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{{about|the 1998 game|other games in the series|MediEvil (series)|the remake|MediEvil (2019 video game)}}


{{Infobox video game
| title = MediEvil
| image = Medievil cover.jpg
| caption = European cover art
| developer = [[Guerrilla Cambridge|Sony Computer Entertainment Europe]]
| publisher = [[Sony Computer Entertainment]]
| director = Chris Sorrell
| producer = Chris Sorrell
| designer = Jason Wilson
| programmer = 
| artist = Jason Wilson
| writer = Jason Wilson<br>Martin Pond
| composer = [[Andrew Barnabas]]<br>[[Paul Arnold (composer)|Paul Arnold]]
| series = ''[[MediEvil (series)|MediEvil]]''
| platforms = [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]]
| released = {{Video game release|EU/UK|9 October 1998|NA|21 October 1998<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 21, 1998 |title=Sony Ships Spooky Halloween Treat |url=http://www.psxnation.com/news/102198a.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010225233900/http://www.psxnation.com/news/102198a.html |archive-date=February 25, 2001 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |website=[[IGN|PSX Nation]]}}</ref>}}
| genre = [[Action-adventure game|Action-adventure]], [[hack and slash]]
| modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]]
}}
'''''MediEvil''''' is a 1998 [[action-adventure game]] developed and published by [[Sony Computer Entertainment]] for the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]]. The game is set in the medieval Kingdom of Gallowmere and centers around the charlatan protagonist, Sir Daniel Fortesque, as he makes an attempt to stop antagonist Zarok's invasion of the kingdom whilst simultaneously redeeming himself.

Development began in 1995 at Millennium Interactive in [[Cambridge]] under the working title of ''Dead Man Dan.'' The visuals are heavily influenced by Tim Burton's ''[[The Nightmare Before Christmas|The Nightmare before Christmas]].'' Originally conceived as an arcade-style shooter for platforms such as [[Windows 95|Windows]] and the [[Sega Saturn]], Sony's purchase of the developer evolved the game into a PlayStation title. The game received mostly positive reception from critics upon release, with praise including its blend of [[Halloween]]-themed visuals, but was criticized for its controls and cumbersome camera-work.

It was released in Europe, the UK, and North-America in 1998, and in Japan in 1999. It was also re-released on the [[PlayStation Network]] in 2007. It was followed by a sequel, ''[[MediEvil 2]],'' in 2000. The game has also been remade twice in later years; as ''[[MediEvil: Resurrection]]'' for the [[PlayStation Portable]] in 2005 and simply as ''[[MediEvil (2019 video game)|MediEvil]]'' for the [[PlayStation 4]] in 2019.

== Gameplay ==
[[File:MediEvil gameplay.jpg|thumb|left|The first level]]
The game takes place across a variety of levels, many of which require certain objectives to be performed to progress. Sir Daniel Fortesque can use a variety of weapons, consisting of close range weapons such as swords and clubs to long range weapons such as crossbows.<ref name=IGN2 /> Many can be charged for a powerful attack and some, such as the club, can be used to access areas that are otherwise inaccessible. When not possessing any items, Dan is able to rip his arm off and use it for both melee and ranged attacks.<ref name=hell>{{cite web|last1=Levine|first1=Andy|title=MediEvil review and overlook|url=http://www.gamershell.com/psp/medievil/review.html|publisher=GamersHell|access-date=26 April 2015}}</ref> Dan can equip a shield alongside weapons for defence, but each type of shield has a limited amount of strength and are therefore best used sparingly. Throughout the game, Dan can visit [[gargoyle]] heads of two varieties: green ones offer Dan information while blue ones allow Dan to buy services or ammunition by using the treasures he finds.

Dan's health is determined by a health bar, which reduces when Dan is hit. It will deplete completely if Dan drowns or falls from a great height. If Dan runs out of health, the game will end.<ref name=IGN2 /> Dan can extend his maximum health by collecting Life Bottles, which will automatically refill his health bar if it drops to zero. Also hidden throughout the game are Life Vials and Life Fountains that replenish Dan's health and fill any empty Life Bottles Dan has.<ref>{{cite web|title=MediEvil overview|url=http://uk.ign.com/games/medievil/ps-3950|publisher=IGN|access-date=26 April 2015}}</ref> In each level, there is a hidden Chalice of Souls which can be collected if the player has dispatched enough enemies (some Chalices are awarded via other means). Certain enemies have no soul and therefore do not count while the levels "The Sleeping Village" and "The Haunted Ruins" include NPCs with "good souls" that will reduce the Chalice percentage if killed. If the player clears a level with a Chalice in hand, Dan is warped to the Hall of Heroes, where he can speak to a hero who will give him rewards, such as weapons. If the player finishes the game with all the Chalices, the true ending is revealed.<ref name=IGN2 />

