MediEvil 2
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| MediEvil 2 | |
|---|---|
 Game cover art for the European release | |
| Developer(s) | SCE Cambridge Studio |
| Publisher(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment |
| Composer(s) | Andrew Barnabas & Paul Arnold |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation |
| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
MediEvil 2 (MediEvil II in North America) is the sequel to MediEvil, a Gothic comedy horror platform game that allowed the player to explore several horror themed levels set in the Medieval century, the opportunity to collect items, weapons and activate sequences in order to complete tasks to advance further in the story. It was released on April 30, 2000 in North America and May 9, 2000 in Europe.
Similar to the first game, the player is set to defeat monsters in order to foil Zarok's evil plans again. This sequel also contains several new characters and an entire new range of levels set in 19th Century London. However, it still follows similar beasts, demons, traps and encounters with bosses as before. The exact date of the game's setting is unknown, however the year is defined as 1886 AD, 500 years after Sir Daniel Fortesque was laid to rest.
Plot
After Sir Daniel Fortesque slew the evil sorcerer Zarok, he went to the Hall of Heroes and his body went to rest for all eternity in peace as a true hero. Now, 500 years later, Dan has been awakened in a Victorian museum in Kensington, 1886, and is found by a helpful ghost named Winston. He learns that Zarok's spell book has unfortunately been found by another sorcerer named Lord Palethorn. Upon opening the book, Palethorn managed to scatter all of the pages across London, turn himself into an elf with red skin (a side effect from the book losing all of its content) and unleashed the living dead amongst the city. So, it's up to Sir Dan and his new allies, a professor with metal hands and a mummy princess named Kiya to stop Palethorn from collecting all the lost pages of the spell book to take over all of London.
After fighting many monsters, ending with the notorious Jack the Ripper (who at first kills Kiya, but is thwarted after Dan travels back in time to save her, officially making the two a couple), Dan eventually finds the final page at Cathedral Spires. This makes the building come down, but Dan survives and wanders the ruins till he gets to a small room. Palethorn then shows up in a hovercraft and takes the page from him, then offers Dan the chance to join him. Dan declines, so Palethorn sends his henchmen Mander and Dogman (who were also affected by the spell, but unlike their master, they were turned into a lizard and dog) to kill him again (the first fight they have occurs in Greenwich Observatory). Once Dan slaughters them, he goes to the next room where Palethorn summons a large blue demon from Zarok's book with a bull's skull for a head and white wings. Dan defeats Palethorn by getting him to accidentally shoot the demon with his machine guns with whatever projectile weapons he has, which results in getting his hovercraft punched by the demon. When the demon throws the final blow on Palethorn, the hovercraft crashes onto the ground and the demon flies into the pit below. Palethorn, before dying, plants a bomb to take Dan with him, but he escapes. The professor, Dan, and Kiya then reunite and like the first game, the ending will differ depending on what the player did:
- Not all chalices collected: The professor takes Dan and Kiya back to Kiya's tomb in Kesington. After saying their goodbyes, the undead couple go inside the coffin and then happily rest together, waiting for when they are given the task of saving the world once again.
- All chalices collected: The time machine Dan used earlier will appear before the three. Dan and Kiya decide to go back in time and wind up in Zarok's lair. There's a thumping sound and then the couple encounter a fused form of Zarok and Palethorn (it has Zarok's dragon form body with Palethorn's head). The monster then goes towards them with its mouth wide open and the screen goes black.
Game design
MediEvil 2 contains several of the original forms of gameplay, weaponry and graphics that were present in the first title of the series. Whilst featuring many of the classic swords and other medieval weaponry, long range weapons are more modern, taking the form of pistols, shotguns and portable Gatling guns. Progress through the game is a bit more linear and story driven.
New Features
- Weapon toggle: Two weapons can be selected from the inventory, so players can easily switch between them. For example, to equip a close-range weapon, like a sword or an axe, and a projectile weapon, like a crossbow or a gatling gun. By default, L1 + Square changes weapon.
