MediEvil (1998)

This article is about the first game of the series. For general series information, see MediEvil (Series).

MediEvil (1998)
File:File: Medievil-front.jpg メディーバル 甦ったガロメアの勇者 MediEvil: Yomigaetta Guromia no Yuusha

MediEvil is the first game in the MediEvil series. It was released in October 1998 for the PlayStation in Europe and North America and in June 1999 in Japan. Due to it's success, the game was released in 1999 as a platinum title in Europe.

The game was followed by MediEvil 2 released in 2000. It was remade in 2005 as MediEvil: Resurrection for the PSP. The game was made available for download for the PSP and PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation store in 2007. In August 2010, the game was made available for free to European PlayStation Plus subscribers.

Plot

Template:Spoilers The game begins with a retelling of the Great War of Gallowmere, where Sir Daniel Fortesque (the game's main protagonist) supposedly defeated the evil sorcerer Zarok, before dying himself. He was known as the Hero of Gallowmere since then. This is shown later shown to be just a lie made up by King Peregrin, however, since Daniel was killed by the very first wave of arrows fired.

Zarok, although believed to be dead, managed to escape the battlefield, fleeing into hiding. 100 years later, he returns. He steals the souls of the townsfolk and brings the dead and inanimate to life. Unknowningly, however, he also revives Dan, who retains his free will. Being the only one who can stop him, Daniel leaves his crypt and begins his journey through Gallowmere, which, if he succeeds, would make him the hero he had never became in life.

Dan makes his way through the Graveyard and into Cemetery Hill. After a short meeting with Zarok, Daniel proceeds exploring the area and finds a Witch Talisman. Then he continues to the Hilltop Mausoleum, where he fights the Stain Glass Demon for the key that unlocks the Graveyard's gates. He returns to the Graveyard and battles it's guardians for freedom. After defeat, they grant him the Daring Dash ability. When he finds his way out of the Scarecrow Fields, Dan travels through the Pumpkin Gorge, where he summons the Pumpkin Witch with his talisman. She promises to reward him with a Dragon Gem if he defeats the Pumpkin King. After defeating the King and getting the gem, Dan travels to Gallow's Town, which is soon overrun by Zarok's henchmen.

He learns that Zarok wants to find the shadow artefact and release the Shadow Demons from their tomb underneath the Enchanted Forest. Daniel manages to find the shadow artefact before Zarok, however. Daniel then leaves the town and enters the Asylum Grounds, where he encounters Jack of the Green, a gargoyle that claims that the labyrinth is his domain. He gives riddles to Dan, which he must answer if he wishes to find a way out of the grounds. Daniel eventually reaches the Asylum, where he finds the Town Mayor. After freeing him from his cell, he tells Dan to take the Dragon Gem Zarok left behind.

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Zarok entering the Graveyard.

Daniel then travels to the Enchanted Forest, where he may summon a witch and help her get her amber from the ant's nest. If Daniel chooses to help the witch, he will fight the Ant Queen and receive some magical Chicken Drumsticks from the witch as a reward. In the forest, he locates the Shadow Demon tomb and opens it with the Shadow Artifact. In order to access the later parts of Gallowmere, Daniel had to release the demons from the tomb. After defeating two Demonettes, Daniel makes his way to the Pools of the Ancient Dead - The place where the Great War took place. There, Daniel meets the Grim Reaper. He asks Dan to bring him 10 lost souls in exchange for rowing Dan to the sunken city of Mellowmede. In Mellowmede, Daniel finds a way to the Crystal Caves, where he awakens a dragon using the two dragon gems he collected. The Dragon gives Daniel the dragon potion after Dan defeats him.

