VIDEO GAME REVIEWS Evil Dead : A Fistful of Boomstick WHERE TO FIND Amazon.com: PLAYSTATION 2 XBOX Games Universe: PLAYSTATION 2 XBOX Rent it at GameFly.com! Search for it on eBay! Reviewed By LessonNo5 I've always been a big fan of the goofy, campy, and often times gross trilogy of Evil Dead movies. However, the first game for the Playstation was a pretty big disappointment to me. In the PS2 effort however, I was delightfully surprised. First off, all the essential Evil Dead elements are there. It’s got the Deadites, the Necronomicon, and a wisecracking Ash with chainsaw. Oh, and don't forget your boomstick- A 12-gauge, double-barreled shotgun. Found in the sporting goods department, this sweet baby was made in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Retailing for about 199.95, it's got a walnut stock, cobalt blue steel, and a hair trigger. That's right... Shop smart... Shop S-Mart! You know I had to throw that in somewhere. Anyway, it really does have it all for Evil Dead fans. But in addition to that, it’s a really solid action game. The weapon selection includes more than your standard boomstick. It’s got everything from a civil war cavalry sword to a Gatling gun. What was a pleasant surprise was what it DIDN'T have compared to the first try, Evil Dead: Hail to the King. Namely, free-roaming action verses a survival horror type adventure platform. I think it works much better with this game. Couple that with a very effective camera view that spins around almost flawlessly and you've got a game that stays fun through to the end. At when it starts out priced at $20.00, you can't go wrong. This game takes place in Dearborn, MI after the end of Army of Darkness. Ash has been home a while, and it seems that no one believes his crazy stories about the Deadites. Ash is in a bar, telling his tale to the bartender when a show on the occult comes on. The show is about the Necronomicon and Professor Knowby. On the show, they play a recording holding Knowby’s last words (with just happens to be a passage from the Necronomicon) and of course, it unleashes an Army of Deadites. Ash's work is never done. Throughout the course of the game, Ash is transported throughout different incarnations of Dearborn in his effort to put and end to the legions of Hell. This game is great if you like to cut down hordes of Deadites. When I say "cut down" I mean that literally, because the Deadites can suffer several different forms of dismemberment. There really is never a break in the action in this game. You're swarmed from start to finish. The few puzzles they threw in are decent. Not exactly brain busters, but it's not child's play either. If I had to say there was a major drawback to the game, it would have to be the ease of the boss battles. The voice acting from Bruce Campbell in the game is top-notch. Then again, he was the original actor in the movies, so it's hard to go wrong. As far as the other voice actors go.... Well... Let's say, better than Silent Hill, but it's not exactly fantastic. The game is packed to the brim with Ash's bad jokes and wisecracks, and includes a "Making Of" video, which has Bruce Campbell's take on the game. All in all, I'd have to say if you're a fan of Evil Dead, you'll love this game. If you're a survival horror aficionado, or if you like action games with a wide variety of weapons and moves, it's worth it for the $20.00 price tag, brand-spanking-new. Now give me some sugar, baby. RATING (Out of 5) BEST DEADITE It's got to be the stripper deadites from the Kittie Cat Club. Not because they're strippers...they're just the most gory and rotten. WORST DEADITE It's a toss up between the saber-toothed tigers in the museum and the final boss. One looks completely out of place and the other is just annoying. RELEASE DATES Playstation 2- 05/20/03 XBox - 06/17/03 # OF PLAYERS 1 OFFICIAL WEBSITE www.evildeadgame.com PUBLISHER THQ DEVELOPER VIS ESRB RATING PUT YOUR OWN REVIEWS ON THE MESSAGE BOARD!

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