The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
Today, we take a look at the PSOne Classic MediEvil.
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Developer: SCE Cambridge
Region(s) available: North America, Europe
Players: 1
Originally released in 1998, MediEvil focuses on the exploits of Sir Daniel Fortesque, an esteemed knight based in the fictional Gallowmere who slew the evil sorcerer Zorak before succumbing to his injuries. Or so history says. In reality, Sir Danny boy took an arrow to the eye and popped his clogs in the battle’s early stages, while Zorak himself didn’t perish, but simply fled. Now back for a second chance to overthrow Gallowmere, Zorak unleashes a powerful necromantic wave that raises the dead – among which, ironically, includes Sir Dan, who sees this as an opportunity to finally defeat the evil magic-wielder.
MediEvil is sort of what you’d get if Ghosts n’ Goblins and The Nightmare Before Christmas snuggled up together for the night. Gameplay itself revolves around battling hordes of nasties using a variety of weapons, among which include a magic sword, flaming bow & arrow, and a throwing axe. Hacking and slashing aside, there’s also a heap of riddle action thrown in for good measure, with each stage presenting its own unique cerebral workouts. Sir Dan can also gain access to the Hall of Heroes after dispatching a required number of adversaries, where a bunch of friendly spooks dish out special weapons and items for you to snap up.
In terms of locations, our undead hero will visit an assortment of suitably creepy locales, including graveyards, flying ghost ships and even Sir Dan’s cobwebbed-filled crypt. Enemies come in all shapes and sizes too, from zombies, demons and imps, some of which require a little more strategy in order to defeat. Fortunately, aside from an abundance of weapons at his disposal, Sir Dan can also gain access to defensive items in the form of various shields, each one varying in strength depending on the material they are made from.
Elsewhere, undead Dan must also gather runes in order to explore different parts of any given level. However, the placement of these items is less than conspicuous, so you’ll have to do a fair bit of hunting to locate them. Players can also gobble up currency to spend at merchant gargoyles, most of which can be found in treasure chests or money bags. Grab enough cash, and you can purchase helpful items such as armor and weapons to aid you in your quest. A cult classic, MediEvil spawned a sequel, 2000’s MediEvil 2, and received a PSP makeover in 2005 under the moniker MediEvil: Resurrection.
Tune in again same time tomorrow for another gander Inside PlayStation Network.