It’s the Perfect Halloween Game
MediEvil is a remake of the 1998 classic of the same name, and it comes to us via Other Ocean Emeryville, who have reanimated this cult-classic game for a new generation.
The beautiful thing about it is that there is something here for all ages. The combat is cartoonish, and while you will battle undead beasties and claim their essence in an attempt to fill the Chalice of Souls, it isn’t gratuitous.
In fact, in tone, it is fairly similar to something like Coraline, or The Nightmare Before Christmas (which was an inspiration for the original game). There are stakes to the story, a reason to see it through, but a healthy dose of humor is injected as well.
Maybe while you are waiting for trick or treaters to arrive, you could be battling your way through Gallowmere, as a way to pass the time?
It’s a Great Reminder of How Delightfully Weird Sony Can Be
MediEvil is a strange game, full of bizarre characters like greedy gargoyles, pompous former heroes and Zarok, the game’s antagonist.
Let’s not forget our hero Sir Dan himself, thought to be the hero of Gallowmere. The sad truth is he was the first casualty in the last great battle against Zarok, but the people decided they would rather believe a heroic lie, rather than the ignoble truth.
Dan has certainly seen better days, and his design is indicative of this. A resurrected skeleton knight, he has one eye, and an empty socket that is sometimes inhabited by a worm or a beetle.
He is able to detach his own arm and batter his opponents with it, or throw it from afar, only to reattach it once the danger has passed.
He can even take off his own head and transport it via nearby reanimated hands, crawling spider-like and allowing him to survey his surroundings. It’s really strange, but somehow seems totally plausible in this world.
It’s a Fun Example of a Mascot Action Platformer
The PlayStation 1 ushered in a golden age of mascot action platformers, with series like Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter, Ratchet & Clank and Spyro the Dragon all debuting on the system.
MediEvil follows in this proud tradition and features an array of platforming puzzles for players to overcome. Granted, it’s a little more combat and puzzle focused than those others mentioned, but it deserves its place alongside them.
There are a wide variety of weapons to unlock, and thanks to the Chalice of Souls mechanic, you really need to work hard to gather them all.
This is done by slaying enough opponents to open the way to the Hall of Heroes. On some levels, it will really have you scratching your head as to where that last pesky zombie could be hiding.
It Has an Easily Achievable Platinum Trophy
Trophy hunting may not be for everyone, but for those of you who can’t resist chasing that elusive achievement, MediEvil has a straightforward and satisfying trophy list.
You are required to unlock all weapons, fill out the Grimoire, defeat all bosses and amass a certain amount of gold. There is nothing too challenging here and nothing that requires playing the game in obtuse or annoying ways.
All told, the process should only take you around seven to eight hours. It will allow you to see everything the game has to offer and take you on a grand and guided tour of Gallowmere in the process.
With Enough Support, We May Get Another Entry in the Series
MediEvil went on to spawn a direct sequel (MediEvil 2), and a reimagining of the original game called MediEvil: Resurrection, for the PSP. Sir Dan was also featured as a playable character in PlayStation Allstars Battle Royale.
But we are long overdue for another entry in the mainline series. MediEvil 2 brought Sir Dan 500 years into the future, into the Victorian era, and continued the series narrative while maintaining its trademark sense of humor and artistic direction.
Whether the story was to continue on into our modern era or was to go somewhere else entirely, would be an amazing thing to see. Time will tell if support for the remake will be enough for us to see Sir Dan in an all-new adventure. We can only hope.
For our full thoughts, be sure to check out our in-depth review
