Much like a statement or argument
in geometry, a proper review for this game should begin with a "Given" or
"A Priori", as it were: Evil Dead: Hail to the King is crap.
Therefore, we might make the logical assumption that there are certain associative
properties within this game and make the necessary buying decision a little easier. That
having been said, there are certain mitigating factors that save this title from complete
humiliation. Let us consider the facts.The Story:
Evil
Dead began in the theatres in 1982. Directed by Sam Raimi, ED started, along with such
movies as House, a new breed of horror films that didn't take themselves too seriously and
offered gory, b-rated, terror that was balanced by comedy relief. The plot centers on a
book called the Necronomicon ex Mortis, or "Book of the Dead" (presumably the
same book in the start-up screen of Castlevania 64). The hero is a brave (and rather
simple) character named Ash (played by Bruce Campbell). Ash's adventures begin in the
first and second movie in a rickety, old cabin in the woods owned by an archeologist who
is translating the book and accidentally summons an, ill-tempered demon. The game makes a
return to the cabin after Ash has returned from a time warp in the third movie, Army of
Darkness, and is attempting to end nightmares and anxiety due to his past run-ins with the
book. Many old-school horror moviegoers (Amityville Horror, Rosemary's Baby and Psycho
fans) have been very critical of the Evil Dead movies and blame them for starting the
trend of lighthearted movies like Scream. But if you are a fan of this type of fright,
there are some laughs and enjoyment in store here.
The Control:
Control
is a major problem! Though the game seeks to emulate the control of Resident Evil, there
is no "smart interface". Every single key-action requires a trip to the
inventory screen and Ash must be DIRECTLY in front of a device to use it. This is a real
drag when the player must routinely click on a switch or opening five or six times before
the detection process works. Worst of all, the analog support kicks-off constantly
(usually after Ash has attacked), and makes it really difficult to dodge or flee enemies.
Enemies, by the way, can hit a few feet further than their weapons should theoretically
reach, yet Ash, unless using a gun, usually must get up close and personal to make a hit.
The Graphics:
The
pre-rendered backgrounds, while not very high-res, are animated nicely. Bushes, flames and
fog move believably in the surroundings. Ash himself, however, looks like crap and must
have been ported straight over from the PlayStation version with no real touch-ups.
Clipping in his joints occurs all the time and he walks like an arthritic zombie himself.
Most annoying, is the S L O W D O W N. Several times, the framerate would fall to
somewhere between 7 and 15 frames/second with only a few enemies on the screen. If Dead or
Alive 2 can run at 60 frames per second with a million polygons on screen, then why can't
EDHK stay there with a couple of thousand?
Play Mechanics:
These
are mixed. On the downside, fighting the enemies, which should be the best part of a game
like this, gets to be a massive drag. Killing a deadite usually results in a pick-up of
ammo, chainsaw gas or a health item, but many of the trickier ones begin to seriously wear
on the nerves and supplies. A constant battle-of-attrition, it quickly becomes obvious
that it is better to run than to fight, or else there is not enough resources left to beat
the bosses. It was cute to see reel-to-reel tapes as save items like Resident Evil's
typewriter ribbons, and the movies were done serious justice in things like the forest
paths, which are very difficult to navigate (like the changing paths in Evil Dead 2), but
later follow the map once the demon mother-tree is killed. With a few minor exceptions,
the puzzle-solving is quite manageable and intuitive. It is totally awesome to see a game
that doesn't let a player simply "Walk off the screen" to reset the enemies in
an area. Upon returning, you find them waiting right there for you. Also, if you do not
have the room or need to pick-up an item at the moment, then just leave it and it will be
there next time you pass by.
Sound:
The
sound effects and music in EDHK are very worthy. A little like a cross between MDK and
Doom, the music, particularly in boss battles, really hits the spot. Meanwhile the sounds
of enemies, wind, etc. are very clean and effective. It does, however, get a little old to
hear "I'll swallow your soul" every five seconds in some rooms. Campbell's
one-liners are pretty repetitive, but the dialog in the cutscenes is great. Fresh and
funny, Ash's interactions with others in the game during these cutscenes are the true
saving grace of EDHK.
What to do?
Make no
mistake kids! This is not a game to buy. The horrible controls and tedious enemies will
make you wish that you had not. If you are a fan of the Evil Dead story, however, this is
a fun rental to see what's new with everybodys favorite one-handed warrior. Some
hardcore EDHK sites on the net are actually calling this "Evil Dead IV" and
considering the implications of the story and the involvement of Sam Raimi, himself, in
the production of the game, and this might be appropriate. If the developers and
game-rental industry really loved the fans, though, they would have charged $1.00 per
rental and installed a cheat-code that would let you watch the cutscenes without the
real-life horror of having to play this game.