14 DAY TRIAL // 
What do you get when you cross Tim Burton with The Adams Family? A story filled with dark humor and a couple of dead bodies walking around. That's just about the description of MediEvil Resurrection. The game has reached its third part, and this sequel has gone portable. That doesn't take the fun away, nor does it decrease the value of this epic tale.
Story Sir Daniel Fortesque was a brave warrior, NOT! The legend has it that he was killed in the battle against Zarok, the evil wizard that had gathered an army of undead to take over Gallowmere. Sir Dan's fight was... not heroic at all, as he died at the first wave of arrows. One of them went through his eye, but everyone remembered him as the great hero. Now he must redeem himself and defeat the resurrected Zarok. Take the Al-Zalam genie with you and try to forget about his irritating voice, as this little fellow will guide you through this dark adventure. After all, he owes you one after dwelling in your skull for a couple of decades. It's going to be quite a zombie genocide, quite a paradox isn't it?
Concept MediEvil is an action adventure game packed with a lot of dark humor and original characters. There will be some platforming action to do, besides slashing the evil guys and there are also some puzzles out there to be solved. There are a couple of minigames for those of you who'll get tired of following the storyline. One of them implies whacking vermin with your warhammer. Weird task for a hero like Sir Dan, but each warrior must do some minigame now and then. There's also some chicken herding and arrow shooting to do and I must say that they are fun. All in all, they're enough to chase away boredom and do something in the lunch break.
Have you met my dead friend, Daniel Fortesque? If you haven't, it's time for a little tutorial, at the beginning of the game, right after Dan's awakening from the grave. Get used to the weapon system, the items, the traps and maneuvering of the character. Combat doesn't seem much at first, but soon you'll be stunned by the huge number of combos to perform (200). The enemies kind of look all alike, but there are 32 main types of opponents scattered through 19 levels. Analog control didn't really fit my style and I preferred to use the D-pad to move Dan around. You'll be able to jump around and it won't be a party as you'll do that to avoid those pesky zombies. Prepare to be ambushed at some point and the best way to escape that will be dashing and hitting the enemies by pressing the triangle button. Surprisingly, there are things that Sir Dan can't do. One of them is equipping a two hand weapon when you're carrying a shield.
Options, options, options...It's all about the way you'll choose to fight. You might like the quick attack, performed with a press of the X button, of the slow attack, performed by pressing the square button. You'll surely love the numerous combos, and I'm talking about the fighting games fans that will have the fingers ready to trigger secret moves. Enemies won't be the only dangers that await you, as there are also tumbling rocks, lava and rivers, because you know, the dead can't quite swim. Dan will have a journal and it's pretty nice to follow the whole storyline and the indications given. He'll also have a creature list that will allow you to see what you have defeated so far. It seems that the games will never get rid of this antique habit of having the items inside chests. I bet that the chest is one of the most looked for items in the world. MediEvil is not an exception and you'll also be hunting for treasure and there may be runes or traps inside, so watch it!
Gameplay Begin the game with your arms wide open; let's say very wide open, considering that one of these arms will be your first weapon. The advantages of being a corpse: you can detach pieces of your body and use them as weapons. Kick the first zombies with your left arm and then pass to more serious fighting tools like hammers, swords or axes. Those can be repaired, and some need to be repaired (shields) when reaching the shops. I had the pleasure to toy around with maces, broadswords, hammers and clubs till they broke. That's what the shop Gargoyles are for. You'll watch those little guys standing still at some crossroad and you'll have to attract their attention by hitting them with the sword. Once this is done it's shopping time! Choose supplies to purchase ammunition or choose services to repair shields. Be careful how you manage your resource because those gargoyles are not cheap at all.
Theoretically, a corpse shouldn't die, but this is a game after all and it should have some sort of game over. That will happen when Dan's life meter reaches zero. However, if you have a health vial you'll be revived, but those little bottles must be filled from time to time. Thank God for the health fountains, too bad that they can be depleted. You'll notice them right away as they are green spirals placed in strategic places throughout the level. Enemies don't have health indicators, but bosses do and you'll pray for them to decrease while fighting those gruesome creatures. Although I can't quite believe you'll get lost, the game has some sort of a guiding system, a couple of green little flying creatures that will show you the way to the nearest enemy turning red when the dead guys are in sight. This game is made easier by the savegame procedure. Basically you can save anywhere you'd like.
Video Sir Dan and his enemies look and feel good. The only thing that bothers me was the "blood" of the zombies, as each time I hit them some green substance was spilled. I guess that's for the zombie autopsy to find out. Enjoy that Edgar Allan Poe feeling coming from the dark backgrounds where you'll experience the lively night life of a cemetery ( a lot of life for such a dead place). Careful Sir Dan as you might catch fire! It surprised me to see that the deceased one can burn and leave a trail of smoke behind. Quite a nice visual effect. Not to mention the nice idea implemented when solving one of the puzzles: you'll have to set your weapon (a mace) on fire and then carry it like a torch to the next room where you'll use it to trigger some locks.
This game gave me the sensation that I was reading a really good story book, filled with creepy drawings, mushrooms, zombies, cemeteries and wizards. Enemies don't have extraordinary animations, but they're zombies, what would you expect? The live corpses walk around numb and stiff and sometimes a coffin pops out of the ground and a dead guy walks out. MediEvil felt serious till I killed the first zombie. Then I saw his soul flying away in the shape of small shiny sprites and it all felt childish like in the first two games of this saga.
Sound You'll hear so many funny lines that any thought that this game was a horror one will disappear in no time. The soundtrack is awesome and the choir sure does its job by singing medieval songs, creepy ones or songs in Latin. I've never been to a graveyard, but everything sounds just about right. Dan and his enemies have the habit of growling when they are hurt or dying. The evil guy looks really diabolical, as all jesters should. Who fancies this clown wannabes anyway? Especially when we're talking about one that has a deadly trident.
Al-Zalam's accent is a killer and it's worth playing the game just to hear his silly indications and tales. A memorable funny phrase will welcome you at the beginning of each level and they go something like: "Dan's crypt, the best place to go if you're looking for a dead dan" or "The graveyard, you wouldn't catch me digging a grave in my yard. It spoils the ambiance." If you leave the character alone for a few minutes, the annoying Al Zalam will start taunting you by saying: "Move it lazy bones, we've got a realm to save!" You'll hear bones being hit while fighting skeletons and you'll hear a metallic sound when you hit a fence. Careful, as that will damage your weapon and repairing it is not cheap.
Multiplayer I was surprised to see that MediEvil has a multiplayer option, and you can connect through the Wi-Fi system. Two players can enjoy the game, the minigames in fact, as it's all about reaching checkpoints in an endless race. Too bad you won't see the other player, but you'll check out who's winning by checking the meter on the screen. Choose between 16 challenges and defeat your friend in a head to head racing game through the levels you've played in single player mode.
Conclusion This gothic tale will kill...the boredom. I bet you're dying to get it and if you don't find it, then it's suicide. Now that I've reached the subtlety of a rotting corpse on the dinner table I must mention in this obituary, excuse my conclusion that MediEvil is an excellent action adventure game, fun to play, although a bit repetitive throughout the 19 levels.
