Shadow Hearts: Covenant

February 19, 2004(22 years ago)·Full Release

Nautilus

Publisher: Aruze, Midway

★

8.1

27 user ratings

★

8.1

30 critic ratings

★★★★★★★★★★

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VOTES

Genres: Role-playing (RPG), Turn-based strategy (TBS)

Platforms:PS2

Fantasy Science fiction Historical Single player Third personESRBPEGICERO CUSK 12ACB MA15+

Summary

Shadow Hearts: Covenant continues directly from the events of Shadow Hearts, beginning a year and a half later during World War I. The story centers on Karin Koenig, a German Army lieutenant who aids in the exorcism of Yuri Volte Hyuga, a man capable of transforming into demons. But as she discovers Yuri's compassionate side, Karin joins him on a journey to free him from a powerful curse within him, leading them into a larger struggle involving demons and the dark practice of demonolatry.

Storyline

The story begins with Karin Koenig, a lieutenant in the German Army during World War I, journeying to the village of Domremy alongside Vatican Inquisitor Nicolas "Nicolai" Conrad to perform an exorcism. Upon arrival, they discover that the demon is none other than Yuri from the previous game. Nicolai places a curse on Yuri, significantly weakening him while also exposing himself as part of Sapientes Gladio, a secretive order of dark sorcerers aiming to control the world. Yuri flees with Karin, and together they gather a small group of allies to stop Nicolai's ambitions. As the son of Tsar Nicolas II, Nicolai seeks to seize control of Russia with the aid of Rasputin, the current leader of Sapientes Gladio. Yuri gradually regains his strength through the help of Jovis, a former member of Sapientes Gladio, though his memories remain clouded by Nicolai's curse. The group eventually locates and defeats both Rasputin and Nicolai. Just before Nicolai is about to be killed, he is saved by Kato, a Japanese envoy and longtime friend of Yuri, and taken to Japan. In Japan, the team follows Nicolai to a research facility where he is possessed by a demon. After uncovering his location, they pursue him, but not before Kato's wife is killed. Overcome with grief, Kato tries to reshape the world using his own magic, forcing Yuri and his companions to stop him. The game offers two possible endings. In the "bad" ending, Yuri's personality and memories are wiped by Nicolai's curse, and he lives out his days under the care of Roger Bacon, an old friend. In the "good" ending, Yuri chooses to die to preserve his memories and identity from the curse, and he awakens at the start of the previous game. In both endings, Karin returns to 1887 and is revealed to be Anne, Yuri's mother.