MediEvil - Retro Playthrough - March 2015

[Disposed Hero]

I've played through the first few levels of MediEvil.  The game takes a little time to get used to due to some general early PS1-era 3D awkwardness, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty enjoyable.  I think I would have really liked this game as a kid, it's a shame I missed out on it back in the day.

The voice acting is actually pretty good considering this game came out in an era that was notorious for bad voice acting.  It reminds me quite a bit of Fable.

[singlebanana]

The voice acting is quite good and really adds a lot to what I think is a great story. It's a serious adventure game with a nice comical edge.

[singlebanana]

Just checking in. Anyone else playing? How is your run going?

[Bildtstar]

Made it to the Scarecrow Fields, but haven't completed it yet. I'm playing together with my 9 year old. He likes the game, although the controls/camera are annoying at times.

[douglie007]

Im at the mausoleum

[singlebanana]

Made it to the Scarecrow Fields, but haven't completed it yet. I'm playing together with my 9 year old. He likes the game, although the controls/camera are annoying at times.

I completely agree with your comment regarding the controls and the camera. There are places where the limitations of the PSX make the camera difficult to work with. Accurate jumping from one platform to the next can also be very tedious, more so later on in this game as you will see. However, I think that the programmers did the best they could with what they had to work with and I think the game is very ambitious.

I'm glad your 9 year old likes the game. As I mentioned before, my kids loved it. Their favorite area was the Scarecrow Fields and it's actually one of mine too. Neat puzzle element to that one and I love the scenery in that level.

Im at the mausoleum

That's a fun area and has one of my favorite boss fights of all time. It will be fun to discuss that once the 2nd weeks checkpoint is posted.

[Disposed Hero]

I made it to the Scarecrow Fields, but got a game over and rage quit.  I'll do better next time now that I know that the corn kills you (what!?).

I like this game, but they really ramped up the difficulty a few levels in, so combine that with some awkward controls and camera issues, and the experience can be pretty frustrating at times.

[singlebanana]

I made it to the Scarecrow Fields, but got a game over and rage quit.  I'll do better next time now that I know that the corn kills you (what!?).

Yeah, you CANNOT walk in the wheat field, it's instant death. If you pay attention to the field you will hear a kind of screechy cackle and sometimes you see a little guy with knives for hands jump up out of the grain. It's a really great atmospheric mechanic.

I like this game, but they really ramped up the difficulty a few levels in, so combine that with some awkward controls and camera issues, and the experience can be pretty frustrating at times.

I agree. It can be frustrating and I'll warn you that your frustration will greatly increase later on in the game where you are required to make some pretty precise jumps. I didn't have a lot of trouble in the earlier levels this go round, but having played it a lot when I was younger, the mechanics are still familiar to me.

One of the things that really stands out to me in this game is the diversity of the levels and how creative the designers were. Some the level design and the music are very "Nightmare Before Christmas"-ish and this was very intentional.  Anyway, I hope you guys aren't getting too frustrated that you're not enjoying this one.

[Disposed Hero]

I played a couple more levels in, and I'm really starting to enjoy the game much more now.  I finished Scarecrow Fields, The Sleeping Village, and the Ant Cave side quest (also completed the requirements for achievements 1 & 3!).

I really like the music in this game.  I haven't really heard any catchy melodies or anything that gets stuck in your head.  The music is more subtle and atmospheric, and really serves the game well.

[singlebanana]

I agree. The music for this game really isn't catchy, but kind of blends in well with the background. I think there's something to be said about that.

[singlebanana]

The second checkpoint is up. Good luck!

[Disposed Hero]

I finished MediEvil over the weekend.  If anybody wants a reference on how long the game is, my total game time was about 6.5 hours upon completion, not including time wasted from deaths, which would probably bump my total time spent with this game to about 7-8 hours. 

I had some frustrations with the early part of the game, but after finishing the first weekly checkpoint (Scarecrow Fields), I got really into it and had a hard time putting it down.  There were still a few frustrating levels throughout the game and some general issues with the camera and controls, but the good far outweighs the bad.  It's a nice little hidden gem.

[singlebanana]

I finished MediEvil over the weekend.  If anybody wants a reference on how long the game is, my total game time was about 6.5 hours upon completion, not including time wasted from deaths, which would probably bump my total time spent with this game to about 7-8 hours. 

I had some frustrations with the early part of the game, but after finishing the first weekly checkpoint (Scarecrow Fields), I got really into it and had a hard time putting it down.  There were still a few frustrating levels throughout the game and some general issues with the camera and controls, but the good far outweighs the bad.  It's a nice little hidden gem.

Yeah, I'd say that the game  hits around the 7-8 hour mark for first time players, so your estimate is on the money.

The first time I played this game, I also remember having a hard time putting it down. I don't think it's an overly difficult title, but it's difficult enough to illicit some "Game Overs" at points where you "just about had it..." I find that the story, the characters (inc. those in the Hall of Heroes), the puzzles, and the variety of levels is what really keeps me coming back for more. I do not remember how I originally found this game, or what made me purchase it on release (probably a magazine write up), but it's always been the one PSX game that I recommend to almost everyone looking for something fun that perhaps they've never played before. I'd really like to see this series "arise" again with the power of high-def.

I'm curious Steven, but are you going to seek out and play the sequel? 

[Disposed Hero]

I'm curious Steven, but are you going to seek out and play the sequel? 

I plan on it.  Immediately after finishing MediEvil, I did an ebay search for the sequel.  I have one sitting in my watch list that I hope to buy if the bidding doesn't go too high.

If I would ever actually get around to playing it is another matter entirely. 

[singlebanana]

I'm curious Steven, but are you going to seek out and play the sequel? 

I plan on it.  Immediately after finishing MediEvil, I did an ebay search for the sequel.  I have one sitting in my watch list that I hope to buy if the bidding doesn't go too high.

If I would ever actually get around to playing it is another matter entirely. 

There are several copies at a store I frequent, but they are probably on the higher end in price. If your buy doesn't go through, let me know and I'll check on the prices around here this week.