Reviewers overwhelmingly approved of the game's graphics. Crispin Boyer of "Electronic Gaming Monthly" said it has "some of the best animation ever seen in an RPG." He and his co-reviewer Dan Hsu both found the first-person perspective a refreshing change from the overhead perspective used in nearly every other RPG of the time. "Next Generation" instead stated that it is the game's particular combination of polygons and sprites that "gives "SHA" a high level of detail and a visual uniqueness that not only looks great during gameplay, but sets the title apart from the bulk of other recent games in the genre." "GamePro" commented that the "crisp, colorful sprites combine with creepy creatures and eye-catching spells to deliver a visually appealing adventure." Leadbetter was less enthusiastic about the graphics than most, saying that the villages are stunning but the dungeon designs are dull.