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MediEvil(series)

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MediEvil
TheMediEvillogo, as used in theremake ofMediEvil
Genre(s)Action-adventure,hack and slash
Developer(s)SCE Studio Cambridge
Other Ocean Interactive
Publisher(s)Sony Interactive Entertainment
Creator(s)Chris Sorrell
Jason Wilson
Composer(s)Andrew Barnabas
Paul Arnold
Platform(s)PlayStation
PlayStation Portable
PlayStation 4
First releaseMediEvil
9 October 1998
Latest releaseMediEvil
25 October 2019

MediEvilis anaction-adventurehack and slashseries of games developed bySCE Studio Cambridgeand published bySony Interactive Entertainment.The series revolves around an undead charlatan knight, Sir Daniel Fortesque, as he attempts to restore peace to the fictional Kingdom of Gallowmere whilst simultaneously redeeming himself. The first entry in the series,MediEvil,was released for thePlayStationin 1998 and was re-released on thePlayStation Networkin 2007. Its direct sequel,MediEvil 2,was released for the PlayStation in 2000. The first game received tworemakes,MediEvil: Resurrectionfor thePlayStation Portablein 2005 andMediEvilfor thePlayStation 4in 2019.

The first three installments of the series were developed by SCE Studio Cambridge (formerly known asMillennium Interactive), a subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment inCambridge.Development of the firstMediEvilbegan in 1995 and was inspired by Tim Burton'sThe Nightmare Before Christmas.The game was initially aimed for multiple consoles includingMicrosoft Windowsplatforms and theSega Saturn;however, upon being shown progress,Sony Computer EntertainmentsignedMediEvilto be PlayStation-exclusive and commissioned the studio as SCE Cambridge. The music for all games was composed byAndrew BarnabasandPaul Arnold,commonly known as "Bob & Barn". Critics have been mostly positive to the series, with its graphics and story being particularly praised in the first two games. However, common criticisms included lack of innovation and cumbersome camera controls.

Games

[edit]
Release timeline
1998MediEvil
1999
2000MediEvil 2
2001–2004
2005MediEvil: Resurrection
2006–2018
2019MediEvil(2019)

MediEvil

[edit]
Main article:MediEvil

MediEvilis anaction-adventurevideo game, released in Europe 9 October 1998 and North America on 21 October and in Japan on 17 June 1999. It was re-released on thePlayStation Networkin 2007.[1]The story of the game begins in the year 1286, when an evil sorcerer named Zarok plots to take over the kingdom of Gallowmere with his undead army. During the battle, a charlatan knight, Sir Daniel Fortesque, led an army that managed to kill Zarok; however, Dan was in reality struck down and killed by the first arrow fired in battle. 100 years later, Zarok reappears and casts a spell over Gallowmere to awaken his undead army. However, he unwittingly revives the corpse of Dan in the process. Dan uses this opportunity to defeat Zarok, save Gallowmere and earn his place as a true hero.[2]

MediEvil 2

[edit]
Main article:MediEvil 2

MediEvil 2is the second installment in the series and serves as a direct sequel to the first game. It was released on 19 April 2000 in Europe and 30 April in North America. The game takes place 500 years after the first game's events and follows series' protagonist Sir Daniel Fortesque's revival inVictorian eraLondon as he attempts to stop sorcerer Lord Palethorn andJack the Ripper's plans to terrorise the city by raising the dead. Dan is accompanied by Winston, a ghost sidekick, and Kira, amummyprincess who serves as the player-character's love interest.[3]The game features several improvements over the original, including improved enemyartificial intelligence,increased strategy combat, larger and more detailed levels, more powerful and diverse range of strategic weapons, and a more detailed characterisation and storyline.[4]

MediEvil: Resurrection

[edit]
Main article:MediEvil: Resurrection

MediEvil: Resurrectionis the third installment in the series and is a re-imagining of the first game. It was released as a launch title for the PSP on 1 September 2005 in Europe and 13 September in North America. It was re-released for thePlayStation Networkin 2008. Similar to the first game, it is set in the medieval Kingdom of Gallowmere and centres around the charlatan protagonist, Sir Daniel Fortesque, as he makes an attempt to stop antagonist Zarok's invasion of the kingdom whilst simultaneously redeeming himself. Unlike the original, Dan is accompanied by Al-Zalam, a genie whose powers were taken away by Zarok.[5]The game features updated graphics and a variety of voice talents, includingTom Bakeras the narrator and theGrim Reaper.[6]