== Plot ==
In the year 1286, an evil sorcerer named Zarok plotted to take over the kingdom of Gallowmere with his undead army.<ref name=Legend /> It is told in legend that the champion, Sir Daniel Fortesque, led the King of Gallowmere's army to victory and managed to kill Zarok before he succumbed to his mortal wounds.<ref name=MediEvil>Strategy Guide, p. 6.</ref><ref name=Legend /> In reality, however, Dan was struck down by the first arrow fired in the battle, with the king choosing to cover it up and declare Dan the "Hero of Gallowmere".<ref name=Legend>{{cite book|title=MediEvil PlayStation Manual|date=1998|publisher=Sony|page=1|chapter=The Legend of Sir Daniel Fortesque|edition=PAL}}</ref> Zarok, meanwhile, went into hiding.<ref name=Legend /> 100 years later, Zarok reappears, casting a spell over Gallowmere to plunge it into eternal night, awaken his undead army and steal the souls of the living.<ref name=MediEvil /> However, in the process, he unwittingly revives Dan, who has over time become a skeletal corpse, missing his jaw which fell off and the left eye he lost in the battle of Gallowmere.<ref name=MediEvil /> Having been unable to ascend to the fabled Hall of Heroes for his ignoble death, Dan uses this opportunity to defeat Zarok, save Gallowmere and earn his place as a true hero.<ref name=SG>Strategy Guide, pp. 8-111.</ref>

As Dan travels across Gallowmere, fighting his way through Zarok's hordes and confronting all manner of beasts, he soon arrives at Zarok's lair, fighting off Zarok's skeletal personal guard using the souls of his old allies retrieved by collecting the Chalices.<ref name=SG /> After also managing to defeat Zarok's champion, Lord Kardok, (who also died from being struck in the eye in the battle of Gallowmere by Dan's crossbowman and second in command, Canny Tim) Zarok turns into a powerful monster (form of a dragon), but Dan manages to defeat him.<ref>Strategy Guide, pp. 110,111.</ref> As Zarok uses his last breath to cause his lair to collapse in an attempt to take Dan with him (inadvertently crushing himself in the process), Dan escapes and Zarok's magical influence over the land is thwarted, thus restoring the souls back to the living and putting the dead back to rest.<ref>{{cite video game| title =MediEvil | developer = SCE Cambridge Studio| publisher = Sony | date = 1998 | platform = PlayStation | scene = End| level = Zarok's Lair}}</ref><ref name=Outro>{{cite video game| title =MediEvil | developer = SCE Cambridge Studio| publisher = Sony | date = 1998 | platform = PlayStation | scene = Outro}}</ref> With the magic cast on him also wearing off as a result, Dan returns to his burial chamber where he once again enters eternal slumber.<ref name=Outro /> If the player has managed to collect all the Chalices, Dan will ascend to the Hall of Heroes, where he is hailed as the rightful Hero of Gallowmere.<ref>Strategy Guide, p. 111.</ref>

== Development==
Development of ''MediEvil'' began in late 1995 at independent developer [[Millennium Interactive]] in [[Cambridge]].<ref name=BTS>{{cite web|website=[[GamesTM]]|title=Behind the scenes of MediEvil|date=2015|url=https://www.gamestm.co.uk/features/behind-the-scenes-of-medievil/|access-date=23 August 2017}}</ref> Chris Sorrell, previously known for the ''[[James Pond: Underwater Agent|James Pond]]'' series of games, created the original concept for ''MediEvil'' and served as the game's creative director.<ref name=development>{{cite web|last1=Dutton|first1=Fred|title=Behind the Classics: MediEvil|url=http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/09/07/behind-the-classics-medievil/|website=PlayStation Blog|date=7 September 2012 |publisher=PlayStation US|access-date=19 April 2015}}</ref> Sorrell joined Millennium, with whom he had been working with for a while, after completing ''[[James Pond 3]].'' When asked what he wanted to do, he said he wanted to work with someone on the visual side. Jason Wilson, who would be the designer and a writer for the game, met up with Sorrell and began working on ''MediEvil.''<ref name=BTS />

