More skeletons in the closet. Review

More skeletons in the closet.

I once went to a party with Alan

Menken and the two Tim’s (Leary and

Burton). It

was a hot day and we were all thirsty, so Timothy (Leary) made all of us some

"special" Kool-aid. While sipping the magic elixir, Tim (Burton) and

Al started arguing over what would make a better movie.

Tim B: “Dude, I’m gonna make me a movie where this skeleton guy is all

bummed that Halloween is so creepy and Christmas gets to be all fun, y’know,

with presents and stuff, so he tries to fix ’em up by learnin’ the rules for

Christmas…y’know?”

Al: “Aw Tim, that ain’t funny…a good movie has plants! Plants that

can sing and dance and stuff, and then start eatin’ people between songs…and

it’s all in a little plant shop, a little shop of…uh…horror. Whoa.”

I guess nobody noticed the guy sitting diabolically in the corner, staring

at the purple smoke billowing from the barbecue in the middle of the room. He

was just sitting and staring, staring and sitting… mindlessly listening to

Al and Tim B. arguing. His head started to swell and throb, he was leaving trails

behind his every move, and his feet were melting. That’s when I went home to

sleep it off. This always happens when Timothy makes Kool-aid.

Thirty years later, the diabolical man in the corner is a successful game designer

working for Sony. He doesn’t know where the inspiration came from, but he has

a brilliant idea for a game: There’s this skeleton guy that has to save the

world from impending doom. Along the way he’ll meet mad scientists, aliens,

and plants that dance around and eat people. If nothing else good came from

that party, MediEvil II was brought forth. I still wonder if Tim or Al

ever got it together enough to make their movies.

You once again play Sir Daniel Fortesque, the skeleton of a 13th century knight

brought back to life by an evil spell. This time, the fiendish criminal Lord

Palethorn has unleashed the undead to take over the world. It’s your job to

stop him…and in the process add to your legend.

The game requires you to collect the “Chalice of Souls” for each level. Every

time you slay a helpless victim, their soul is collected in the chalice. The

chalice can only be collected when it is full, and is hidden somewhere in the

level for you to find. Bringing the chalice to the Professor at the end of a

level is rewarded with a new weapon; this new weapon is necessary for completing

the next level.

Which rocks, seeing as how you start off with only your arm. Yes, your arm.

Sir Dan pops that little sucker right out of its socket and uses it as a club.

Thankfully, it is not necessary to slay all of the enemies in a level to fill

the chalice, making it entirely possible to “re-arm” yourself.

Graphically,

MediEvil II really shows the Playstation’s power. The environments are

very clean and rich with detail. The framerate is smooth and there is little,

if any, pop-up. The ambiance of satirical eeriness is beautifully conveyed,

and the levels are a joy to explore. MediEvil II is eye candy, to say

the least.

Navigating Sir Dan through the levels is a breeze. Excellent control of both

Dan and the camera makes every nook and cranny easy to reach. Each level has

areas that are inaccessible the first time around; not until you learn the secret

ways of the “Danhand” will you be able to fully complete your quest. Once this

skill is learned, Sir Dan can remove his empty ‘noggin bone’ and attach it to

one of the many “spare” hands roaming around the levels (kinda like the pet

hand from The Addams Family). Once created, Danhand can get in and out

of the little cracks and crevices that Dan is too big for. There are even puzzles

that require Dan to remove his skull and use it for a task while running his

headless little frame elsewhere to press buttons or flip switches.

Following the tradition of the first MediEvil,

this game is a hoot. The cast is simply hilarious and the animations are a riot;

killing zombies has never been more entertaining. The first swat from your sword

relieves them of the burden of a left arm, then a right. Keep swinging that

blade to philanthropically help them not have to deal with the pesky head on

their shoulders, or the hassle of walking the earth.

There’s the Spiv, an ‘olde tyme’ hustler with a trenchcoat full of ill-gotten

merchandise for sale. Then there’s the little ghost that advises you along your

way. His cockney accent and wit will have you ROFLOL (‘Rolling On Floor Laughing

Out Loud’ for you chat room virgins. God, I need to get a life). The enemies

are chock full of fun as well; sailors, aliens and walking pumpkin vines that

want to eat you alive add to the hilarity.

As a third-person action/adventure, MediEvil II is top notch. But at

this point, we’ve seen a virtual host of other games that are essentially identical.

While offering something very good, this isn’t very original and may leave some

gamers twiddling their thumbs in boredom.

For most, though, MediEvil II is an excellent game. It mixes great

gameplay with humor and shakes (not stirs) it up with smooth control and splendid

graphics. The result is a great looking, fun playing game that has kept me up

way too late for way too many nights. I recommend it to anyone who has a sense

of humor and several hours a day to spare.