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"Why are you bastards torturing me like this???"

Good lord, it's games like these that make me wonder about ever playing old games again. This is The Evil Dead. Released some time during the 80's, based loosely on the hit Sam Raimi film of the same name, Evil Dead is truly one of the most, sorry to say it, evil games on the planet.

Gameplay is one of the most sickening things about this game, however, The Evil Dead looks wonderful on paper. You control Ash, you wander around Knowby's cabin with your friends, you must close windows to stop the shadow from the woods entering your house and possessing your friends. Once your friends are possessed, they go on a killing rampage which only you can stop. But Knowby's cabin is kind to you, it is filled with those wonderful weapons from the film, axe, shovel, Kandarian Dagger, but sadly no chainsaw or shotgun. The first big problem with this game is control, Ash seems to be able to move freely, but the play area is set up in a tiled manner, meaning you will have a hell of a time trying to get through doors and such. The second and most painful problem is combat, you touch a deadite, they turn into a raging ball of smoke, which drains your health, you press attack while they do that, they disapear in the cloud of smoke, and three separate body pieces appear around the place. Repeat process on pieces and that's it, you've just killed your first friend. Touching enemies while having a better weapon means you lose less health while killing them, and everything will drain you, even walking.

The story of Evil Dead is simple; five teens go to a remote cabin for sex, druggin' and a huntin', however after checking out the cellar and finding a necronomicon, they accidentally awaken the dark spirit, which is then given license to possess the living, but that's the movie, in this game however, some toxic gas has come around and is turning your friends into spooky mutants, can you stop them?!?!

Graphics are as bland as tofu, sound isn't much better. Graphics consist of a white little overhead man (Ash), and four little grey men (Sheryll, Scotty, etc.). The floor is black, the walls are brightly coloured and weapons are sometimes so basic you don't know what they are. Each severed limb is also brightly coloured, those darned green turkey legs. Sound is just as bad, well worse if not for the neat title music, a series of blips and beeps is all you'll get.

This game probably won't take too long to finish, assuming you're playing it after you make your first kill, it'll probably keep you interested for a few moments, the intro is the most fun thing that you can do more than once really.

This game isn't worth that shiny plastic coating around the actual case you sometimes get in new games, the combat and control is so frustrating, and with such little fruits for your efforts you'll soon see there is no reason to play.

2/10


Reviewer's Score: 2/10 | Originally Posted: 02/10/04