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The Best Game that has EVER been made or will be

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 22
Date: December 11, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This game brings to life the best movie series in the history of film. Evil Dead and its two subsequent films were monumentus occasions in the art of film making. Now with the films selling better that ever THQ finally brings every fan what they have waited for and deserve; Evil Dead: Hail to the king. Even the title brings chills. Set in the cabin Ash has returned again, for what reason? Well who cares that was never important in the movies why should it be here? With all of you favorite deadites present, along with a gran assortment of new ones. EDHTTK will keep you on the edge of your seat form beginning to end. If there is one! The frosting on the cake is that Ash himself is given life by nono othere that Bruce Campbell himself. If you were to ever want one game this should be it, and hey dont forget, "Shop smart, Shop S-mart"

Great(est?) Liscense... Awful game

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 12 / 22
Date: December 12, 2000
Author: Amazon User

To the lament of many Evil Dead fans, this game has suffered the fate of most movie based videogames. That is to say, it's pretty bad. A nifty cover and Bruce Campbell voice overs are about the only saving grace, thus one star. The game is an obvious Resident Evil rip-off, which would be fine if it was done well at all. Although a more "hop into it and start killing demons" gameplay like a Soul Reaver or even a Fighting Force might have been more fun. The graphics are pixelated and muddy, the FMV are grainy and undetailed (Ash seems to be wearing a leather glove instead of the awesome metal hand), and the game controls are problematic at best. Gameplay isn't fun at all. Two handed weapon fighting would seemt to be a great idea, if the fighting engine was worth anything. And what fun is having a chainsaw on your hand to hack up zombies when you constantly have to refuel it? I'm a big fan, but this thing is just a chore to play. The Evil Dead movies are almost perfectly suited to a videogame, you would think, and yet the ball is dropped here. Like many liscene-based games, you can't help but wonder what a good develpment team could have done with the franchise. Like a Goldeneye, Spider-Man, or Star Trek: Invasion even. Instead we get a Superman, Batman Beyond, The Grinch. At best, maybe it was rushed out before it could be polished and all the kinks worked out.

Sometimes the Dead should be buried

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 8 / 16
Date: December 12, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Sometimes a movie based game comes along and is enjoyable because it reminds you of the fun you had seeing that film, others make you just wish were watching the film instead. This game falls into the category of the latter. It is just barely playable suggesting that it needed either more time to fine tune or an almost total overhaul. Visually, the game is inconsistant. The back grounds are rendered and look reminiscent of the film only minus the creepiness. Appearance-wise, the characters are decent but feel too low res and outdated, especially in front of the rendered backdrops. Still the graphics don't give the player the gut tightening thrill they should. The game play is similar to Resident Evil, not the series, but the first game. It reaches to the Playstation's past for a game engine. The enemies are too difficult to kill in conjuction with Ash's attacking "skills", being ineffective hacks, slashs, and pooly aimed gun shots. They regenerate ad frustratum. The story is rehashed from the plots of the film trilogy. From the beginning it just seems thrown together. The voice acting held promise as it features the star of the Evil Dead movies, Bruce Campbell. But unfortunately even that is ruined by a half-hearted delivery. The game is just not what I expected. The concept sounded good a year ago, but the final product isn't enjoyable. Don't get burned on this one like I did.

Good...Bad...He's The Guy With The Chainsaw!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 20 / 27
Date: December 14, 2000
Author: Amazon User

