Well, it didn’t take long: it looks like the panic button has been pressed and Evil Dead: The Game from Saber Interactive will be free for a while.
A new trailer for Evil Dead: The Game shows characters from the original trilogy and TV series
Fans of Bruce Campbell’s series seem to be well catered for
The game includes more than 25 weapons, including Ash’s gauntlet, boomstick and chainsaw, as well as new recorded dialogue by Bruce Campbell.
Conclusion
Neither a resounding success nor a show-stopping flop, Evil Dead: The Game is buried in a misty purgatory from which it can’t shake itself. The atmosphere is powerful, the combat is visceral and strong despite its heaviness, and there’s certainly good potential here for multiplayer pleasures. But much like the characters’ clothes, sweat-stained skin, and blood-soaked exteriors, The Evil Dead can start to reek of the same old stereotypical multiplayer games we’ve played before. However, if you want to have fun with friends The Evil Dead will do in a pinch, don’t expect this nightmare to last long.
Hail to the King, baby
In my opinion, Evil Dead: The Game strikes a great balance between being tactically deep yet easily approachable. There are strategic choices you can make that are informed by interesting design. As the games go on, the demons get stronger, so do you split up to find map pieces faster? Or do you stick together because of safety in numbers and risk a higher challenge later? With a group of players eager to communicate and the strengths of characters chosen to complement each other, teamwork can surpass even the best Daemon players. There’s a lot of fun here even if you’re walking in with a bunch of silent randoms too, just less so.
Even if you are an inexperienced player, there is ground to be made in the progression system. There are 9 surviving characters to choose from right from the start, with 4 more to unlock. These are grouped into 4 classes – Leader, Warrior, Hunter and Support – each of which have their own strengths and weaknesses. As you use these characters repeatedly, they will gain experience and unlock spirit points which can be used to unlock abilities. These play into the character’s unique attributes as well as their class. For example, the Ash Vs Evil Dead version of Ash Williams can unlock the “El Jefe” skill which increases the fear and damage output of surrounding Survivors. The same set up also exists for demon characters. There are some game-changing abilities here, such as that Warlord class’s “Hemophobia” ability which increases the Survivors’ fear whenever they get splattered with blood. Given that this is an Evil Dead game, as you might expect, that’s a regular occurrence. For gamers looking for longevity, there’s certainly plenty of it.