Preview:Hyper, December 1997

A preview of MediEvil from December 1997 published in Hyper magazine issue 50.

Medievil
PlayStation
 * AVAILABLE: FEB'98
 * CATEGORY: ACTION/ADVENTURE
 * PLAYERS: 1
 * PUBLISHER: SONY

Medievil is one of those games that instantly grabs your attention through sheer originality. Looking like a cross between the old arcade fave Ghosts & Goblins and the more recent Pandemonium, this is a 3D action/adventure game packed with magic, the undead and big shiny weapons. What more can you ask for? Nudity? Well maybe that... but anyhow, the unfinished version we had a play with was looking really, really good. You play some sort of dead knight who has been brought back to life through some otherworldly magic, and from the moment you leap up from your slab, the adventure is on! You guide your lanky character around with the strange control method of walking and running by pushing the shoulder buttons. The D-pad is purely used for guarding with your shield and turning your character in the appropriate direction. It's hard to get the hang of, but you can see why they've had to implement this control method into the game, as the world is in complex 3D and you can explore more accurately this way. Sneaking behind tombs, across bridges, through creepy looking tunnels - it all looks pretty spectacular thanks to a variety of lighting effects and silky animation, and the detail in some of the backgrounds is really lovely. The frames of animation in your boney-looking character have been lovingly put together and all the other creatures are bursting with colour and personality too. There are also some great weapons on show here, from a humongous broadsword sword to throwing axes (very cool) and an awesome crossbow - and that's just for starters, as it looks like there will be way more than these in the final. The way your character flings his sword around is hilarious and there are some great moments where zombie limbs are flying and green gunk is spurting and it's a good laugh I tell ya! The design of the levels is interesting too, with dark, ominous tombs, graveyards, caverns and other settings perfect for this sort of gothic action game. The layout of each level is quite open and sprawling, so there are lots of hidden areas and special items which will only be unlocked with some snooping around and clever thinking. Medievil is looking like a lot of fun, so we're all looking forward to a good hack and slash with this spooky little number.