So, you'd like to join the Hall of Heroes? That's quite a daunting task. Are you a noble knight ready to defend the honor of fair maidens on the internet in the hopes that they finally see you as a romantic possibility? No. Well then, have you fought valiantly in a grand battle? You took about three steps onto the field and got an arrow through the eye. Can't really spin that into a positive. Alright, what sort of weaponry do you have? You rip off your arm and play whack-a-mole... This might be a bit of an uphill journey as you pilot Sir Daniel Fortesque in Medivil, a remake of the PS1 action-adventure title that saw our jawless protagonist go up against the undead army of the evil sorcerer, Zarok.
On your quest to save Gallowmere, Fortesque must hack-and-slash his way through fairly linear levels to advance the story, each containing a Chalice that can be collected once enough enemies have been slain to expand your arsenal, get additional funds, or offer a health boost. The gothic aesthetic gives rise to scenic exploration of the Dark Ages as necromancy pits zombies and demons in your wake. The enhanced graphics stay faithful to the original design elements, only seeking to create details in the polygons and let you experience jacked British dentistry in high definition. With expressive characters that provide backhanded compliments and timid belief that you can defeat the forces of darkness, the cartoonish set pieces create a light-heartened environment contrasting a time when everything was covered in gloom and the plague. It doesn't shop at Hot Topic and paint its walls black while listening to The Cure and reading Edgar Allen Poe. We're past that phase mom.
Like peasants scavenging for scraps to live, health becomes a resource between escapades rather than resetting at the beginning of each section. Since there are no checkpoints, this can make longer levels, especially with the placement of regeneration near the end, more stressful, but it's completely doable as you acquire vials increasing your maximum life storage. Despite being a remake though, where this game starts to show its age is in the imprecise controls and combat. It's been an issue with a lot of the recent redesigns from the PS1 or PS2 era, with the Crash Bandicoot Turtle level coming to mind forming a minor brain aneurysm.
Platforming can be slippery as you glide off an edge into the water, costing you one full health bottle. Close quarters combat is essentially flailing around an enemy, and sometimes having the hitbox not register. Long range attacks rely on toggleable auto aiming, but can be finicky with enemy selection or suddenly change to the nearest target instead of the one you've been shooting at. They have introduced the ability to equip a primary and secondary weapon, along with the Dan Cam to combat awkward camera angles, but it's those dated elements that remind the player this is a PS1 game with a graphical enhancement.
The humorous journey on a quest for redemption is an enjoyable throwback, and thankfully not a reminder of our place in the feudal system or a torture session on the wheel. While the return to the past can reveal the flaws of the time, it's not a stretch on the rack that Medievil didn't make a single Iron Maiden reference for your historical accuracy.