{{Quote box|quote=Don't care about graphics! Do care about processes!|source=–Dave Burrows, explaining the studio's development process in a retrospective "post-mortem"<ref name="dev">{{cite web|last1=Iain Simons|title=Postcard from GDC Europe 2005: Postmortem: SCEE's WipEout Pure|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130809/postcard_from_gdc_europe_2005_.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509061109/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130809/postcard_from_gdc_europe_2005_.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 May 2012|website=Gamasutra|publisher=UBM|access-date=16 April 2016|date=7 September 2005}}</ref> |width=30em |quoted=1}}

According to Sorrell, the first design proposal for the game had the working title ‘''Dead Man Dan''’ and described a game that was initially a fusion of [[Capcom]]'s ''[[Ghost'n Goblins]]'' combined with the art style of [[Tim Burton]]'s ''[[The Nightmare Before Christmas]].''<ref name=development /> As development progressed, lead artist Wilson pushed the game into more of a ''Zelda'' [[role playing game]]-influenced direction as opposed to the original arcade-style concept. Looking to attract a major publishing deal, Millennium Interactive initially began working on multiple platforms including [[Windows 95|Windows]] and the [[Sega Saturn]] before giving [[Sony Computer Entertainment]] a working demo of the game. Impressed by the progress, Sony signed ''MediEvil'' to be an exclusive PlayStation game. During the production of the demo, there was a programmer for each platform.<ref name=BTS /> Millennium was having financial difficulties and wanted to secure a publisher quickly. Sega and Microsoft were also interested in the game.<ref name=BTS />

The developers wanted the game to possess a unique lead character, thus Sorrell worked with script doctor Martin Pond whilst creating an expansive backstory for the lead protagonist, Sir Daniel Fortesque. Pond came up with the idea that Sir Daniel could have been a pompous failure in life whose reincarnation was his one shot at redemption.<ref name=development /><ref name=Making>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Retro Gamer]]|issue=49|publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]]|location=Bournemouth|title=The Making Of: MediEvil|url=http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/upload/media/scans/medievil_retrogamer.pdf|access-date=20 April 2015|issn=1742-3155|pages=60–63|archive-date=3 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140403014424/http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/upload/media/scans/medievil_retrogamer.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> This idea, along with the player-character's unusual appearance, turned appealing to some sectors of the gaming community, as lead designer Wilson later recalled that female gamers considered Sir Daniel to be endearing, and was considered a [[sex symbol]] in France.<ref name=Making />

In 1997, six months after approval of the project, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe would acquire the development team at Millennium Interactive from CyberLife while integrating the team as their second development unit at [[Cambridge]]; the third European developer under the company after [[Psygnosis]] and [[Team Soho|Sony's Soho-based unit]].<ref name="development" /><ref name=BTS /> It helped ease financial strain on the project, but did not assist the studio's inexperience with making 3D games.<ref name=Making /> The takeover was also "quite intimidating" to Sorrell and Wilson, who had not held conferences. Sorrell stated the concept of conferences was "totally alien".<ref name=BTS /> He felt that the game started to feel like a major project after a few meetings.<ref name=BTS />

Sorrell admitted in a retrospective interview that ''MediEvil'' presented "a mountain of challenges", since they, as many other developers at the time, were new to 3D gaming. He also admitted that some members of the team spent long nights without sleeping in order to finish the game on time.<ref name=Making /> He described it as "a huge learning project" for the team.<ref name=BTS /> During development, the Cambridge team played beta versions of successful platformers such as ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' and ''[[Crash Bandicoot (video game)|Crash Bandicoot]]'' which helped them understand how they might solve some challenges in building a 3D action game for the first time.<ref name=development /><ref name=Making />

Sony requested that ''MediEvil'' should support the PlayStation analogue controller, which Sorrell described as a "particularly fortuitous event" as it allowed them to capture much more fluidity and intuitiveness within the game. New concepts such as camera and character control presented many drawbacks and required the team to try out a number of approaches before settling on solutions that seemed to work. The team finally settled on the concept that ''MediEvil'' would support both analogue and digital camera-related controls for balance reasons.<ref name=Making /> Sorrell stated that a spline camera view was the first attempt, but he disliked it due to the lack of freedom for the player to feel as if he was exploring. It was then changed to a [[Free-form (video game gameplay)|free-form]] camera view, which "just worked".<ref name=BTSBook /> There were also many levels and ideas from the original concept that the team were forced to remove due to time or budget constraints. There was intended to be a platform-oriented section of the game where the player would control the worm that lived in Daniel's skull. Concept art and a separate level was created for this section, but it never materialised into the game.<ref name=q&a>{{cite web|title=MediEvil developers Q&A|url=http://www.sirdanielfortesque.proboards.com/thread/775|website=MediEvil Boards|publisher=ProBoards|access-date=20 April 2015|archive-date=11 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511002951/http://www.sirdanielfortesque.proboards.com/thread/775|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Humour drove the game forward. Jokes were reflections on how the team operated. Sorrell explained that the humour was a "happy accident", and that he used it only when he thought it appropriate. Wilson said that the team were "youthful and silly", and they liked horror films and comedy. He thought the humour was "a natural extension of our personalities".<ref name=BTS />

[[Paul Darrow]] voiced the character of Zarok.