THQ has released the Playstation game EVIL DEAD:HAIL TO THE KING! Since the trio of Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi, and Rob Tapert insist that the EVIL DEAD movies never made enough money to get financing for a sequel, they are stating that this game should be considered EVIL DEAD 4. The game has a great plot and cut scenes-HTTK begins 8 years after ARMY OF DARKNESS. While Ash has found happiness with his girl Jennie (assistant manager of the S-Mart arts and crafts department), he is haunted by nightmares of all of his experiences dealing with the Necronomicon. Jennie suggests it would be therapeutic for him to go back to the original cabin and face his fears. Big mistake... The game has a lot of plusses and a few minuses. Let's go over the minuses first. Play control is a little stiff-hit detection is not very crisp and many times Ash will be frozen in place ater being struck by an enemy (he'll be running in place but not move-a sitting duck). The game has many changing camera angles like the RESIDENT EVIL series but in some of the screens Ash is so distant and small it's hard to engage in combat-you can't tell which way he's facing. Likewise you have to aim all your own shots with firearms (I really don't mind this as it is more realistic, but a lot of people hate it). While running Ash will sometimes disappear and reappear on another part of the screen far away. In many areas there are endlessly regenerating Deadites and skeletons, and this gets annoying very quickly. The Deadites also have a tendency to cut and run before you can finish them, popping up in another spot later. This wastes a lot of chainsaw fuel and patience. Ash will take a lot of damage from the Deadites unless he can jump on them with the chainsaw as soon as they appear. But the plusses more than make up for it! The plot, in the best EVIL DEAD tradition, recaps much of the first three films while throwing in some Lovecraftian elements (only fitting for the father of the Necronomicon). There are lots of unique bosses to fight along with old favorites like Evil Ash and the Henrietta Monster (now the Annie Monster). In particular the emergence of the first boss in the Hellbilly House is a true sight to behold! Some bosses require unique approaches to defeat as they can't be harmed. There are new characters to interact with and we get to see the origins of the Necronomicon in Damascus. One of the big selling points of the game is the fact that Bruce Campbell does the voice overs for Ash. While it sounds in a few spots like he's phoning it in, Bruce does a great job in the cut scenes (there are lots of them, too) and most of the taunts. In fact, hitting the taunt button can send a pack of Deadites running when you are in a tight spot-or it can shame a fleeing foe into returning! The weapons are straight out of Evil Dead and are mostly upgradable-I particularly like the fact that when the action shifts to ancient Damascus the firearms must be modified to utilize existing technology. The game also captures Ash's sarcastic attitude perfectly and has some great lines in it (my favorite is from Evil Ash-"The only thing he's prophisized to do is work in retail the rest of his life!"). Backgrounds and scenery are rendered and look fantastic. Interiors are especially detailed. The locations include the cabin (although very little happens there...a disappointment), the Bridge, Hellbilly House, the Church, the Woods, the Graveyard, Wolverine Camp, Mine, Temple, Armory, Town Square, Jail, and Guild Lair. Simple puzzles to solve spice up the combat. And unlike many games, you don't have to hoard items to fight bosses-health, gas, and projectiles will appear from defeated enemies when you get low (but not when you're stocked up!). The game (along with the Dreamcast and PC versions) is highly recommended, especially for fans of the EVIL DEAD trilogy.

Not mediocre, bad.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 9 / 24
Date: December 15, 2000
Author: Amazon User

The sad thing about this game isn't that it's a failed attempt at one of my dreams (a quality game based on the Evil Dead franchise), but the fact that this miserable excuse for a game seals the fate of the franchise's future in video games forever. If this had been just average, then someone else might have given the Evil Dead series a shot further down the line (a first person shooter is how I always envisioned the game), but now it will be considered poison by publishers, and that's not right.

What's the problem? Where to start? Now, I am as big an Evil Dead fan as you'll find, and Bruce Campbell is a very talented actor, but Bruce just doesn't sound into the flow of things. Now, don't get me wrong, he is THE saving grace, if there is any. The sound is really the only high point of this wretched lesson in pain. The infamous re-spawning is worse than it sounds, if you can believe that. It's not like you kill the monsters in this area, leave, and come back later to find that they've come back to life, oh no. They re-spawn AS SOON AS YOU KILL THEM. It's as frustrating as it sounds. That's just the worst aspect, there are plenty more problems involved here, but you can hear of those elsewhere.

All in all, rent it if you're obsessed with the Evil Dead franchise, you could even do worse in the survival horror genre (Countdown: Vampires, anyone?). Plus, it has one funny commercial working for it, and that's worth...oh...an eighth of a star?

Great! but could have been better.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 13
Date: December 15, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This is a good game, but these are the bad things, and the good things: Good things: U get the shotgun, axe, rifle, and of Course! The Chainsaw!! bloody, and not impossible to beat! Bad Things: U can run out of gasoline for your chainsaw, weapon in each hand can get annoying, controlls a little weird at first, to many guys form one after another, and lastly it is to short, i got to the sencond disk in 2 hours! the first time playing. I know, there are alot more bad things than good things, but this is just my own opinion, u might give it a 5, or maybe nothin, it's up to u.