MediEvilremake

[edit]
Main article:MediEvil (2019 video game)

A remaster/remake ofMediEvilfor thePlayStation 4was developed by Other Ocean Interactive and released in October 2019.[7][8]

Development

[edit]

All three games of the series were developed byCambridge-basedSCE Studio Cambridge,formerly known asMillennium Interactive.Chris Sorrell, previously known for theJames Pondseries, created the original concept forMediEviland served as the first game's creative director.[1]The original design proposal for the game had the working title "Dead Man Dan",and was described by Sorrell as a" fusion "ofCapcom'sGhost'n Goblinscombined with the art style ofTim Burton'sThe Nightmare Before Christmas.[1]As development progressed, lead artist Jason Wilson asserted the game into more of aThe Legend of Zeldarole-playing video game-influenced direction as opposed to the original arcade-style concept. Looking to attract a major publishing deal, Millennium Interactive initially began working on multiple platforms includingWindows 95and theSega Saturnbefore givingSony of Europea demonstration of the game. Impressed by the progress, Sony signedMediEvilto be an exclusive PlayStation game and commissioned SCE Studio Cambridge as Sony's second studio in the United Kingdom.[1]

SCE Cambridge felt that the game should possess a unique lead character; therefore, Sorrell collaborated withscript doctorMartin Pond whilst creating a backstory for the lead protagonist, Sir Daniel Fortesque. Pond created the idea that Sir Daniel could have been a failure in life whose reincarnation was his only attempt at redemption.[9]This idea, along with the player-character's unusual appearance, turned appealing to some sectors of the gaming community, as lead designer Jason Wilson later recalled that female gamers considered Sir Daniel to be "endearing".[9]MediEvilwas one of the first games to be developed for exclusive use with the PlayStation analogue controller. During development, Sony requested that the game should utilise the new functions of the controller, which was described as a "particularly fortuitous event" by Sorrell.[9]

In 1999, after the success of the firstMediEvil,Sony requested that SCE Cambridge develop a sequel that would be released before the end of thePlayStation's lifespan. Chris Sorrell, who previously served as director of the first game, was not involved in development[10]thus the project was handed over to James Shepherd.[11][12]SCE Cambridge decided it would not be difficult to make a sequel to the firstMediEvil,considering that the ending of its predecessor would give the team an opportunity to set the next game in a different time period. Shepherd settled onMediEvil 2being set in theVictorian era,the centrepiece of theNeo-Gothic revival.[12]Shepherd considered the hardest part of the development was deciding how to make the game superior to its predecessor through making certain aspects of the game humorous. To achieve this end, the studio recoded various core technology, which Shepherd considered was arguably similar to "starting from scratch".[12]By the time the game reachedbeta statusthe game offered larger levels, improvednon-player character(NPC) logic, and more fighting abilities for the player-character.[12]

Development ofMediEvil: Resurrectionbegan in 2003. Sony of Europe wanted a launch game for thePlayStation Portableand ordered SCE Cambridge to develop the game in time for the console's release. Due to the short notice, the studio was given only a year to develop a game, thus it was decided that a remake of the originalMediEvilwould be feasible as developing an original title would have taken considerably longer.[13]New additions toResurrectionincluded an expanded plot, added mini-games, extra characters, multiplayer facilities and a cloud save function.[13]

Music

[edit]

The soundtrack of the first game was composed byPaul ArnoldandAndrew Barnabas,the musical duo more commonly known as "Bob & Barn". SCE Cambridge instructed them to compose aDanny Elfman-influenced score, similar to those ofBeetlejuice,The Nightmare Before ChristmasandBatman Returns.[14]The music was created using electronic synthesizers to simulate an entire orchestra andorgan.[15]The music forMediEvil 2was also composed by "Bob & Barn".[16]MediEvil: Resurrectionused parts of the originalMediEvilscore, along with elements composed by Bob & Barn that was performed by a live orchestra andchoir.[15]An album was made from this music and signed copies can be purchased from the artists' website.[17]