Dan proceeds to The Gauntlet. He uses the Dragon potion to reach areas behind the Dragon gates. Finally, he reaches the Haunted Ruins--Once Gallowmere's seat of power. Within this keep, he frees 3 peasants and encounters the soul of King Peregrin. The King instructs him to unleash the lava behind the castle's floodgates in order to defeat the Shadow demons. Daniel does so, but it brings two stone golems to life. After defeating them, he quickly catapults himself out of the castle. He lands around a huge stone structure, similiar to Stone Henge, when a Jabberwocky darts out of nowhere. It chases Dan, until Daniel reaches a cliff. In the last minute, he is saved by a giant bird (presumably a dragon bird). The bird drops Dan on the Ghost Ship. Daniel makes his way to the ship's captain. He defeats him and takes control of the ship.

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Zarok's Lair

Using the ship, Daniel travels to Zarok's Castle. He explores it's Entrance Hall, until he finds a passage to Zarok's Time Device, a great city of cogs and clocks built by the darkest of magic - science. Within the city, he finds Zarok's newest invention, used by Zarok for easier transportation around the city - A train. Daniel uses it to reach Zarok's Lair. Finally, Daniel confronts Zarok. Zarok summons his troops to kill Dan, but Daniel uses the souls he had collected within the chalices to create his own skeletal army. The two forces battle, until Daniel emerges victorious. Zarok then calls upon his champion, Lord Kardok. Once again, Daniel wins. Zarok rages. He uses a spell to transform into a huge, dragon like creature. Daniel defeats him, Zarok falls to the ground. In a last attempt to defeat his enemy, he casts a spell that causes the lair to collapse. Zarok is squashed in the wreckage as Dan runs for the door.

The game's ending depends on the amount of chalices collected by the player.

• Not all chalices collected: Daniel is saved by the Dragon bird before falling to his death. He sees Zarok's magic revert - The souls contained within his staff are released, the villagers once again have their own souls. The bird drops Dan by his crypt and flies away. Daniel lies down upon his bed and dies.
• All chalices collected: The same as above, but after he lies upon his bed and dies, he is shown joining the heroes in the Hall of Heroes.

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Characters

• Sir Daniel Fortesque - The game's protagonist and playable character. He was King Peregrin's champion when he was alive. He was also one of the first men to die in the battle against Zarok and his Shadow Demons and was proclaimed Hero of Gallowmere by the king, so that the people of the land would feel safe. When Zarok returns to raise an army of dead, he also raises Sir Dan by mistake. Being given a second chance, Dan can finally prove himself a hero that he wasn't in his life by defeating Zarok.
• Zarok the Sorcerer - The game's antagonist. He was King Peregrin's advisor and mage, until he began dabbling in Necromancy, which led the King to exiling him from the land. Embittered and filled with wrath, he led an army of Shadowy demons into battle against the King. His army was defeated, however, by the King's militia and soon he was proclaimed killed by Sir Dan. In truth, Zarok went into hiding, only to return 100 years later to try and take over the land once again.
• King Peregrin - The past King of Gallowmere. He appointed Sir Dan a knight and banished Zarok from the land. He aids Dan in his quest by telling him how to defeat the Shadow Demons.
• Heroes - Canny Tim, Stanyer Iron Hewer, Bloodmonath Skull Cleaver, Woden the Mighty, Karl Sturnguard, Dirk Steadfast, RavenHooves the Archer, Imanzi Shongama and Megwynne Stormbinder, all aid Dan in his quest by giving him their weapons and other useful items.

Cover art and CDs

PAL (European)

• SCES-00311-F-ALL.jpg

  Front Cover

• 1332136-medievilplat eu ps front super.jpg

  Platinum Front Cover

• CD.png

  CD

• MediEvil - Back Cover PAL.JPG

  Back Cover

• SCES-00311-B-ALL.jpg

  Alternate Back Cover

NTSC (American)

• MediEvil - Front Cover NTSC.jpg

  Front cover.

• MediEvil - Back Cover NTSC.jpg

  Back cover

• NTSC CD.png

  CD

NTSC-J (Japanese)

• Medievil jp 0001.jpg

  Front cover

• SCPS-10081-B-ALL.jpg

  Back cover

• Medievil jp 0000.jpg

  CD

Gameplay

During the game, the player may go through several places, from graveyards full of zombies, to a flying ghost ship full of undead pirates and to a levitating game board in an enchanted forest with flying demons. There are also several collectible items found in the levels in order to proceed to further areas or levels. Some items collected early on are required in later levels.

