Other Ocean gives us an inside look at their twist on an old, old, old classic, MediEvil. For those unfamiliar, MediEvil is an action platforming game that definitely plays up the ‘dark’ of dark comedy. Telling the tale of Sir Dan, a ‘hero’ with a penchant for excellent storytelling, the brave knight fell in battle against the former exiled court magician, Zarok.
Though his death was nothing short of embarrassing; shot in the eye from the first arrow fired. Wishing to save face, the king declared Dan a hero, but Zarok, only presumed dead, returned, blanketing the land in darkness and raising the dead, Dan himself included. Now Dan has a second chance to be the hero he always said he was.
Other Ocean heads Mike Mika and and Jeff Nachbaur show they know what they’re doing as far as research into the game goes. They’ve been looking at the game’s original source code (which they have full access to), and trying to their best to recreate the game in a way that it’s familiar to the veterans, but exciting for the newcomers. They’ve also been talking with the original team to better get into the headspace of what made MediEvil so iconic so long ago.
With mentions and references to past mechanics and locales of the first MediEvil, it’s clear there’s a lot of love going into the game, the initial trailer shows us a great deal of what to expect. While the original MediEvil was much darker (lore and aesthetic-wise), the remake features zanier animation, more vibrant and explosive art, and a much greater emphasis on comedy.
The change seems to have caused a bit of polarizing between fanbases; ‘purists’ who say the game was fine as-is lament the changes at best, deride them at worst, claiming the game has lost ‘edge’. Those who welcome the changes, however, applaud the bombastic new visuals, fluid movements, and kooky humor. And then there are those in the middle, who never even heard of the original, and those who are happy MediEvil is seeing the light of day again at all.
For all the changes made to the classic, Other Ocean’s heart is in the right place, and whether you’re a fan old, new, or unknown, things are about to get MediEvil. Expect the game’s arrival October 25th, 2019, for PlayStation 4 only. And until next time, stay and play savvy, gamers!