The soundtrack inMediEvil: Resurrectionis orchestrated, unlike the first installment. Approximately half of the themes from the original were removed while new themes were created to fit with the new levels.[18]The music is split into two halves; the cues from the first half are largely reminiscent of a select number of cues from the original game with the addition of extra thematic elements to strengthen them. The other half of the music is original and composed exclusively forResurrection.The new soundtrack was composed by Bob & Barn and features performances from members of theCity of Prague Philharmonic Orchestrathat was recorded in theCzech Republic.The orchestra, headed by Nic Raine, consisted of approximately 80 performers and in addition benefits from a 32 piece choir, also recorded in the same venue.[18]This was in similar vain to SCE Studio Cambridge's previous orchestral gamePrimal,which was also recorded inPragueby the same performers.[19]

Reception

[edit]
Aggregate review scores
Game GameRankings Metacritic
MediEvil 80% (PS)[20]
MediEvil 2 79% (PS)[21]
MediEvil: Resurrection 69% (PSP)[22] 66/100 (PSP)[23]

Overall, theMediEvilseries has received positive to mixed reviews from critics.MediEvilandMediEvil 2were mostly praised upon release, with the atmosphere, visuals and music of both games being the prominently commended aspects.[20]Chris Roper ofIGNpraised the game's sense of humour and unique presentation, but was sceptical concerning the game's "sloppy" controls, "disjointed" level designs and noted that the game's graphics did not age well over time, in comparison to the graphically superiorPSP remake.[24]Joe Fielder ofGameSpotcredited the firstMediEvilfor its original look and number of unique puzzles, but criticised the camera work.[25]ReviewingMediEvil 2,Doug Perry of IGN praised the graphical advancements of the game, noticing that the sharper detail brings out a more "sophisticated feel" to the story and the new addition of cutscenes create a better sense of continuity and story.[24]Shawn Sparks ofGame Revolutionsimilarly praised the improved graphics of the second game, noting that smoothframe rateand sharper graphics brought out the original PlayStation's power despite nearing the end of its lifespan.[26]At the 2000BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards,MediEvil 2won the best console game category.[27]

MediEvil: Resurrectionreceived largely mixed reviews from critics upon release. General criticisms of the game were directed at the camera controls, combat sequences, and occasionalframe ratedrops. Both Kristan Reed ofEurogamerand Jason Allen of IGN expressed concern over the camera work, stating that the camera was "sloppy" and that it proved particularly difficult during combat.[5][28]However, the graphics and celebrity voice talent were praised; especially Tom Baker's role as the narrator and Grim Reaper. Greg Mueller ofGameSpotpraised the soundtrack and dialogue,[6]with Reed citing that Baker's voice performance was "majestic" and "eccentric".[5]MediEvilcreators Chris Sorrell and Jason Wilson expressed disappointment with the game, with Wilson stating that he felt disheartened with having to watch something he "cherished" to be altered with decisions he thought were "questionable". Sorrell felt similar disappointment in the redesign of the game and there were a number of aspects of it that he disagreed with.[29]

Other media

[edit]

