Medievil

It's kind of strange receiving a gift at Halloween but this is precisely what Sony has given us with their spellbinding Medievil. An action adventure platformer so rich in atmosphere and so packed with gameplay it really is in a league all by itself.

I've seen Medievil tagged as a 3-D version of Capcom's classic Ghouls and Ghosts but really this disc is much more than that. Without a doubt this is the most enjoyable action adventure game I've played on the PSX. It features a beautifully told story, exquisite visuals, absolutely perfect music, spine-chilling sound effects and the most addictive gameplay since Rare's Banjo-Kazooie. PlayStation owners should make room in their library because Medievil is no minor miracle.

HAUNTED HEROES

Many years ago, in the dead of night, an evil sorcerer named Zarok hatched a diabolical plan. A mutated magical army of demons and monsters would be all that he'd need to take over the land of Gallowmere.

Fearing the end of his kingdom's peaceful existence was near, Gallowmere's King Peregrin called for his bravest knight to challenge the evil wizard. Sir Daniel Fortesque, a noble knight known throughout the land as the fearless hero who had slain dragons and conquered entire armies single-handedly was given the charge. Unbeknownst to King Peregrin, however, was the fact that the tales of Sir Dan's heroism had, in actuality, originated from the immodest Fortesque himself.

The King sent the faux hero to the front of his charging army hoping Fortesque's fearless acts of daring-do would be enough to stop the evil Zarok. Unfortunately for the King and for the Kingdom of Gallowmere (but mostly for Sir Dan), the first arrow from Zarok's army landed smack in the middle of Sir Dan's eye, killing him instantly. So much for Gallowmere's hero.

After a time, the tireless legions of King Peregrin's army were able to withstand Zarok's charge and sent the sorcerer into retreat. Gallowmere was safe! All that King Peregrin had to deal with was the embarrassment of his fallen "hero".

In order to save face, King Peregrin gave Sir Dan a hero's burial in an ornate tomb. The history books would tell the tale of a fearless Sir Daniel Fortesque, who sliced and slung his way through Zarok's forces only to be slain by the evil fiend himself. The King concealed the truth and his kingdom remained a peaceful place for the next hundred years.

And then the evil Zarok returned...

A HERO'S DESTINY

At the beginning of the game, Zarok initiates his new attack on Gallowmere with more power than ever before. This time, the weak and peaceful inhabitants of the kingdom won't defeat Zarok. To avoid any bothersome conflict, Zarok sets out to magically enslave everyone, living or dead, within Gallowmere's borders. Who can stop this mad sorcerer now?

In the green haze of Zarok's rejuvenation spell, Sir Dan is brought back to life with the rest of the corpses in the graveyard. Unlike the rest of the undead, who fall in line as Zarok's demon soldiers, Sir Dan awakens with an aching sense of purpose. He must slay the evil sorcerer once and for all. Only then can Fortesque rest in peace knowing that his place in the Hall of Heroes was justly earned.

You play as the fearless, skeletal Sir Dan. Traversing more than 20 huge levels of haunted graveyards, enchanted forests, demonic asylums and assorted caverns, you'll fight countless hordes of magically possessed enemies and solve gameplay puzzles worthy of Miyamoto's praise. This is an adventure brimming with intelligent challenges and unrelenting activity. If you're smart, fast and determined, maybe you'll survive...

ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE

You're not alone in Medievil. There are lots of creatures and characters toiling away all around you and, thankfully, not all of them are evil.

Major sources of information in the game are the vast assortment of Gargoyle heads that are affixed to various walls through the adventure. Wonderfully voiced by professional actors, these stone creatures will give you ample hints for defeating bosses and surviving tricky areas. Some Gargoyles also act as impromptu shopkeepers selling you useful merchandise for your journey. It's these guys that will let you stock up on crossbow bolts and throwing knives. And if you happen to get a piece of your arsenal ripped off, it'll more than likely end up in the second-hand department of a Gargoyle's Emporium.

Throughout your journey to Zarok's Lair, you'll also be running into magic fairies, somewhat helpful witches, captured farmers and you'll spend some time talking to a crazed riddler. Not everything or everyone is out to kill you but you'd best be prepared to fight whatever you encounter.

