They definitely put some innovation into the usual JRPG battle mechanics, although I think it wasn't until Covenant, the second Shadow Hearts game, that the series really began turning heads. After the third game, the series just... disappeared. I'm not even sure what company holds the rights anymore.

Supposedly, many of the original development team have regrouped under a new studio and are making a new game called Penny Blood, meant to be a sort of spiritual successor to Shadow Hearts.