Agraphic novelwritten by original co-creators Chris Sorrell and Jay Gunn, titledMediEvil: Fate's Arrow,was released byTitan Comicson 29 October 2019 to coincide with the release of the PS4 remake. The story picks up after the events ofMediEvil 2and sees Fortesque travel back in time to before the events of the first game.[30]The series is referenced in thePlayStation 5launch titleAstro's Playroom.[31]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcdDutton, Fred (7 September 2012)."Behind the Classics: MediEvil".PlayStation Blog.PlayStation US.Archivedfrom the original on 27 April 2015.Retrieved19 April2015.
  2. ^MediEvil instruction manual.Sony Computer Entertainment.1998. p. 2.
  3. ^MediEvil 2 instruction manual.Sony Computer Entertainment.2000. p. 6.
  4. ^Stephen, Frost."DailyRadar review".DailyRadar. Archived fromthe originalon 15 December 2000.Retrieved28 April2015.
  5. ^abcReed, Kristan (11 August 2005)."MediEvil: Resurrection review".Eurogamer.Archivedfrom the original on 5 November 2015.Retrieved6 July2015.
  6. ^abMueller, Greg (12 September 2005)."MediEvil: Resurrection review".GameSpot.Archivedfrom the original on 20 August 2015.Retrieved6 July2015.
  7. ^Sanchez, Miranda (9 December 2017)."Sony's bringing back MediEvil for the PS4".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on 9 December 2017.Retrieved9 December2017.
  8. ^"Watch the first trailer for MediEvil for PlayStation 4 – Polygon".Polygon.31 October 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 2 November 2018.Retrieved1 November2018.
  9. ^abc"Making of MediEvil (RG)"(PDF).Retro Gamer.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 3 April 2014.Retrieved20 April2015.
  10. ^MediEvil 2 Manual.SCE Cambridge. 1995. p. 28.
  11. ^"MediEvil developers Q&A".MediEvil Boards.ProBoards.Archivedfrom the original on 19 April 2015.Retrieved20 April2015.
  12. ^abcdStrohm, Axel (15 December 1999)."MediEvil 2 Director Interviewed".GameSpot.Archivedfrom the original on 1 December 2017.Retrieved26 April2015.
  13. ^ab"Developer Profile: MediEvil".IGN. 10 December 2004.Archivedfrom the original on 7 November 2021.Retrieved7 July2015.
  14. ^Ittensohn, Oliver."Interview with composer Paul Arnold".GSoundtracks.Archivedfrom the original on 8 July 2012.Retrieved18 May2012.
  15. ^ab"Sumthing Else Music Works Announces Release of the Original Soundtrack CD for the PSP video game MediEvil Resurrection".GamesIndustry.biz.Gamer Network. 31 January 2006.Archivedfrom the original on 24 May 2015.Retrieved26 April2015.
  16. ^MediEvil 2instruction manual.Sony Computer Entertainment.2000. pp. 5–21.
  17. ^"Bob and Barn shop".Bob and Barn. Archived fromthe originalon 21 March 2015.Retrieved26 April2015.
  18. ^ab"MediEvil Resurrection Soundtrack Coming".IGN. 31 January 2006.Archivedfrom the original on 7 November 2021.Retrieved7 July2015.
  19. ^Sorrell, Chris (27 February 2012)."Primal: PS2 Cult Classic Comes to PSN Tuesday".PlayStation Blog.PlayStation US.Archivedfrom the original on 6 September 2015.Retrieved7 July2015.
  20. ^ab"GameRankings score".GameRankings.Archivedfrom the original on 19 June 2015.Retrieved24 April2015.
  21. ^"MediEvil II aggregate score".GameRankings.Archivedfrom the original on 12 June 2015.Retrieved28 April2015.
  22. ^"MediEvil: Resurrection GameRankings score".GameRankings.Archivedfrom the original on 8 September 2015.Retrieved6 July2015.
  23. ^"Aggregate score (Metacritic)".Metacritic.Archivedfrom the original on 1 September 2015.Retrieved6 July2015.
  24. ^abRoper, Chris (10 April 2007)."MediEvil review".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on 7 November 2021.Retrieved23 April2015.
  25. ^Fielder, Joe."MediEvil review (GS)".GameSpot.Archivedfrom the original on 23 January 2015.Retrieved24 April2015.
  26. ^Sparks, Shawn."MediEvil II review".GameRevolution.Archivedfrom the original on 12 June 2015.Retrieved28 April2015.
  27. ^"Interactive – Games – Console in 2000".British Academy of Film and Television Arts.Archivedfrom the original on 2 April 2015.Retrieved26 September2015.
  28. ^Allen, Jason (12 September 2005)."MediEvil Resurrection – IGN".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on 15 May 2015.Retrieved6 July2015.
  29. ^"The Making of MediEvil"(PDF).Retro Gamer.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 3 April 2014.Retrieved4 July2015.
  30. ^Wilson, Jason (16 August 2019)."'MediEvil: Fate's Arrow.'".Archivedfrom the original on 8 November 2020.Retrieved28 October2019.
  31. ^"Every cameraman reference in Astro's Playroom".Gamepur.Archivedfrom the original on 9 February 2021.Retrieved12 November2020.
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