Not to be outdone by the previous games, Shadows of Darkness took advantage of the very latest technology to improve the player's gaming experience. The storage capacity of CD-ROMs allowed the team to include more puzzles than any previous Quest for Glory game, plus 50% more animation than any other adventure game of its type. This was also the first game to incorporate speech, with a full team of professional actors providing the voices of the game's characters.

Improvements were also made in the game's interface. In order to make the game more accomodating to true adventure gamers, the combat interface was customizable. Gameplayers could choose to control each move in arcade mode or switch to stragy mode if their wits were sharper than their reflexes.

In dim dreams you flew over a shadowed landscape, driven to a place of evil. When you awoke, you were in a twisted cave in an unknown land. You were alone in darkness and danger, without your equipment or your friends. You escaped the strange cave, meeting a young woman outside. She said this was the land of Mordavia, and that her name was Katrina. Before you could ask further questions, she ran off, leaving you lost and alone. You found your way to a town. Everyone you met was suspicious and hostile toward you, obviously fearing strangers.

Mordavia was ruled by someone called "the Master" who lived in a castle outside of town. As you learned more about this land, you were not reassured. There were rumors of werewolves, and garlands of garlic were placed everywhere for protection. In the town was a mysterious monastery, once run by a cult that sought to summon something called the "Dark One." A child had been kidnapped from her home at night. Ghosts and dark creatures roamed, and even your old enemy, Baba Yaga, now lived here.

The only safe places were the town and a lovely garden created by the Wizard Erana. You had found many such places on your journey – places of peace and safety. You were reassured to know that Erana had touched this sad place. Then you learned to your sorrow that Erana had perished years before. She and a Paladin, Piotyr, had fought to drive the Dark One, Avoozl, from this land. They had stopped the dark cult, thereby prevented Avoozl’s release. However, Erana had died in the struggle. All that remained was her magical staff, placed in the center of town.

You soon learned an even darker truth. The beautiful woman, Katrina, seemed fond of you, and perhaps you loved her. However, you discovered she was actually a magical vampire also known as the "Dark Master." Ad Avis had called for the Dark Master as he perished; the Dark Master had indeed answered his call. He brought Ad Avis’ body to this place, and revived him as a Vampire and Katrina’s slave. She and Ad Avis had brought you here to summon Avoozl again to this land, covering it in darkness forever. Thus, the Vampires would never need fear the light of day again.

You were trapped, forced to begin the mystic rituals that would bring the Dark One to life. In the final phases of the spell, Ad Avis attacked you. Katrina came to your defense, and Ad Avis destroyed her. You turned upon Ad Avis, and he was taken by Avoozl. Then you used Erana’s staff to drive Avoozl away from this world once and forever. At the last, you saw the spirit of Erana, released from this evil place. She thanked you for your kindness, then she vanished.