=== Music ===
{{Listen
|filename=MediEvil credits.ogg
|title=MediEvil PlayStation game credits track
|description=30 second music sample from the MediEvil PlayStation game's final credits sequence}}

The original soundtrack of the game was composed by [[Paul Arnold (composer)|Paul Arnold]] and [[Andrew Barnabas]], the musical duo more commonly known as "Bob & Barn". SCE Cambridge instructed them to compose a [[Danny Elfman]]-influenced score, similar to those of ''[[Beetlejuice]]'', ''[[The Nightmare Before Christmas]]'' and ''[[Batman Returns (soundtrack)|Batman Returns]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gsoundtracks.com/interviews/arnold.htm|title=Interview with composer Paul Arnold|author=Ittensohn, Oliver|publisher=GSoundtracks|access-date=18 May 2012}}</ref> The music was created using electronic synthesisers to simulate an entire orchestra and [[organ (music)|organ]].<ref name=choir />

The 2005 PlayStation Portable re-imagining ''[[MediEvil: Resurrection]]'' used parts of the ''MediEvil'' score, along with original elements composed by Bob & Barn that was performed by a live orchestra and [[choir]].<ref name=choir>{{cite web|title=Sumthing Else Music Works Announces Release Of The Original Soundtrack CD For The PSP video game MediEvil Resurrection|url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sumthing-else-music-works-announces-release-of-the-original-soundtrack-cd-for-the-psp-videogame-medievil-resurrection|website=Game Industry|date=31 January 2006 |publisher=Gamer Network|access-date=26 April 2015}}</ref> An album was made from this music and signed copies can be purchased from the artists' website.<ref>{{cite web|title=MediEvil Resurrection Original Soundtrack Album|url=http://www.bobandbarn.com/shop/soundtrack-cd-medievil|publisher=Bob and Barn|access-date=23 August 2017|archive-date=15 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815173452/http://www.bobandbarn.com/shop/soundtrack-cd-medievil|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Marketing and release==
Sorrell explained that, during the marketing campaign, the team were frequently asked to go to graveyards for photo-shoots. These usually went without incident, but on one occasion a vicar asked them why they were filming on church property. They lied by telling him that they were students filming a documentary on churches.<ref name=Making /> Marketing campaigns also incorporated Sony Cambridge Studio's humour.<ref name=BTSBook>{{cite book|author1=GamesTM|author-link=GamesTM|title=Retro Volume 8|date=2015|publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]]|location=Bournemouth|isbn=978-1-78546-122-4|pages=126–131|chapter=Behind The Scenes MediEvil}}</ref>

