Video games: Hell-bent thrill ride plays like heaven

'Shadows of the Damned" is not shy about its inspirations. Early in the game, protagonist Garcia Hotspur proclaims that he and his traveling skull companion, Johnson, are making "our very own road movie." Like the grindhouse films that it pays homage to, "Shadows of the Damned" is vulgar, violent, over-the-top and way more fun than it should be.

This is "Resident Evil 4" rewritten by a 12-year-old obsessed with dirty jokes. As it turns out, that's a good thing.

In the opening moments of "Shadows of the Damned," Garcia's apartment is invaded by demonic forces that drag away his girlfriend, Paula. The tattoo-covered hero swears vengeance and jumps through a portal to Hell.

Throughout the eight-hour adventure, Garcia and his buddy trade boneheaded one-liners that would have players groaning if they weren't presented with such glee. Despite being the hero, Garcia is a dimwit who chuckles at his horrible jokes and stumbles into enemy traps constantly.

Plenty of games with dumb writing use self-awareness as an excuse, but "Shadows of the Damned" isn't just aware of its stupidity, it embraces immaturity with an abandon that can't help but be respected.

Grasshopper scored a major victory by getting help from "Resident Evil" mastermind Shinji Mikami. His classic, over-the-shoulder third-person shooter style is present, but now you can move at the same time. Whether you're fighting a giant Frankenstein creature with a huge spotlight on its head or a tiny demon wearing spike-covered armor that rolls toward you as a ball, Garcia has enough grace and speed to survive any situation.

Despite his bravado, this demon hunter doesn't spend all his time shooting up the legions of Hell. Each level contains interesting puzzles, most of which involve manipulating light and dark. If a room is enveloped in shadow, Garcia's health will slowly drain until he leaves that region or fills the room with light by shooting a goat head.

The puzzles and the combat are aided by an ever-growing arsenal of new weapons and tools.

The only major flaws in "Shadows of the Damned" come in a few frustrating late-game scenarios where you're put in arena fights against an absurd number of opponents and in a handful of chase sequences where Garcia is instantly killed if caught by a pursuer.