Oh my, what fun!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 10
Date: December 25, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I've been a fan of the ED series since the first movie and this game is a dream (nightmare?) come true. Okay, first off, yes, the Deadites come at you alot. But hey, they're Deadites; they don't know when to stop. But the rest of the game more than makes up for it. It has the creepy elements of the movies and, along with the great VO by Bruce, it really captures the feeling of them. The graphics are great and in my humble opinion, this game outshines RE (or any other survival horror clone) by a long shot. The gameplay is more original and the plot only serves to further the ED storyline. All in all, a great game and a must have for any true ED fan. Groovy

Growl! This is a stress attack...too much headache!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 12
Date: January 03, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game is a stress attack. There are not enough places to save. There are too many attackers at times. You run around in circles. There are no levels to work with (it takes awhile to get use to putting your finger, here, your other finger there, your thumbs here, blah blah blah). Its a total headache. Unless you have days and days without working or having a life...

EXCELLENT! Gamers need to get a clue!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 18
Date: January 06, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I almost didn't get this game because of some of the reviews here. I'm glad I didn't listen because this is a LOT of fun!

If you are a gamer, you might not like this game for it's "game quality" However I never saw it as a typical game, I saw it as Evil Dead 4, and I was required to pick up a controller rather than a remote control to enjoy it.

As Evil Dead 4, It's great! Bruce Campbell is.. as always, terrific! As a first attempt by the creators of evil dead to move into game format, what it lacks in game quality, it makes up for in storyline and voiceovers. I'm sure the next installment will have revised gaming quality and hopefully keep Bruce's great talent.

Unlike most other games, which go on to become bad movies (like tomb raider.. although sexy Angelina Jolie might be able to save that flop) this game is coming from one of the most loved trilogies in movie history. It carries that quality and fun with it.. Evil Dead fans will not be dissapointed

Reeeaaal ugly. One for the toilet.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: January 11, 2001
Author: Amazon User

What a great concept they had. And what a shoddy pile of junk the resultant game turned out to be. Evil Dead: Hail to the King held my attention for precisely 10 minutes before the novelty wore off and I was left with nothing except a great sadness, knowing I had spent my hard-earned cash on one of the worst games ever to grace the Playstation.

The game gets an F on all fronts. Its main drawing card was that it got Bruce Campbell involved to do voice work and help with concept, but the fact is, there isn't nearly enough variety in the wisecracks, comic situations and Ash's activities. There's nothing here that hasn't been done infinitely better in the Evil Dead movies. The computerized graphical representations of the Evil Dead characters are just pathetic (check out that pale graphic imitation of the title sequence of Army of Darkness). And though Bruce Campbell is still one of the most delightfully hammy comic presences out there, after about an hour of hearing him repeat the same half-dozen one-liners every half minute, you're bound to get bored.

This would be okay if the game had been well designed in terms of action, aesthetics, and feel. Noooo. As with so many other games with a strong license/franchise behind it, Evil Dead: Hail to the King abuses this license, using it to attempt to cover up atrocious design. First, the control scheme. It's bad enough that this game features the single worst use of "camera angles" I've ever seen (move over, Fighting Force 2), but why, oh why would they force a first-person-view control scheme onto a third-person-perspective game? Imagine having to play Double Dragon using the controls for Medal of Honor, and you get the ludicrous nature of Evil Dead's controls. And oh yes, the camera angles -- what makes the designers think it's a good idea to fix the camera on top of a tree looking down on Ash when you're trying to fight the undead? And even while fighting, if you move past the edge of the screen, the action stops so that the game can load a new, closer "angle", which completely kills the flow of the action. Then again, there isn't much in the action anyway -- swing your chainsaw and hope for a hit, twist and turn and mash those buttons. And there are so many enemies, all of whom react in pretty much the same way, that it becomes excessive monotony before long. The fact that the enemies "respawn" simply adds to the boredom. The only plus? Some of the environments look tolerably like the movie. If only you weren't forced to look from those weird eyesores they call "camera angles". This is the worst case of game programmers trying to be filmmakers I've seen yet.

All this adds up to an experience akin to waiting in a doctor's office for your turn with no magazines and the heat turned up to the max. I don't care when I kill an enemy, I don't care when I find a page out of the Necronomicon, and I don't care when I get slaughtered. The apathy this game gives me is even worse than an ultra-tough game that hangs me out to dry. Stick with the movies; one minute of Evil Dead 2 contains more action, fun and engagement than an hour spent with this sewer rat of a game.

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