''MediEvil'' was first released in North America and Europe in October 1998.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2001-12-30 |title=PlayStation - News |url=http://www.scea.com/news/press_example.asp?ReleaseID=9506 |access-date=2023-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011230042548/http://www.scea.com/news/press_example.asp?ReleaseID=9506 |archive-date=30 December 2001 }}</ref> The Japanese version, titled ''MediEvil: Yomigaetta Gallowmere no Yūsha,''{{efn|{{nihongo|''MediEvil: Yomigaetta Gallowmere no Yūsha''|メディーバル 〜甦ったガロメアの勇者〜}}<!-- See [[WP:JFN]] -->}} was released on 17 June 1999.<ref name="Famitsu">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=4773 |access-date=1 March 2017 |script-title=ja:メディーバル 〜甦ったガロメアの勇者〜 まとめ [PS] |language=ja |magazine=[[Famitsu]] |publisher=[[Enterbrain]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301175829/https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=4773 |archive-date=1 March 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> The character of Fortesque proved unpopular there, because Japanese audiences considered the idea of a skeleton being the protagonist strange.<ref name=Making /> The game was later released with ''[[C-12: Final Resistance]]'' in a two-disc pack on 9 May 2003.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/medievil-c-12-final-resistance/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301153228/http://www.gamespot.com/medievil-c-12-final-resistance/ |title=MediEvil / C-12: Final Resistance |work=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive Inc. |access-date=1 March 2017 |archive-date=1 March 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> It was also re-released on the [[PlayStation Network]] in 2007.<ref name="Ars Technica PSone">{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2007/05/psone-games-updated-playable-on-the-playstation-3-via-the-playstation-store/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121201223453/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2007/05/psone-games-updated-playable-on-the-playstation-3-via-the-playstation-store/ |title=Downloaded PSone games finally available for play on the PS3 |first=Ben |last=Kuchera |work=[[Ars Technica]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast]] |date=4 May 2007 |access-date=1 March 2017 |archive-date=1 December 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2011, ''MediEvil'' was released on [[Android (operating system)|Android]], although it is only compatible with PlayStation-certified devices such as the [[Sony Xperia Play]].<ref>{{cite web|title=MediEvil™|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sony.playstation.NCEA00311_0&hl=en_GB|website=Google Play|access-date=17 September 2017}}</ref><ref name=KYMRev>{{cite web|author1=Damien McFerran|title=MediEvil review [Xperia Play]|url=http://www.knowyourmobile.com/games/13357/medievil-review-xperia-play|website=Know Your Mobile|publisher=[[Dennis Publishing]]|access-date=17 September 2017|date=19 May 2011}}</ref>

== Reception ==
{{Video game reviews
| GR = 80%<ref name=GR/>
| GameRev = A−<ref name=GR1 />
| GSpot = 8.2/10<ref name=GS />
| IGN = 7.8/10<ref name=IGN2 /><br />5.9/10 (PSP)<ref name=IGN />
| Edge = 7/10<ref name=Edge>{{cite magazine|magazine=Edge|publisher=[[Future plc]]|issue=64|date=November 1998|page=87|issn=1350-1593|title=MediEvil|department=Testscreen|location=Bath}}</ref>
| CVG={{rating|2|5}}<ref name=CVG>{{cite magazine|magazine=Computer and Video Games|publisher=[[EMAP]]|issn=0261-3697|page=48|issue=204|date=November 1998|title=MediEvil|location=Peterborough|url=https://archive.org/stream/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_204_1998-11_EMAP_Images_GB#page/n47/mode/2up|access-date=22 August 2017}}</ref>
| NGen = {{rating|3|5}}<ref name=NGRev>{{cite magazine|title=MediEvil |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=48 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=December 1998|page=128|issn=1078-9693|url=https://archive.org/details/NextGeneration48Dec1998|access-date=22 August 2017}}</ref>
| Play = 86%<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Medievil|magazine=[[Play (US magazine)|Play]]|issue=40|date=November 1998|pages=64–66}}</ref>
| rev1 = Know Your Mobile
| rev1Score = {{rating|4|5}} (Android)<ref name=KYMRev />
}}
The game received positive reviews from critics upon release. It received an aggregate score of 80 percent from [[GameRankings]]<ref name="GR">{{cite web |title=GameRankings score |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/ps/197892-medievil/index.html |access-date=24 April 2015 |publisher=GameRankings}}</ref> and was mostly praised for its Halloween-influenced atmosphere by many critics.<ref name=IGN /><ref name=hell /> [[IGN]]'s Chris Roper praised the game's sense of humour and unique presentation, but was skeptical about the game's "sloppy" controls and disjointed level designs, noting that the game's graphics did not age well over time as compared to the [[MediEvil Resurrection|PSP remake]] which offered superior graphics and gameplay.<ref name=IGN>{{cite web|last1=Roper|first1=Chris|title=MediEvil review|url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2007/04/10/medievil-review|publisher=IGN|access-date=23 April 2015|date=9 April 2007}}</ref> [[Game Revolution]] praised the humour and combat, calling the game "one of the cleverest platform games ever made" and noting that its use of music, voice acting and [[full-motion video]] made up for its weaker graphics compared to ''[[Banjo-Kazooie (video game)|Banjo-Kazooie]].''<ref name="GR1">{{cite web |title=MediEvil review |url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/medievil |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104105157/https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/medievil |archive-date=4 Jan 2014 |access-date=23 April 2015 |website=GameRevolution |publisher=CraveOnline}}</ref> ''[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]''{{'}}s reviewer believed the game is "well crafted in some respects, underdeveloped in others": the "ingenious" feel was praised, but many levels were felt to be simple cases of maze navigation.<ref name=Edge /> The reviewer of ''[[Computer and Video Games]]'' criticised the game's repetitiveness, but said it "looks nice, and plays OK".<ref name=CVG /> The reviewer of ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' liked the dark humour, but complained about the camera, saying it does not smoothly keep up with the character. The conclusion was that ''MediEvil'' merely repeated what had already been done.<ref name=NGRev /> ''[[:fr:Joystick (magazine)|Joystick]]''{{'}}s reviewer thought that ''MediEvil'' would be a new whim for players.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Joystick|title=Medievil [sic]|issue=97|date=October 1998|page=208|language=fr}}</ref>

