Evil Dead: Hail to The King Review

And the similarities don't stop there: much like in RE, you're required to collect tapes, which you are used for recording your position, and this can only be accomplished if you manage to locate a chest. Now, that wouldn't be so bad if the game wasn't so damn hard. If you haven't saved your position on time, you'll be forced to pass some locations and perform particular actions for a hundred times. However, it is possible to overcome these hitches if you're THAT determined to do so. Alas, if you do manage to beat a large quantity of opponents, and if, by some miracle, you succeed in completing your objectives without dying a couple of times, you'll soon find out that the whole game is, well, rather short. Score one more for the development team. Yeah right...

Graphics are obviously and exceedingly old-fashioned, from the dreadful and lifeless main character model to the static and quite colorless background. All right, I guess the locations had to be presented as kind of grayish, dark, and gloomy surroundings in order to create a sinister ambience (and the PSX influence is rather obvious). This would seem quite OK if we overlook the standards of today's games that are made in full 3D environments. One of the most exasperating features of this game is the fixed and, generally, pretty bad camera setting. This way the point of recreating the atmosphere of the old Evil Dead films is completely lost; simply if we recall one of the most impressive features of the movies - the unique camera perspective.

Fairly enjoyable moments occur throughout the game, thanks to a few amusing weapons you will get to use. A standard issue can be found including the pistol, shotgun (Ash's popular 'Boomstick'), and, normally, the infamous chainsaw. Such details make this game true to the films. Well, fair enough, using the famous chainsaw to mutilate bones and flesh was a bit of fun, but it all adds up to nothing more then a brutal meaningless creature-slashing action game, which soon becomes boring.

OK, I guess that you've learned enough about the tediousness of gameplay and crappy visuals. But, believe it or not, the game does have some quality. Of course, I'm talking about the ambient sound effects and the music. Oh, and maybe one or two wisecracks from Ash. Apart from this, you'd be quite pissed by all of the abovementioned setbacks regarding monster encounters, general gameplay issues, and, naturally, the out-dated visuals. Anyway, for a short moment, you may come to enjoy the creepy atmosphere, but that's only thanks to the soundtrack (taken directly from the movies) and the authentic ambient noise of a daunting forest. Furthermore, Bruce Campbell's voice may make you feel that you're a part of the whole Evil Dead experience.

Nevertheless, if there's any lasting appeal in Evil Dead: Hail to The King, then I must've missed it, cause with all the things I've mentioned I can safely conclude that this is one of the worst and most unsuccessful Resident Evil clones. Many of 'Evil Dead' worshipers will want to try this game; I wouldn't recommend it however, simply because it might make you hate the Evil Dead trilogy for the rest of your life. If you're not an Evil Dead devotee, then I'd suggest you satisfy yourself with the Resident Evil games - they offer so much more, both in gameplay and graphics.