As noted in my review of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Sam Raimi remains a highly influential director. His career began with the groundbreaking horror film Evil Dead, created with friends in a secluded cabin. Since its 1981 premiere, the franchise has expanded to include two sequels, a reboot, a TV series, and five games.
In Evil Dead: The Game, players can assume the role of various incarnations of Ash, or other survivors from the films and TV series. The game provides access to a diverse arsenal, including the iconic chainsaw and shotgun. While primarily designed for online multiplayer, it also features offline missions and the option to play the main game against bots. Players can also experience the game as the Kandarian Demon, offering a drastically different playstyle. The title includes character progression and the acquisition of legendary weapons. For traversing the expansive map, a variety of vehicles are available.
Evil Dead: The Game shares similarities with Predator: Hunting Grounds in its emphasis on online gameplay. However, a key distinction is the inclusion of an offline mode in Evil Dead: The Game, allowing play against AI opponents, a feature absent in Predator: Hunting Grounds. Additionally, Evil Dead: The Game offers several standalone missions, playable in a first-person shooter style.
These missions are directly inspired by events in the films, and completion unlocks further missions and perks. A notable limitation is the inability to adjust the difficulty level; failure necessitates restarting the mission from the beginning.
The graphics are visually impressive, demonstrating a clear attention to detail in recreating iconic locations from the franchise. Performance is solid; testing on Playstation 4 Pro revealed no significant issues with lag or frame rate drops. Online play was surprisingly smooth, even with limited bandwidth. Cross-play functionality allows players on different platforms to connect.
Character models are meticulously crafted, with all iterations of Ash (Bruce Campbell) represented, spanning from his younger self in Evil Dead to his older portrayal in Ash vs the Evil Dead. Other prominent characters from the films and TV series are also included, featuring accurate likenesses and, in many cases, the original voice actors. The music, sound design, and overall atmosphere are faithfully recreated, capturing the essence of the source material.
However, some shortcomings are present. At times, the game can feel somewhat unpolished. While animations are generally well-executed, the lack of animations for entering and exiting vehicles is noticeable. Environmental interactivity is limited; objects cannot be destroyed, and jumping is restricted to designated areas, leading to instances of frustration when attempting to traverse seemingly surmountable obstacles.
Another area for improvement is the integration of the franchise’s signature humor. While the game captures the excessive violence and gore, the comedic elements are somewhat subdued, despite Ash delivering new one-liners. The potential for recreating the humor is present, but not fully realized.
In conclusion, Evil Dead: The Game delivers an entertaining and adrenaline-fueled experience. The minor imperfections are easily overlooked amidst the intense action and hordes of monstrous adversaries. Overall, the game warrants a positive recommendation.
Saber interactive provided a review code for this game. Provision of review materials does not influence editorial assessments.