The music and atmosphere were the mostly praised aspects of the game. Many reviewers compared the visuals to be similar to Tim Burton's ''[[The Nightmare Before Christmas]],'' Joe Fielder of [[GameSpot]] credited ''MediEvil'' for its original look and number of unique puzzles, but criticised the camera work, summarising that a "tighter camera control" would have been a necessity.<ref name=GS>{{cite web|last1=Fielder|first1=Joe|title=MediEvil Review|url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/medievil-review/1900-2548312/|publisher=GameSpot|access-date=24 April 2015|date=23 October 1998}}</ref> Randy Nelson of IGN considered the game to be a homage to Capcom's ''[[Ghosts & Goblins]],'' stating that the game took too many inspirations from others and not enough innovation was put into it to make it "unique". Nelson praised the environment of the game but considered the gameplay to be best suited for "a mindless hack-'n-slash romp".<ref name=IGN2>{{cite web|last1=Nelson|first1=Randy|title=MediEvil – IGN|url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/1998/10/23/medievil|publisher=IGN|access-date=24 April 2015|date=22 October 1998}}</ref>

''MediEvil'' was named as a finalist by the [[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]] for "[[D.I.C.E. Award for Adventure Game of the Year|Console Adventure Game of the Year]]" and "Console Game of the Year" during the [[2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards]].<ref name="Console1999">{{cite web |title=Second Interactive Achievement Awards - Console |url=http://www.interactive.org:80/iaa/finalists_console.html |website=Interactive.org |publisher=Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences |access-date=28 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991011020746/http://www.interactive.org:80/iaa/finalists_console.html |archive-date=October 11, 1999}}</ref>

The Android version was described as "rather expensive" by Damien McFerran of Know Your Mobile, but he praised the humour and the amount of content, which he said made the game stand out from other 3D action games on Android.<ref name=KYMRev />

===Sales===
The game has been re-released as a "PlayStation Platinum" title in 1999, meaning it sold at least 400,000 copies in [[Europe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/197892-medievil/images/box93994.html|title=MediEvil (Platinum) (EU, 1999)|website=[[GameRankings]]|access-date=4 October 2018}}</ref>

==Remakes==
* In 2005, a "reimagining" was released on the [[PlayStation Portable]] under the title ''[[MediEvil: Resurrection]]''. The gameplay is similar, but there are several additional minigames and plot elements.
* An eponymous [[PlayStation 4]] [[MediEvil (2019 video game)|remake]] was released in 2019. It was developed by American studio Other Ocean Emeryville.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.us.playstation.com/2018/10/25/playstation-blogcast-311-no-bones-about-it|title=PlayStation Blogcast 311: No Bones About It|date=25 October 2018 }}</ref> The original 1998 game can be unlocked in the remake by completing special objectives.

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}
{{Clear}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

=== Sources ===
*{{cite book|author1=Greg Off|title=MediEvil: The Official Strategy Guide|date=1998|publisher=Dimension Publishing}}

== External links ==
*{{moby game|id=/medievil|name=MediEvil}}
*[http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/197892.asp ''MediEvil''] at [[GameRankings]]

{{MediEvil series}}
{{Guerrilla Games}}

[[Category:MediEvil| ]]
[[Category:1998 video games]]
[[Category:Action-adventure games]]
[[Category:Cancelled Sega Saturn games]]
[[Category:Dark fantasy video games]]
[[Category:Fantasy video games set in the Middle Ages]]
[[Category:Guerrilla Cambridge games]]
[[Category:Hack and slash games]]
[[Category:Horror video games]]
[[Category:PlayStation (console) games]]
[[Category:PlayStation (console)-only games]]
[[Category:PlayStation Network games]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]
[[Category:Sony Interactive Entertainment games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Video games set in cemeteries]]
[[Category:Video games set in the 14th century]]
[[Category:Video games set in psychiatric hospitals]]
[[Category:Video games set in the United Kingdom]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=MediEvil|access_date=2026-03-04}}