The New DreamCast Game
Evil Dead: Hail to the King
We've updated our preview with a brand
new set of images. Hail to the king baby!
September 7, 2000
THQ was a rarity amongst 3rd parties at the recently
concluded ECTS, as the company actually had a
Dreamcast game in its booth! Evil Dead was playable at
the THQ booth, and we came away with a brand new set
of images that show off the excellent detail in the game.
The shots aren't of the greatest quality, but they certainly
do impress. Check back shortly for more info.
UPDATE: 3/3/2000
I'm an Evil Dead fan, born and bred. From the time I
was a snot-nosed youngster until the days I first pushed
that coarse stringy hair follicle out of my armpit, I've
been so. Lets face it, Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell can
make magic together, and whether it's Dead by Dawn or
Army of Darkness, their campy approach to horror and
action is emulated by none, and appreciated by many.
Imagine my pleasant surprise then, when I found out that
the exploits of Ash, and his trusted chainsaw arm were
headed in full polygonal glory to the Sega Dreamcast.
Groovy! (predictable catchphrase I know, but hey -- go
with the classics, damn it!)
Evil Dead: Ashes 2 Ashes is the newest entry into an ever
growing library of survival horror games. With Carrier
already out, Code Veronica drawing closer to a release
date, and the recently announced Alone in the Dark
sequel poised to challenge Capcom's supremacy, the
unlikely team of wrestling gurus THQ and Sam Raimi's
production house Renaissance Studios is ready to be
reckoned with. Utilizing the skills of first time developer
(and former Squaresoft code masters) Heavy Iron, Ashes
2 Ashes could indeed evolve into a dark horse favorite.
The game is set to closely follow the adventures of Ash
and his continuing battles against the rotting
dead.
Borrowing environments from all three movies as well
as
the inclusion of a few new ones specifically for the
game,
Evil Dead's non-linear surroundings border between
zany, horrific, and positively beautiful. One glimpse
of
the fabulous visual detail the programmers have thrown
together so far (Check out those cabin textures!), and
you'll want to rush out and buy it right now.
True to the style of the movies, the camera angles will
zoom in for extreme close-ups, and shift to wacky
positions to provide some strange (but entertaining)
game
play challenges. While the exact details of the angles
and
their impact on your control haven't been fully realized
yet, the off-the-wall scenes from the movie series should
give you an idea of what's to come. How cool would it
be to run from one of the approaching demon spirits
while looking through the monster's eyes? Imagine the
possibilities if your hand is taken over by an unseen
force, and your struggle against evil turns into an even
more debilitizing battle against your own body!
Also in line with the movies will be your weapon choices.
The chainsaw is a given (it's a trademark after all),
and
over the course of the game you'll be pleased to find
other
weapons of destruction as well. While you may not find
a
devastating BFG or Plasma Ray lurking in the items
window, those Boomsticks (or Shotguns for the Ev-Dead
Illiterate) and chopping axes will be more than enough
to
make it through. Body parts, brains, and blood are going
to be all over the place, so I hope
you plan on bringing a rain coat.
To accompany that rain coat, you'll need a thinking cap
too, as Heavy Iron wants to employ a
marginal dose of brain-busting puzzle solving. While
the game's not planned to be as puzzle
happy as Silent Hill or even Resident Evil, don't expect
a straight-forward gore-fest ala
Zombie Revenge. In this game, you're going to have to
concentrate as much as devastate.
Well, maybe not that much...
As any true fan of the Necrinomicon would be happy to
know, Bruce Campbell himself will be
ready to provide the voice of everyone's favorite ghoul
hunter. You can bet the farm that all
your favorite catchphrases from "Gimme some sugar baby"
to "Klatuu barada niktu" will be
present and accounted for. After all, what's an Evil
Dead product without Campbell's razor
sharp sarcasm and humorous quips to liven up the mood?
There are still a lot of unanswered questions concerning
Ashes 2 Ashes. Exact play
mechanics, the different types enemies, and of course
the levels themselves are still in the early
stages. Based on what we know so far, the quality of
the parties involved, and the huge cult
following that Evil Dead hoists upon its mighty shoulders,
Heavy Iron has nowhere to go but
up. Check back with IGN for more over the coming months
- we're just getting started one.