Shadow Hearts is a role-playing video game developed by Sacnoth for the PlayStation 2. Published in Japan by Aruze in 2001, it was published internationally by Midway Games in the same year (North America) and 2002 (Europe). The titular first game in the Shadow Hearts series, it acts as a sequel to the 1999 video game Koudelka, being set in the same world and featuring recurring characters. The story of Shadow Hearts is set in 1913 and follows Yuri Hyuga, a human with the ability to capture and transform into monsters, as he protects Alice Elliot from the machinations of an evil magician. During gameplay, the player controls Yuri as he explores various locations. During battle, a party of up to three characters can be controlled, with actions in battle relying on a timing-based system dubbed the Judgement Ring. The game's worldview combines alternate history with elements of Lovecraftian horror. Development began following the completion of Koudelka in 1999. Koudelka art director Matsuzo Machida acted as director and wrote the game's scenario, inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft and the manga Devilman by Go Nagai. The Judgement Ring drew inspiration from fighting game mechanics and Aruze's pachinko machines. Composer Yoshitaka Hirota combined multiple genres and described the score as "beautiful yet destructive". Upon release, the game met with low sales and a mixed critical reception. Journalists praised the story and Judgement Ring mechanic, but many found faults with the gameplay balance and criticised the graphics. A sequel, Shadow Hearts: Covenant, was released in 2004.