Something is going wrong in the land of Arkose: cities destroy themselves, monsters attack innocent citizens, diseases spread among the people. A young guy named Stinger narrowly escaped death from a giant blast that destroyed his hometown. He sets out on a quest to avenge his home's destruction and meets Windleaf, an elven girl, and Harv-5, a robot, who help him reach his goal.
The gameplay of Shadow Madness is different from other Japanese RPGs. The battles are random and the battle system is menu-based with several sub-menu choices, similar to Final Fantasy games. The graphics are in 3D with polygonal characters in an anime/manga style, which some people find unusual. Players control Stinger as he explores the world, fights monsters, and completes quests.