- Dan-hand: Unlocked halfway through the game, Dan can place his heads on one of the scuttling green hands in order to get into small areas to solve puzzles or access hidden treasure. Whilst in this mode, Dan can freely swap between his head and his body. This does come with risks, as Dan-hand has no attacks and is quite vulnerable. Sometimes Dan's head will be stolen by a bird on certain levels, and Dan must climb to their nest to retrieve it. While Dan's head is off, walking alien heads can also attach themselves on top of Dan and sap his health; rapidly moving around will shake them off. L1 + Triangle switches between Dan and his head, or puts it back on when standing over it.
- Dankenstein: One of the levels involve Dan fighting in a boxing match, using a Frankenstein's Monster-esque body, against a large robot. The fighters fight each other, with limbs coming off after certain amounts of damage. Up to two lost limbs can be recovered between rounds (after defeating the imps who are carrying them around). Dan will lose if he loses all his limbs, or if he is unable to defeat his opponent in three rounds.
- Camera controls: It is now possible to control the game camera on the right analog stick.
Changes:
- Linear Progression and Level Selection: There is only one choice of next level, unlike at certain points in the first game, as Medievil 2 does not feature a map. A projector in the Professor's Lab displays a single level onto a board and the player can scroll left or right one at a time to choose a level. Sometimes new levels will start immediately after completing one without first returning to the lab. Unlike in the first game you can ask the Professor to give you a (albeit, brief) mission briefing for a level.
- Spiv:: The Spiv character replaces the Merchant Gargoyles from the first game.
- Start-of-Area Saving: As some levels in the game are made-up of more than one area, Winston the Ghost will offer you the chance to save inside a new area (after a load sequence), which often occurs before boss fights, using the phrase "Alright Dan you've come a long way. I'd save if I were you."
- Falling Damage:: Unlike in the previous game, when falling from a height Dan will now receive damage. Dan will either lose health or instantly die, depending on the height in which he falls.
Characters
- Sir Daniel Fortesque - The protagonist of the game. He was the captain chosen to lead the fight against Zarok, but was killed by an arrow during the first charge. He was later resurrected when Zarok returned to terrorize the land once again. This time Sir Dan was able to defeat his nemesis, restoring his name and proving himself to be a true hero. He is a skeleton with no lower jaw, therefore he humorously mumbles in speech although unlike the first game, the player can hear him. Compared to the first game, his design was slightly modified. His head is a little larger, and he also wears leather gloves. Jason Wilson reprise his role as voice actor.
- Professor Hamilton Kift - A nervous, fast-talking professor in the laboratory near an unused underground rail station. He's a somewhat short man with mechanical hands and a large head. He is skilled in different forms of science, philosophy, the occult and has a knack for creating inventions. Collecting the Chalice in each level provides him the materials to earn a new weapon. Collecting the Chalice from a level you've already done before earns a load of money. Dan can access new levels as well as levels he's already completed via the Professor's projector in the lab.
- Kiya - A soft spoken mummy who has been dead inside The Tomb for thousands of years and enunciates every word she says carefully. She is actually blue in skin color and wears bandages. She knows embalming techniques and is grateful to Sir Dan for having rescued her from her eternal prison. Later, their relationship becomes deeper after Dan goes through a huge ordeal to rescue her from Jack the Ripper in Whitechapel.
- Winston Chapelmount - A cheery young ghost with large eyes. His name is a play on Winston Churchill. His history creates a spectral shadow, upon which he can be called to provide help for Dan. He teaches Dan how to find and use ancient magic. He also provides save points on long levels and on a few occasions relays Dan's earned weapon to him when he is unable to access the Professor's lab.
- Lord Palethorn - The villain of the game. His motive is to find all the lost pages of Zarok's spellbook so he can gain control of London. He was once an acquaintance of the Professor and was the one responsible for damaging his hands before being banished from the cult. He is voiced by Steven Blum.
- Mander - Lord Palethorn's associate, he was turned into a lizard during the spell and is notably smarter than Dogman.
- Dogman- Dogman is Lord Palethorn's muscle man. He was also another victim of Palethorn's spell, turning him into a dog.
- Jack the Ripper - The notorious murderer who attacks Kiya. To defeat him, Dan must wait until the killer starts draining Kiya's life. He will then go from transparent to opaque, so that is Dan's chance to attack him. Once he defeats the Ripper, he begs for mercy. Dan ignores it and kills him with a single shot from his pistol.