Official Website

Platform: PlayStation 2, Xbox

Genre: Action

Number of Players: 1

Many developers have tried to take horror films to a more interactive level and turn them into video games, but there have been failures along the way. Most don't remember that there was a game for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre that set to be released for the Atari 2600. There is a great deal of speculation regarding if it really was, but there is a ROM floating around out there for those that are curious to take a look. The NES on the other hand did see releases for both Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street, games that are balked at by horror fans. Even Sam Raimi's Evil Dead has undergone the transformation from iconic horror cinema to video game, the first effort wasn't well received in the least, the next effort was met with mixed reviews, but the latest Evil Dead game, Regeneration, may very well set the record straight.

Ironically enough, I had just sat down and watched Evil Dead 2 a day or so before receiving this game for review. Regeneration takes some very creative liberties with the story. The game starts out with Ash being in Professor Knowby's cabin in the woods, and its obvious that he's already toyed with the Necronomicon. However, Ash isn't visited by the professor's daughter, at least not that we see, nor is he sucked back in time to defeat the evil once and for all as the hero of legend. Instead, after getting to understand the controls a little, we find that Ash has been locked away in the wacko basket.

What did you expect to happen? No one believes Ash's story, and honestly, who would? He cut up his girlfriend with a chainsaw; he cut off his hand because it became possessed by evil forces, there were undead swarming the cabin and an evil book that has the power of unleashing darkness across the world. Right. That's a great story. It seems however that Ash's shrink, Dr. Vladamir Reinhard does believe that tale, and he's managed to get his hands on the Necronomicon in hopes of destroy the world. All he needs are Knowby's notes to complete his plan, but Ash's attorney has managed to get her hand on them to help his case. Reinhard has read the book however, now there are portals opened to allow demonic forces to roam the Earth, and Ash has to once again set things right, but he's not going to be alone; he's got a new sidekick . . . . . and he's a Deadite.

So, I initially found myself say, "that is not the way things happened," but I soon got over that whole feeling. Regeneration captures the feel of Evil Dead to a certain level, but manages to make itself a much different entity as well. As Ash, you will have some familiar gear to fight with. Aside from his heavily tattered clothing, Ash also has his trusty shotgun (or boom stick) as well as his chainsaw, and this is where creativity pays off a great deal. Along the way, Ash will find some new weapons to use. Before even getting his familiar gear back, Ash will get a .45, a decent weapon, but a little lacking on fire power, and not nearly as good as the 12 gauge, but Ash also runs across the Boom-Lance, a devastating weapon that launches explosives. Aside from his trusty chainsaw, Ash will also have a harpoon gun (ideal for bringing enemies up close and personal) and a flamethrower. Mm, mm, mm, mm, mm . . . . . toasty.

But, what about this companion that Ash has? Well, that would be Sam, but not Raimi. However, one Ted Raimi, someone that any fan of the Evil Dead films is already familiar with, voices Sam, and combined with Bruce's wit, this gives us good comedy to the game. Sam is half-Deadite, and in fact, he's half everything. He's a little short in the stature department, but big when it comes to sarcasm. You can abuse Sam all you want. Kick him through windows, punt him into fans, it really doesn't matter. Being dead has its advantages, and Sam will come back no matter what you do to him. Plus, you'll need him to help you from time to time, and this means that Ash will possess his body through the means of sacred symbols scattered throughout the different areas the pair travels to. Ash might have the firepower, but Sam has the means to sneak into smaller openings and even do a bit of bronco busting of the backs of larger Deadites.

They may not get along, but the two make a great team. Unlike many other cooperative games, Sam actually does some rather good fighting, and he'll let Ash know when he has an enemy weakened. This is the only means to send them back wherever it is they came from for good. Ash meanwhile has some great combo moves that he can use, so it's not just about shooting and chopping up Deadite . . . . okay, it is, but with a bit more class. Plus, you've got finishing moves, and there's nothing better than pumping a zombie full of lead, slashing him with a chainsaw, and then doing some over the shoulder shot to get the job done for good. If that's not enough though, remember that Ash has a dark side to him. You can turn into Evil Ash, though you will need to have evil essence built up, Ash can transform into his darker self and in the process, really start to kick butt. Be on the lookout in the game for the means to increase your evil essence, and even your life. Believe me, it's going to make life much easier. You may want to also look for pages of the Necronomicon, and by finding these; you will unlock bonus content for the game.

I wouldn't say that Regeneration is a survival horror title, not in the way that you may think of it when talking about something like Resident Evil or Fatal Frame, but instead it's more of an action game. The game though is a nice blend of action and puzzle solving; slaughtering Deadites really is the paramount priority. What I'm a little unimpressed with though are some of the graphic approaches. Ash looks a little too cheery at times, and there could have been a bit more work done on not only the Deadites, but Sam as well. However, the graphics are far from horrible, and what it might lack at times in this department it more than makes up for with laughs, action, and just plain fun.

I was probably in the minority when it came to the last Evil Dead game, and I rather enjoyed it though there was some areas that I felt needed some work, but Regeneration has it beat hands down. It has virtually anything that you could even want to see included with a game using the Evil Dead license. What I'd really like to see now is THQ produce an "elimination horror" game based on Friday the 13th where you actually play as Jason, but that's a completely different subject. The one at hand is Evil Dead, and Regeneration is a must have, not just if you're a fan of the series, but the price is definitely right with this. $20 for some zombie splattering action isn't a bad investment at all. Ash is certainly back, and he's got all the sugar you need, baby.
 

- mike -