This review contains spoilers

As a preface I just want to outline that this is only a review of the remake itself.

That being said - God damn, this is one of the greatest remakes of all time. It is practically beat for beat perfect to the original PS1 classic, down to even using the same voice clips from the 1998 Medievil. This might just be the definitive way to play Medievil, hell you could just go throw away your PS1 copy, but we'll get to that later.

It's clear that this remake was crafted with such a love and reverence to the original that it practically bleeds into every level. The puzzles, while sometimes simplistic, still hold up really well and often require a good thinking about, the familiar hack'n'slash combat is as great as ever, and the new multi-weapon system is an absolute lifesaver. Where the original required the player to scroll dolefully through the weapon menu to change weapons, the remake not only allows for quick access through the weapon menu, but it also has added a two-slot weapon system, allowing the player to quickly switch between two weapons. This is great for encouraging the player to use more of the wide variety of weapons that can be unlocked through gameplay. The orchestral soundtrack is as beautiful as it is chilling, and the gameplay is smooth as butter. Sir Dan controls even better than in the original, with perfect running speed, and pinpoint accurate platforming - both great improvements to the original, where Dan would control somewhat clumsily.

On the other hand, barring this remake from being a perfect 10 are a couple of small issues, for example the actual way that the game plays - there are framerate drops that can affect gameplay, but not to a great degree. The slightly larger problem exists within the graphics and atmosphere of the remake. Don't get me wrong, Medievil 2019 looks absolutely incredible, and the graphics and art style are flawless. However, Medievil loses a special something in its translation to the modern day - it just doesn't have the same creepy atmosphere running throughout the game. Medievil 1998 is the first game I ever remember scaring me - the weird uncanny way that the undead moved, the darkness of the sky and the general colour palette. There was something about the pixel-y graphics that gave the 1998 original a certain charm, but to a larger degree, a terrifying gothic undercurrent that ran throughout the game, that is just missing from Medievil 2019. While this doesn't take away from the quality of the remake, it does just subtract from the atmosphere, and makes that tension noticeably absent.

In spite of this, the developers should be proud of Medievil 2019 - and I think they are, because they literally put the original game as an additional unlockable bonus within the remake, as if to demonstrate how well the remake stands up to Medievil 1998. Finding and putting to rest all 19 of the lost souls throughout the game allows the player to play the original Medievil in its entirety from the main menu. Not only does this provide extra replay value within the main game, but it gives the opportunity to directly compare the remake to the original and see how perfectly it was crafted.

OtherOcean have truly set a standard here in terms of classic videogame remakes. While it is not a perfect remake, it certainly has given Sir Daniel Fortesque a chance to rise again, and show players why Medievil is such a cult classic, and how its quality remains alive and well to this day.

Reviewed on Jan 06, 2021


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