MediEvil Resurrection

Back in the heydays of the original PlayStation, I remember playing a demo of a unique action-adventure game that went by the name of MediEvil. I thought that the game had a really unique look and feel to it, but I never got the chance to play the full game or the sequel that was released a couple of years later. Now that the PlayStation Portable is on the block, the developers at Cambridge Studios decided to resurrect (pun intended) their MediEvil franchise. Does this game give new life to the genre? Read on to find out!

For the past hundred years, there has been a story that has been passed down in the town of Gallowmere. It tells the tale of the brave knight Sir Daniel Fortesque who defeated the malicious Sorcerer Zarok at the battle of Gallowmere, but was mortally wounded during the fierce battle. The problem with this story is that it is not true at all. Sir Daniel Fortesque was actually a coward, and he was killed during the very first wave of arrows, with one that hit his eye. Zorak has come back and is raising an undead army to help conquer the world. At the same time Sir Daniel Fortesque was resurrected and now has the chance to become the hero everyone thinks he was. Are you up to this challenge to help make his legacy come true?

Since this game is an action-adventure game, you will expect to see plenty of zombie-killing action going on here. The good thing about this is that since players have many different melee and ranged weapons to choose from the game will rarely get any repetitive feel to it. This game is combo based, meaning players will have to experiment with the buttons, or read the specific weapon guide in Dan’s crypt, to use each of the weapons to its fullest potential. In addition the attack patterns of the enemies also help alleviate any repetition that you might face. The boss battles are just like any other boss battles. You will face a seemingly impossible creature that has a gigantic weapon and you must find its weak spot and exploit it until it is dead.

To be honest I only have one major complaint against this game and it is with the game’s camera. As you know the camera control can make or break a game; while the camera is not horrid, it still presents an issue while playing the game. Players will be locked into using a simple isometric view during the game and the only way that you can see the surrounding area is by moving Dan around and centering the camera. The problem is that without the ability to have full camera control, I lost a lot of health by accidentally falling into a pool of water, getting attacked by enemies on the side, and many other things. While this does not kill the gameplay, it certainly would have been nice to have this addition to the game as it would have made it more enjoyable.

The graphics in MediEvil Resurrection are really good. I really liked how everything in the game has its own unique look and feel to it. Each of the various types of enemies that the gamers will face looks very different from each other, which is always nice to see in a game of this nature where you will be beating up millions of them. In addition, each of the levels that you will go through has its own feel to it as well, such as the spooky-looking graveyards to the dilapidated towns.

The music and sound effects the developers at Cambridge Studios used for this game fit it perfectly. The soundtrack has a very eerie and ominous overture that is very fitting in this game's atmosphere. Likewise, the sound effects that are used fit it as well, such as how the zombies react when they are getting stabbed or just walking around. What really takes the crown home is the voiceovers for the entire game. Even though the voices really fit the characters, it is the very humorous and sarcastic tone in which the dialog was presented that earn it a few extra “gold stars.”

In addition to having a fun single-player game, this game utilizes the PlayStation Portable’s Wi-Fi for some multiplayer games. Players will be able to play with many different mini games as well as a race mode which allows players to compete any of the in-game levels to see who the better player is.

MediEvil Resurrection is rated T for Teen.

Gameplay: 8.4
MediEvil Resurrection is really easy to pick up and play. The controls are very easy and responsive. The mini puzzles that are presented to the gamers are easy enough to understand yet still provide a nice challenge. The camera could have used some work as well.

Graphics: 8.8
I really liked the look and feel to this game. Each of the levels show off how bad and ghastly the town of Gallowmere has become since the evil Sorcerer Zarok took over. The character models are also really nicely done and show off a nice decaying look to them.

Sound: 8.9
The music and sound effects really fit this game nicely. The music has a very surreal feeling to it as you are going to the graveyards or other creepy places. The voice acting is also pretty nice and really doesn’t become annoying.

Difficulty: Medium
The further in MediEvil Resurrection you go the harder the game will get, as it is supposed to be this way. Some of the enemies will cause quite a bit of grief for you though.

Concept: 8.2
One of the things that I really liked about this game is the humor that it has in it; you will find puns in here from many different movies and games. The best thing is that it is all seamlessly tied into the game and does not feel forced.

Overall: 8.7
MediEvil Resurrection is a really good action-adventure game for the PlayStation Portable. If you are a fan of the series or genre then I highly recommend picking it up as it will provide you with many hours of entertainment.