Among the many scary enemies you'll face will be acid spitting toads, skittering knight-sized ants, incredibly persistent zombies, boulder spitting Gargoyle statues, and psychotic, unstoppable scarecrows. You'll also be standing toe-to-toe with some of the most impressive boss-monsters in videogameland. The first main boss, a demon comprised entirely of stained glass, is absolutely amazing. Watching him shatter into a million pieces sent chills down my spine - now this is a videogame!!!

As much as I'd like to tell all, I don't want to ruin any of the other great surprises that come up later in the game. Let's just say there is lots to see.

(Okay, here's one: despite how warm and fuzzy you may feel about insects now that you've seen Dreamworks' Antz, you'd better be set to get -ahem- medieval on the bugs you'll encounter in this game - even the baby ones).

QUALITY CONTROL

Key to the success of Medievil is the game's exemplary analog control. Unlike the tank-style handling found in other PSX 3-D action/adventure games, controlling Sir Dan is effortless and intuitive. Moving forward always correlates with whichever way Sir Dan is facing. This is much preferable to locking the directions to the thumbstick and forcing players to rotate the character, which is what you'll find in awkward handling platformers like Fox Interactive's Croc.

You also have some control of Medievil's camera but this is not as effective as it could have been. Because most of the areas in the game are fairly cramped, the camera has no room to swivel around. Thankfully, the camera movements in Medievil are clean and quick enough that you don't really have to worry about rotating it.

As Medievil is a fast action adventure that's absolutely busting with cool weapons, you'll discover that hacking, bashing and firing at the baddies takes top priority. You'll still be required to jump over dangerous chasms and nimbly tiptoe across narrow platforms but get prepared for all of the insane combat you'll be facing in the game.

All told, there are more than 10 different weapons to pick up in Medievil and you'll definitely have to cycle through all of them along the way. You'll pick up projectile weapons like Throwing Knives and a Crossbow but you'll also find slice and dice tools like a Broadsword or an Axe.

One of the most useful devices in the entire game is the Warhammer. This monster weapon will allow you to bust through stone walls with one swing. It also does a pretty good job on those pesky thievin' Imps that will sneak up and swipe your stuff right out from under your nose. If there's one rule of thumb in Medievil, it's "keep swinging". Baddies pop out from everywhere and if you're not quick on the draw, you're liable to lose your goodies or your life.

Most of the weapons in Medievil have two attacks. There is the standard swing or fire attack and then there is also a charge attack. Charging weapons like the sword or the Warhammer produces some favorable results but you also run the risk of being attacked while you charge up. Ah, the dilemma.

IT'S GOT THE LOOK

The artistic design of Medievil is extraordinary. The CG animation sequences are spooky and absolutely magical. In one piece an evil satchel-headed scarecrow's eyes flicker to life as he turns toward the camera with a demented toothy grin. The sticky fog, the blood-drained moonlight and that ominous glow around his eyes set up tonight's nightmare. These are the kinds of images that are meant for chilly autumn evenings.

The in-game artwork is equally magnificent. The colors run from fiery oranges to midnight blues to muddy earth tones. All of the environments are stroked with some of the most impressive lighting you've ever seen in a videogame. In one particularly lovely and dreadfully scary level, you have to make your way through darkened caves with only the glow of some friendly buzzing fireflies to guide you.

Sir Dan's animation is both comical and violent. A skeleton still kicking around in his suit of armor is a pretty ingenious character in the first place but when you see him animated with those eager-beaver John Cleese-style footsteps you'd have to be a stiff not to be charmed. 'Course when Sir Dan starts cleaving zombies in two, he'll quickly earn the respect that only the very best videogame heroes deserve.

Not to be outdone by the amazing graphics work in the game, the musicians and audio technicians at SCEE have created one of the finest videogame soundtracks ever produced. The music and sound effects are exactly what you'd want and exactly what you'd imagine for a game with this kind of atmosphere. It's all creepy Gothic bells and church organs, complimented by fluttering batwings, wolf howls and the many, many sounds of annihilated undead. Best of all, the ambient richness of the audio work sounds spectacular through a surround sound set-up.

Apart from being one of the most enjoyable games I've ever played, Medievil is also a textbook example of how to follow through with your design. Medievil's artists, technicians and level designers should be awarded medals.

ONE OF THE GOOD ONES

This game really took me by surprise. Right away its superior gameplay and atmosphere transported me. And to tell you the truth, while I was playing Medievil I forgot all about Crash Bandicoot and Spyro. This is Sony's most impressive non-sports game to date.

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