For many players, customizing their character’s appearance is an integral part of the gaming experience. It can allow you to better express yourself within the game world, or just make yourself laugh by wearing a silly outfit. These cosmetic choices can often bleed into gameplay too, granting stat bonuses that weren’t otherwise available.
Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remasteredrecognizes how important these choices are to fans and has a variety of costumes to adorn protagonist Garcia Hotspur with. While the original release didn’t feature character skins, the remaster has packed a few in as extra content, each referencing other Grasshopper Manufacture and Suda51 projects. However, some are more interesting than others.
5Placa Garcia
No Shirt, No Problem
When you first begin Shadows of the Damned, you’re treated to a cutscene showing off Garcia’s impressive body tattoos. After this, you play a short tutorial section, and then his torso gets covered up as he adopts his signature purple jacket. In the original release, this would be all you’d see of the protagonist’s body, but the remaster lets you remain shirtless as long as you’d like with the Placa Garcia skin.
Anyone who appreciates tattoo artistry will be able toenjoy Garcia’s ink, which covers the entire upper half of his body. The costume allows for a more intimate glance into Hotspur’s characterization, including his neck tattoo that reads, “I would kill the world before it did you harm,” a clear reference to his love for Paula. Going shirtless can help you embody the protagonist’s exaggerated machismo, looking good while mowing down demons in the underworld.
4Purple Reign
Sticking To What Works
Purple Reign is Garcia’s standard outfit that he’ll be rocking for the entire campaign. He wears a rather straightforward ensemble, with his purple leather jacket accompanied by black pants. It isn’t a complicated character design, but one that effortlessly fits his tough guy persona.
The jacket and outfit name are obvious references to the artist Prince and his multimedia project Purple Rain, which was released in 1984. On the movie poster and album cover, Prince can be seen wearing a purple jacket, which Grasshopper Manufacture obviously took inspiration from when crafting Garcia’s look. It’s an interesting reference to music history and shows Suda’s reverence for all aspects of popular culture.
3Kamikaze Garcia
A Gentleman In Hell
This outfit might seem like an odd choice for a man willingly entering the depths of hell; a fancy suit and top hat hardly seem like the clothes one would wear when preparing to do battle with demons. However, this costume actually has roots dating all the way back to the planning stages of Shadows of the Damned.
The Kamikaze Garcia skin is a reference to Kurayami Dance, a manga creator Suda51 penned from 2015 to 2016. This story was based on his original ideas for the game that would become Shadows of the Damned, but EA ultimately forced Suda to create something better suited for the coveted Western audience. The suit and top hat are the clothing of the manga’s protagonist, Kamikaze Wataru.
Kamikaze Garcia is the only unlockable costume in the game and is granted to you after completing the campaign for the first time.
2Ocho Corazones
For The No More Heroes Superfans
The Ocho Corazones outfit is certainly the most unique outfit in Hella Remastered, sporting a cape and elaborate headpiece. Garcia’s chest is covered by armor depicting the various hearts referenced in the name, and his face is covered by a skeletal mask, evoking the design language of Johnson’s weaponry.
This reference to Johnson is actually on purpose, as longtime Suda fans will remember this costume appearing inTravis Strikes Again: No More Heroes. In that game, Travis is transported into the world of Damned: Dark Knight, a fictional sequel to Shadows of the Damned, where Garcia dies and fuses with Johnson to become The Hero with Eight Hearts. It’s cool to see this deep level of nerdy lore represented in Hella Remastered, and Suda fans will certainly appreciate how over-the-top the design is.
1Demonio Garcia
Becoming One With The Enemy
The Demonio Garcia skin sees our protagonist overtaken by his sworn enemies; it gives a peek into an alternate reality where Hotspur joins the demon hordes instead of fighting against them. Horns sprout from his head, an eyeball pops out of his chest, and his hands and feet are given a bestial makeover, complete with claws and scales.
It is easily the best costume in the game, not only thanks to its inspired design but also because it’s the only one that offers any gameplay bonuses. Equipping Demonio Garcia will double your attack power, letting you bulldoze through hell’s forces if you so choose. It’s a perfect choice if you want to relax and just blast through the campaign or if you’re simply a fan of how it looks.
