A (now) classic Gothic, horror romp through the land of Gallowmere. You’ll be dying to play!
The first thing that with strike you about MediEvil is the art direction and style. SCEE’s Studio Cambridge has taken from gothic horror and ‘Tim Burton’s Nightmare before Christmas’. The look is quirky and fun, with some dark, decidedly English humour thrown in for good measure. The music is also strangely good for a game of this style. The composers have done a good job of making sure the music is as varied as each level, yet keep their consist themes of Goth and slight dark humour.
When you are first let loose in the lands of Gallowmere it may take you sometime to get acquainted with the controls. They are not bad; so much as they can be slightly fiddly. After a few minutes you should get use to attacking (with the Square and Cross buttons) and jumping (Circle) to evade.
If the cartoon edge and gothic horror aren’t enough to tide you over till the games end then what about the armoury? Yep, MediEvil’s line up is one of the strongest you’ll find for a game of this genre on the PS1. You can get anything ranging from crossbows to throwing knifes and even Dan’s own arm! Some defensive shields are also commonly found and prove to be very useful in later levels. Of course, don’t expect a flaming bow to just fall into your skeletal fingers. If you want to play with some of the cooler toys you’ll have to have cash. You can gain money from fallen enemies or from chests found in the levels. This can then be exchanged for goods and supplies from red stone gargoyles that Dan can converse with. There is also one extra bonus in all of the levels in the form of the ‘Chalices of Souls’. What it does is collect the souls of the enemies Dan has killed in a level and once full, and once it has been discovered, sends Dan off to the ‘Hall of Heroes’ to receive a brand new weapon!
Zarok’s minions are numerous, both in variety and in number. Should be no problem though for a knight with Sir Dan’s skills. Zombies are the most common enemy, but every level has its on unique style. For example, a level I particularly enjoy ‘Scarecrow Fields’ see Dan traversing a wheat field packed with killer haystacks. That’s not all though, step too far into the fields and he’ll be mince by wheat demons hiding in them. Medievil’s boss battles are also quite memorable. The Stained Glass Demon was the one I liked most (save the end brawl). This boss can only be stopped by shooting his pulsing heart with a ranged weapon. Exciting!
However, a few minor issues with the games control and camera (which is controlled using the L2 and R2 shoulder buttons) do tend to undermine some of the game’s balance. Walking is also key to some later levels, where you will be travelling over bridges and poor camera controls don’t help here. And a graphical hitch here or there can sometimes be seen. On the positive side the FMVs are well done and really add to the game style, continually building on the developer’s themes. The narrative is also constructed in interesting and refreshing manner as you are sometimes offered different paths to take. The overall story of the game is a fairly linear. Combating this are the game’s FMV sequences with some of Dan’s old comrades (now turned godly heroes). These scenes in the ‘Hall of Heroes’ offer a nice change of pace and are often quite funny.
MediEvil truly is a brilliant game, with lots to offer. An interesting and dark storyline, medieval weapons galore and a fantastic visual style with music that has a real presence make MediEvil a solid game for its genre. It certain gives some of the best graphic adventures (on the PS1 at least) a run for their money (and their souls too albeit).