There are several books placed upon stands all over areas in the game which may offer advice to Sir Dan, or generally the history of the area. Some of them are placed in hidden places, some contain humorous jokes, but most of the time they are found along the path that Sir Dan takes. They can be read if struck with a close range weapon. One example of a book says:

“

Welcome back to your beloved Gallowmere. The stinking dead have risen up to dance with the lifeless living, and they want to do it over your dead body.

”

Life

Gameplay starts in Dan's crypt, which starts Sir Dan off with Dan's Arm and no green life bottles. One life bottle counts as 300 health points, and the maximum amount of life bottles is 9. When a life bottle is depleted after damage from an enemy or the environment, Dan loses a life. Life bottles are collected in the game and can be replenished using energy vials or green fountains that emanate energy. If Dan loses all his life, it is game over and Dan must play from where he last saved. The game will also be over if Dan fails certain objectives.

When attacked by an enemy, Dan's health reduces minimally, but when Dan falls into water or magma, or falls from a great height, he loses a whole life. If he has fallen, Dan will first lose a life, and his body will also be automatically returned to a safe position.

Dan's current life meter is placed at the top of the screen in the center, indicated by a moving green bar. If this bar has been emptied during battle, any remaining bottles and life points will automatically replace empty ones. Dan glows with green dust particles when he has been replenished with a new life bottle. Usually only one life bottle is found per level.

Dan can replenish his health by standing over a glowing "green eruption" of slime called a "Fountain of Rejuvenation" or "Health Fountain". This chimney will run out after 600 points, which will fill two life bottles. Once a fountain in one level has been used up, it will refill if the level is replayed.

Energy vials give Dan 225 health points, and are much thinner than the life bottle. Energy vials are usually found with one or two others as to replace a whole life quickly. If all of Sir Dan's life bottles are full, Dan will still take the energy vials, but will not gain any more health points from collecting it.

Chicken Drumsticks give Dan 20 health points.

Weapons

Dan starts the game with just his detachable arm, which can be used as both a melee weapon and a projectile, but is incredibly weak. Soon however he obtains a small sword. The majority of weapons Dan encounters are received from the Hall of Heroes by collecting the Chalice in each level, and range from swords, axes and hammers to projectile weapons such as crossbows and spears. There are other weapons that Dan encounters through the course of the game, such as a club that can be used as a torch, but breaks after too much use; Dragon Potion that lets Dan breathe fire and protects him from flame attacks; and Chicken Drumsticks that can turn enemies into Roast Chicken for health recovery. Dan is also able to find a variety of shields to protect himself, ranging from copper to gold in strength. Here is a list of all weapons in the game. They are aranged in Strength. SWORDS: Small Sword, Broad Sword, Magic Sword. SHIELDS: Copper Shield, Silver Shield, Gold Shield.PROJECTILES: Throwing Daggers, Crossbow, Longbow, Flaming Longbow, Majic Longbow, Spears. HEAVY: Club, WarHammer. OTHER: Arm, Axe, Dragon Potion, Good Lightning, Lightning.

In MediEvil: Resurrection, the Dragon Potion has been changed into a Dragon Armor; the effects are nearly identical.

Treasure

Dan can also collect money, which can be used to buy products or services from merchant gargoyles. Money comes in the forms of red bags, which give Dan 10G; Kill Rats or Hands, which give Dan 1G or 2G; and golden treasure chests, which give Dan 50G. Red money bags appear often during early levels, and golden treasure chests appear if long tasks are completed as a large reward. Parts of buildings that are initially concealed also contain several chests.

Gargoyles

Merchant Gargoyles Gargoyles are large stone heads found upon the surface of walls. Gargoyles can be called upon by hitting them with weaponry. The game is paused when speaking to a gargoyle, so any enemies nearby cannot attack the player.

