Shadow of the Beast II on the Sega Genesis is one of those games that looks incredible but will absolutely wreck you if you're not careful. The atmosphere is thick—gloomy forests, jagged cliffs, and these weird, unsettling enemies that just pop out of nowhere. The music? Haunting. Like, you'll hear it in your dreams.

Gameplay-wise, it's brutal in that classic '90s way. You've got this beefy protagonist who swings a mean sword, but the controls take some getting used to. Jumping feels heavy, combat is stiff at first, and the level design loves throwing cheap shots. But once it clicks, there's something satisfying about memorizing enemy patterns and finally making progress.

It's not for the faint of heart, but if you grew up with Genesis-era difficulty or just love moody action-platformers, this one's worth the frustration. Just don't throw your controller.