried to be more zany and cooky rather then its scary and dark and irreverent roots.

[sir helix]

iv played and beaten all three sh games, but i havn't played koudelka yet. i thought that the games were amazing.

[KoShiatar]

I have Shadow Hearts Covenant, but never played it. What do I miss out if I skip the first Shadow Hearts and go directly to that?

[The Ceej]

I haven't yet started Covenant. One game at a time for me. From what I understand, however, the two games in the series that go together most are Shadow Hearts and Shadow Hearts: Covenant. That you absolutely need Shadow Hearts before you can play Covenant. I would recommend finding the first Shadow Hearts.

Of course, don't work for the good ending. Some idiot made the sequel follow the ending that you get for doing the bare minimum to complete the game. Someone forgot to tell him that that's not beating the game. That's coasting through the game. And I had to come here to get people to tell me what happens in this not-so-true "true" ending.

[Mercen-X]

Koudelka... can't find. Also sounds annoying.
Shadow Hearts... haven't beaten yet. I'm on the last boss, but I just don't make any time for it for some reason.
Shadow Hearts Covenant... haven't bought or rented thus haven't played. Too bad.
Shadow Hearts From the New World... SH's tribute to American culture, for what it is, I'd say it's on par with the original. Haven't gone all that far in the game yet. Like with most RPG's, I keep getting distracted by in-games fancies.
Chaos Wars has characters based on Alice Elliot, Karin Koenig, Yuri from Covenant, and even Beyond the Grave. I'm quite interested in it.