▷MediEvil review: return to good old Gallowmere 🥇

At the end of the 90s there were some PlayStation One titles that could not be missing on the shelves of young gamers. In recent years these titles have been brought back to life: we have had the opportunity to run together with the old Crash Bandicoot, hunt colored gems together with the little Spyro and now thanks to Sony we will see the bony again. Sir Daniel Fortesque, protagonist of MediEvil.

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The PlayStation 4 exclusive title will be available starting in 25 October and finally you can walk the streets of Gallowmere once again.

What is so special about this remake and is it really worth adding, for the second time, to our gamer shelf? Let's find out together in this review.

Once upon a time there was the kingdom of Gallowmere ...

As with the original version, MediEvil begins with a movie that introduces us to the events prior to the story we are going to face. We are in the realm of Gallowmers, ruled by the Pilgrim King: during one particular night, the kingdom is attacked by the magician zarok and his demons, who was previously removed from the court due to his particular experiments.

The King then deploys his troops, led by the great Sir Daniel Fortesque and the famous "Battle of Gallowmere" begins. Zarok is defeated and his demons sealed in a tomb for eternity. The Seal of Darkness, an object capable of awakening demons, is guarded by the Mayor of the Kingdom's Village.

Following this battle, everyone tells the story of the great Fortesque, his courage and his skill during the battle. Unfortunately for his docile bones, the truth is not this: poor Daniel was in fact shot down by an arrow at the beginning of the battle.

Our affair will take place one hundred years after the famous battle: Zarok is back and manages to conquer the kingdom of Gallowmere. Launch thespell of the eternal night and, later, he kidnaps the souls of the citizens whom he transforms into his faithful followers. Finally he brings all the dead back to life from their graves but something is wrong with his plans.

The powerful magician in fact brings back to life even the brave, or almost, Daniel who perfectly remembers his past and thus manages to get a second chance to redeem himself. His aim will be to chase and defeat the Wizard, save Gallowmere and earn a place in the Hall of Heroes.

MediEvil review: gameplay and soundtrack

We've been through it over and over again: first with Crash, then with Spyro, and finally with Resident Evil. It was only a matter of time before our bony friend came to life again. From my humble point of view, making a remake, whether it's a TV series or a video game, it's never easy.

You get attached to the characters and actors, to the story and to those little details that make the product special. From a videogame point of view, it might seem simpler because, after all, the characters do not change but rather, they are only improved and the story remains the one we all know.

In reality, nothing is simple.

But let's go calmly and in order. From a gameplay point of view, the story remains unchanged and as we knew it way back in 1998. Our aim will be to cross the kingdom of Gallowmere, defeating enemies and solving puzzles who will present themselves on our path and then, at the end of everything, defeat the evil Zarok and his army.

Our Sir Daniel always has the ability to change, with a simple button, weapon and defend himself with the shield. The weapons are the ones we have already encountered during our first experience in Gallowmere: sword, crossbow, bow, knives and much more.

The character himself has remained the same as always, also maintaining the stiff movements e clumsy: from a technical point of view this element could easily be improved, giving Mr. Fortesque more fluidity and agility. From another point of view, however, maintaining these characteristics was the right choice because is what differentiates it and makes it unique.

We are faced with a comic character and who manages to get us a smile every time he opens his mouth (metaphorically speaking).

Furthermore, one of the main elements that marked the title and that we find unchanged in this remake is the camera rotation and character control: here too it is possible to move the camera with the R2 and L2 buttons only when, obviously, the game allows us.

Finally, the soundtrack, the backbone of MediEvil, was arranged and created byPrague Symphony Orchestra, which has managed to fulfill its mission in the best possible way. The sound sector is nothing short of eccellente and the difference from the original is almost imperceptible.

The thread between past and present: same atmosphere, better graphics

After all, it is not necessary to talk about gameplay, plot or characters because they are elements that we already know and that have remained unchanged. What needs to be discussed is whether we really needed it of the remake of MediEvil and if he managed to earn a place in the Hall of Heroes (get the joke?).

Since it is a remake, the first difference that catches the eye of the player is the improved graphics and which allows us to mirror ourselves on Sir Daniel's shining armor. Now everyone buys a more outlined aspect, starting from the zombies that await us in the cemetery, up to the environments characterized by a increase in saturation ed visually better elements.

We are not at the levels of Resident Evil 2, but that does not matter because the new Gallowmere however, it retains its identity and with her the characters who live there.

The colors turn out vibratory it's a lot more intense compared to the original version, the pixels have been set aside to make room for more defined enemies and environments that can leave us speechless.

What MediEvil succeeds in is keeping a common thread between the past e present: despite the graphic improvements, the increase in saturation and a total renewal, the title still maintains its own special aura of old age.

THEatmosphere that made us fall in love with MediEvil, that one macabre e gloomy Tim Burton style, remained and you hear it throughout the course of the title. The original title, featuring the famous pixels and duller colors, in part amplified this particular atmosphere and also allowed the little players to travel more with the imagination: after all not always it was easy to frame our enemies. Many times they were just clusters of colored pixels that we fought with and much of their appearance was "created" by our own mind.

Nowadays, with all the technologies we have, this fantasy is almost set aside as the characters, the settings and the enemies themselves take on a more defined aspect. Despite that, MediEvil manages to keep that weather quota e mysterious we met twenty years ago.

MediEvil Review - In conclusion, what's the answer?

It is never easy to make a completely objective judgment, especially when feelings and that thing called childhood are involved. Nevertheless it is my duty to provide you with an answer e Yup, we needed this remake.

MediEvil is a classic which marked the end of the nineties, the life of many players (both young and old) and which, after twenty years, has remained in their hearts.

Maintaining a connection between past and present is not easy but this remake succeeds perfectly: the graphics have allowed us to see in a new light places, characters and enemies that we already knew, while maintaining that “old” atmosphere thanks to the features of Sir Daniel, his movements and his strong sense of humor.

The title is obviously not perfect: several times in the course of my experience I have noticed the presence of graphic glitches (knives and arrows that remain stuck in the sky or in the trunks in a totally unnatural way) and technically they could have done it in a "better" way, paying attention to fluidity, camera and more, but it is these elements that make it special the title.

MediEvil has been improved but it has not been changed and you will notice it when, with the joypad, you click "New Game" and you will hear that laugh that you won't be able to forget even in a million years. Sir Daniel has been polished but he will always be the clumsy warrior we knew as children.

So get ready to make room for the old Dan, because it's worth adding him back to our gamer shelf.