Green Gargoyles tell of old stories about the history of Gallowmere. They usually speak in the collective first-person narration, and offer advice to Dan in his quest. However, generally all the gargoyles criticize Sir Dan and emphasise his failure in battle a century ago. They tend to be clairvoyant, and tell Dan exactly how to perform some tasks. Some of these gargoyles automatically start a conversation with Sir Dan when he walks in their view, depending on how important their speech is and if they have been listened to before.

Merchant gargoyles will offer Dan a variety of armour supplies and ammunition in his quest, for an unbelievable price. It is the player's responsibility within the game to collect as much money as possible in order to buy services and supplies. These gargoyles may also offer weapons that have been traded by the imps that steal from Sir Dan, categorised under "Second Hand Goods".

Chalice of Souls

Throughout the levels Sir Dan is presented with an opportunity to collect that particular level's chalice, by filling it up with the souls of his enemies. This mystical item enables him to visit the Hall of Heroes after the conclusion of the level. Dan can only collect the chalice in each level when he has dispatched enough "defeated adversaries" to reach 100%. Chalices are hidden well and are not always at the end of a level, so Dan must back-track to the beginning to find it. In the " Hall of Heroes", he can converse with past heroes, "await spiritual guidance" and receive useful items or weapons to help him in his quest. Collecting all the chalices allows the player to see the true ending.

Rune Stones

In order for Dan to access different areas of the levels, he must use a range of collectible runes that are found in awkward places or revealed in secret areas. Each rune, which may be Chaos (red), Moon (blue), Earth (green), Time (silver), or Star (gold), will either open a door or gate or activate part of a sequence in order to proceed to the next scene or room. Runes are placed upon stone hands, where they remain for the rest of the level.

Enemies

Alongside certain weapons, there are also many colourful and varying enemies, though particularly zombies in the opening levels, which Dan must defeat. Later on through the epic journey through Gallowmere, Dan will encounter a number of other monsters and creatures, most of which are modelled after gothic demons associated with the time period (and a few made just for fun). Sticky-fingered Imps, demonic Scarecrows, and mechanical Cossack-type guards with Russian accents are but a few of the ghastly and varied monstrosities that inhabit the levels.

Very simple weapons will require much use in order to finish off a single enemy. Some enemies can only be attacked either at certain times or using specific weapons, such as the Scarecrows. Many weapons, such as swords and throwing daggers, can be charged up to produce a more powerful attack to finish beasts off more quickly.

Reception

MediEvil received positive reviews. Game Magazine gave it a 91% while popular multimedia site IGN heralded it as "...a fun game and one of PlayStation's classics". Other awards include:

• Best PlayStation Game - Gaming Expo
• Best Platinum Seller 1999 - PlayStation Magazine
• Gold Award - PlayStation Magazine
• Silver Award - Monthly Games
• Token Prize - Network Games

Soundtrack

The original soundtrack of this game was made using electronic synthesizers to simulate an entire orchestra and organ. The 2005 PlayStation Portable (PSP) game MediEvil: Resurrection used parts of the Medievil score along with original elements composed by the artists Bob and Barn and performed by a live orchestra and choir. An album was made from this music and signed copies can be purchased from the artists' website.

Other Information

The official MediEvil website, designed to contain several flash elements, information about the game, and free downloads, has been shut down. However, the site for the game's sequel still exists but is not updated anymore.

MediEvil was one of the first games to support a DualShock controller on the PlayStation.

Additional conten

Inside original copies of the MediEvil PlayStation box was a poster featuring an insight into MediEvil's sequel, MediEvil 2. This detailed new characters and levels, set in 19th century London.

On the reverse of this image are map instructions for the first four levels of the game. These include details of the locations of vials, the chalice, life bottles, rune stones, gargoyles, rune hands, bronze and silver shields, primary weapons and other secrets which may only be accessible after finding certain items or completing certain tasks.

The weapons that are described for the first few levels are: a small sword, throwing daggers, a crossbow and a club. There are several more weapons available.

External link

Wikipedia also has an article on

MediEvil at Wikipedia