MediEvil

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This article is about the series. For the first game in the series, see MediEvil (1998). For the 2019 remake, see MediEvil (2019). For the comic, see MediEvil: The Game Prequel.

MediEvil is a series of hack and slash action-adventure video games exclusive to PlayStation consoles. The first three games of the series, MediEvil, MediEvil 2 and MediEvil: Resurrection, were developed by the now-defunct SCEE Cambridge Studio (formerly Millennium Interactive). The latest entry, the 2019 MediEvil remake, was developed by Other Ocean Interactive. MediEvil is the intellectual property of the series publisher, Sony Interactive Entertainment. The eponymous first game, produced by Chris Sorrell and designed by Jason Wilson, released on October 9, 1998.

Logo-MediEvil.png
Genre(s) Hack and slash action-adventure
Developer(s) SCEE Cambridge Studio
Other Ocean Interactive
Publisher(s) Sony Interactive Entertainment
Creator(s) Chris Sorrell, Jason Wilson
Composer(s) Bob and Barn
Platforms PlayStation
PlayStation Portable
PlayStation 4
First release MediEvil
October 9, 1998
Latest release MediEvil
October 25, 2019

MediEvil is centred around the adventures of the undead knight Sir Daniel Fortesque from the fictional kingdom of Gallowmere. The games are visually and thematically inspired by German Expressionism, Gothic horror, English folklore, as well as late 20th century horror films such as The Evil Dead — the name MediEvil, a portmanteau of the words "medieval" and "evil", was the original title of the third Evil Dead film.

Games

Year Title Platform Developer
1998 MediEvil PlayStation SCE Cambridge Studio
2000 MediEvil 2
2005 MediEvil: Resurrection PlayStation Portable
2019 MediEvil PlayStation 4 Other Ocean Interactive

Main series

MediEvil was first released in Europe on October 9, 1998, for the PlayStation. It follows Sir Dan, who was falsely hailed as a hero after his death, on a journey of posthumous redemption when he is accidentally resurrected by his nemesis, the evil sorcerer Zarok.

MediEvil 2 was initially released in Europe on April 21, 2000, for the PlayStation. 500 years after his last resurrection, Sir Dan finds himself in the world of the living once again, this time in Victorian London.

Remakes

MediEvil: Resurrection was first released in Europe on September 1, 2005, for the PlayStation Portable. It is a retelling of the first MediEvil, featuring new characters and locations while removing some that were present in the original game.

MediEvil was released worldwide on October 25, 2019, for the PlayStation 4. Unlike MediEvil: Resurrection, it is a faithful remake of the first game in the series.

Unrealised game concepts

Fate's Arrow was a concept for a third MediEvil entry pitched by Chris Sorrell in 2003. It would have served as a direct sequel to MediEvil 2 and featured a storyline taking place 100 years prior to the first MediEvil. Sixteen years later, the concept was adapted into a comic book.

A Game of Bones was a concept for a third MediEvil game pitched in the early 2010s. It was going to take place between the first two games. The game's story would parody the first book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, A Game of Thrones.

Abertay University student games

In January 2011, students of the Professional Masters in Games Development course at Abertay University (formerly the University of Abertay Dundee) were tasked by Sony to develop four PS mini game prototypes based on the MediEvil IP using Sony's proprietary PhyreEngine. The projects were finished by May of the same year. None of the projects are available for public consumption.

MediEvil: Boneyard was a destruction derby style game which featured six racers battling within an arena using charging and melee attacks.

MediEvil: Defence o' the Damned was a tower defence game where Sir Dan had to protect Gallows Town from zombies. Unlike the other prototypes, this project was chosen for further development as a PlayStation Move title. This version was later showcased at Dare ProtoPlay in August 2011, a games festival for showing off student games developed as part of the Dare to Be Digital competition. Despite this, Sony chose not to pursue further development of the game.

MediEvil: Grave Cards was a collectible card game, featuring over 90 unique cards, a deck builder, a campaign and a card merchant.

MediEvil: Legends was a horde mode hack and slash game. The game's story was about Sir Dan making up stories of heroism to show off in front of the other heroes in the Hall of Heroes. The gameplay consisted of a linear set of enemy waves, each wave getting progressively harder by spawning in more enemies for longer periods of time. In addition, the final prototype contained 5 different enemy types, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

Gameplay

Development

Reception

Other media

Comic

MediEvil, also known as MediEvil: The Game Prequel and MediEvil: Fate's Arrow is a comic that serves as both a prequel and a sequel to the MediEvil games. It is based on a 2003 concept pitch for MediEvil 3 by Chris Sorrell. The digital version of the comic was released on October 25, 2019, as part of the Digital Deluxe Edition of the MediEvil remake, while a physical hardback version was published by Titan Comics on December 3, 2019.

Television series

According to MediEvil developers Dominic Cahalin and Jason Wilson, a French company was interested in creating a television show based on the MediEvil universe while MediEvil: Resurrection was in development. However, the show was not produced in the end.

Legacy

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