Developer : Sony Computer Entertainment
Release date : October 9, 1998
Synopsis :
MediEvil is an action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by SCE Cambridge Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. The game 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.
Development began in 1995 at Millennium Interactive in Cambridge under the working title of Dead Man Dan. The visuals are heavily influenced by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Originally conceived as an arcade-style shooter for platforms such as Windows and the Sega Saturn, Sony’s purchase of SCE Cambridge Studio evolved the game into a PlayStation title. The game received mostly positive praise from critics upon release, with praise including its blend of Halloween themed visuals, but was criticised for its controls and cumbersome camera work.
It was released in Europe and North America in 1998, and in Japan in 1999. It was also re-released on the PlayStation Network in 2007. It was followed by a sequel, MediEvil 2, in 2000, and a PlayStation Portable remake in 2005 titled MediEvil: Resurrection. A PlayStation 4 remake was released in 2019, to enhance the graphics and experience of gameplay.
In the year 1286, an evil sorcerer named Zarok plotted to take over the kingdom of Gallowmere with his undead army. It is told in legend that the champion, Sir Daniel Fortesque, led the King of Gallowmere’s army to victory and managed to kill Zarok before he succumbed to his mortal wounds.[6][5] In reality, however, Dan was struck down by the first arrow fired in the battle, with the king choosing to cover it up and declare Dan the “Hero of Gallowmere”. Zarok, meanwhile, went into hiding. 100 years later, Zarok reappears, casting a spell over Gallowmere to plunge it into eternal night, awaken his undead army and steal the souls of the living. However, in the process, he unwittingly revives Dan, who has over time become a skeletal corpse, missing his jaw which fell off and the left eye he lost in the battle of Gallowmere.[6] Having been unable to ascend to the fabled Hall of Heroes for his ignoble death, Dan uses this opportunity to defeat Zarok, save Gallowmere and earn his place as a true hero.
As Dan travels across Gallowmere, fighting his way through Zarok’s hordes and confronting all manner of beasts, he soon arrives at Zarok’s lair, fighting off Zarok’s skeletal personal guard using the souls of his old allies retrieved by collecting the Chalices. After also managing to defeat Zarok’s champion, Lord Kardok, (who also died from being struck in the eye in the battle of Gallowmere by Dan’s crossbowman and second in command, Canny Tim) Zarok turns into a powerful monster, but Dan manages to defeat him. As Zarok uses his last breath to cause his lair to collapse in an attempt to take Dan with him (inadvertently crushing himself in the process), Dan escapes and Zarok’s magical influence over the land is thwarted, thus restoring the souls back to the living and putting the dead back to rest. With the magic cast on him also wearing off as a result, Dan returns to his burial chamber where he once again enters eternal slumber. If the player has managed to collect all the Chalices, Dan will ascend to the Hall of Heroes, where he is hailed as the rightful Hero of Gallowmere.
Source : Wikipedia
