MediEvil
Sony PlayStation
Developer: SCE Studio Cambridge
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
Rated: T for Teen
Released: 1998
Completed: 24 May 2015
You know those games that you're almost ashamed to admit you've ignored for years? MediEvil may very well be the best example in my collection. I remember purchasing it when it came out, playing through the first few levels, then shelving it for some other, probably inferior, game. I say "probably inferior" because having just completed it, I'm now left contemplating where it ranks in the pantheon of all-time PlayStation greats.
MediEvil is an action-platformer with a humorous gothic atmosphere, reminiscent of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. It's loaded with well-written humor, impressive graphics and lighting, and a spectacular soundtrack that also sounds like Burton's longtime collaborator Danny Elfman. That's all just part of what makes MediEvil such a remarkable experience.
Graphics, sound, and control are all excellent, but they're also purely technical aspects. What makes any game worth playing is its fun factor, which is more subjective to the player. In my opinion, MediEvil has one of the highest flat out fun factors of any 3D action-platformer ever devised. It may lack some of the depth of Super Mario 64, but it's an absolute blast to play from beginning to end.
As Sir Daniel Fortesque, a resurrected skeletal knight whose heroic exploits have been the subject of much hyperbole since his demise, it's up to you to stop the evil sorcerer Zarok from plunging the kingdom of Gallowmere into chaos and darkness. Dan will run, jump, solve puzzles, and slice up enemies through more than a dozen masterfully designed levels chock full of secrets. Not even the game's somewhat wonky 3D camera can spoil the fun. It usually does a nice job, and you can rotate it using the shoulder buttons, but since this was before analog control became the standard, there is no full camera control.
If the occasional obscured camera is the biggest complaint you can levy against a game, you're in pretty good shape to begin with. MediEvil excels in every other aspect of gameplay, providing just the right amount of challenge without being unfair or frustrating. It's so much fun exploring every nook and cranny of the beautiful levels that you'll want to collect every chalice, which grants you access to a special area between stages that offers up new weapons to make your adventure a tad easier.
Each level has a distinct look and feel, including a haunted village, creepy cornfields, crystal caverns, and a ghostly pirate ship, and they're all brought to life wonderfully by Sony's little 3D powerhouse. There is some occasional slowdown, but it's infrequent and never problematic. Though most early 3D games have not aged very well, MediEvil holds up a lot better than most thanks to its great art style. Sir Dan's comical appearance, with his toothy grin (he's missing the lower half of his jaw, you know), and cartoonishly large eyeball (he's missing the other one of those too) has lost none of its charm.
The game's audio also remains exceptional. Not only is the score fantastic, but the voice acting is perfect. Sarcastic gargoyles mock Sir Dan, and the final boss battle has a laugh-out-loud funny moment before it commences.
For the most part, Dan controls very well. It's rare you'll take an unexpected dive off a cliff, though it does happen, and tricky jumps are blessedly kept to a minimum. Throughout the game, you'll also earn several shields which can be used to deflect attacks instead of dodging, which is perfect for narrow spaces. In addition to melee weapons, Dan also earns numerous ranged ones including throwing daggers, various bows, and an axe that works as both a throwing and hand-to-hand weapon. The combat may be of the hack-and-slash variety, but choosing the right weapon is often the difference between an easy battle and a needlessly difficult one, giving the game an element of strategy.
Puzzles usually boil down to fetch quests, but often with a slight twist in order to obtain the item you need. Even when they're in plain sight, there's usually some obstacle that needs to be cleared in order to access it, but it never requires pointless backtracking. Midway through the game there's a great garden maze where you must solve four riddles by finding their answers inside the labyrinth, and each trip through opens up new areas to keep it from feeling like a repetitive slog. There are some great traps that require a combination of reflexes and wits to escape unscathed as well. Nothing is ever impossibly hard, but it's no cakewalk either.
What it all adds up to is a game that honestly blew me away. I remembered enjoying what little I had played of it nearly two decades ago, but to think it has sat untouched since then is almost criminal. In a single playthrough, MediEvil joins the ranks of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Metal Gear Solid, and Parasite Eve as one of the best gaming experiences the PlayStation has to offer. It's so fiendishly fun I feel it deserves a place among other classics of the genre such as Rayman 2 and Super Mario 64. Crash Bandicoot has some serious competition for the PlayStation's best platformer.
MediEvil was completed on a real PlayStation with no cheats.
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