GAME CLEAR No. 318 -- MediEvil 2

MediEvil 2 (2000, PS1)

Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Clear Version: PS1
Clear Platform: PS5 (PS1 emulation)
Clear Date: 10/27/26

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Why should I care?
You get to be da skeleton man (again).

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Don’t lose your head

In what I expect to be my final October Gaming effort of the year, we’ve got the return of the eminently likable Sir Daniel Fortesque. I liked the original MediEvil and its PS4 remake quite a lot, but it took me some time to get around to this game. It’s every bit as cute and fun as its predecessor, though, and a perfect fit for this time of year.

For a little background, MediEvil is a third-person action game starring the knight Fortesque of dubious legend. He was said to have defeated the evil sorcerer Zarok in a 1286 battle in defense of the Kingdom of Gallowmere, but he was actually killed by the first arrow fired therein as he led the charge. One hundred years later, Zarok returns from hiding to summon an army of the dead to take over Gallowmere, but in so doing, he accidentally resurrects Fortesque as well. Sir Dan uses his period of undeath to actually defeat Zarok. After his triumph, he returns to his final resting place and his soul ascends to its rightful place in the Hall of Heroes.

500 more years later, power-hungry industrialist Lord Palethorn has recovered Zarok’s spellbook and cast a similar spell over Victorian London. Unfortunately for him, he also made the mistake of reviving Fortesque, whose body lay in repose in a London museum. Fortesque quickly joins up with the quirky Professor Kift, and the two set to the task of stopping Palethorn.

The basic action remains similar to the first game. You galavant through low-poly stages slicing up ghouls and other monsters with your sword or blasting them with old-timey guns. Kill enough of them, and you can collect a Chalice of Souls that will grant you a new weapon. The five-century leap means that the stages are more industrial and urban than the first game, and there’s more puzzling and small quests to perform for NPCs scattered throughout the game. Some of these require Dan to pop his head off and place it on a zombie hand so he can run around like Thing from The Addams Family and get into tight spaces. All the while, the headless body can still move around to act in tandem with the head. It’s a fun idea that frankly I wish they had explored a bit more in depth. Nevertheless, the added gameplay variety is welcome, even if it’s seldom very cognitively demanding.

The tone of the game is lighter and more humorous this time around as well. In addition to the aforementioned Professor Kift, Sir Dan has allies in the ghost Winston Chapelmount and the mummy lady Kiya, whom he rescues from her tomb in an early stage and takes on as a love interest. They provide some charming and amusing interludes between stages when Dan returns to the Professor’s lab to regroup. Dan’s foes strike a nice balance between bumbling and menacing as well. The fuller cast makes Sir Dan’s journey is less solitary one, and I enjoy the added whimsy.

There’s lots to like about the more fleshed-out world of MediEvil 2, but I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed that the core gameplay wasn’t improved much. Maneuvering Dan still feels a bit awkward, and platforming in more demanding sections can be quite vexing thanks to his tiny jump and jerky movement. Mashing square to slice up enemies feels okay, but nearly nonexistent post-hit invincibility frames means certain enemies or enemy groups can quickly deplete your health bar if you’re not careful. Projectile weapons auto-aim, which is nice, but it’s also finicky because of the game’s often-unruly camera.

Somehow, despite being such a gameplay-first kind of guy in general, I found myself tolerating the game’s mediocre action. It’s in service of seeing more of a world with lovely art direction and enjoyable characters. I always felt this about the original game, and I think it applies here as well: the limited draw distance of the PS1 actually serves the vibes here. It makes the little towns, graveyards, sewers, and chapels more moody and spooky! The understated but effective soundtrack and splattering sound effects of dismembering cartoonish zombies provide a sonically pleasing accompaniment. The world of MediEvil is one I like to be in.

Four MediEvil games have been made. Two are separate remakes of the original (one for PSP and one for PS4), so it is effectively a duology. The platinum trophy of MediEvil 2 on PS5 is somewhat ironically titled “Will Dan Ever Rest?” Inasmuch as he has not been called to action in a new game in the 26 years since that game’s original release, I’d say he’s resting well indeed. I liked the PS4 MediEvil remake, so I wouldn’t turn my nose up at a remake of this sequel, but I don’t know that Sir Dan needs a true third adventure. This one constitutes a pretty cute and satisfying conclusion. In a world of endless franchises, it’s okay to leave it at two sometimes.