They include Dave the Diver, Construction Simulator, Raji: An Ancient Epic, Nour: Play With Your Food and Deliver Us Mars, all playable on PS4 and PS5. PS4 players can look forward to The Crew 2, Oddballers, The Lego Ninjago Movie Videogame and Lego Marvel’s Avengers. Finally, Miasma Chronicles and Stray Blade are playable exclusively on PS5.

PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers can look forward to three classic titles – Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare, Star Wars: Rebel Assault 2: The Hidden Empire and MediEvil, all from the PlayStation One era and playable on PS4 and PS5. Stay tuned for more updates on the Game Catalog in the coming weeks.

October is finally here and, as always, the focus is on that holiday that closes the month: Halloween. It’s generally the time to cart out all of your ghosts and ghouls and other assorted creatures associated with scary times. Seems PS Now will be no different in that regard as six new titles are available for the month with some that harken well to that time of the year.

As you can see below, it’s time for the monthly additions to Sony’s streaming service, PS Now. Probably the most notable one is last year’s Days Gone, an open world action game known for its literal hordes of zombies you have to contend with it. It will be available on Now for a limited time until January 4th 2021. There’s also Friday the 13th, the 4v1 multiplayer title that sees someone playing as the iconic killer Jason as four other players must try to escape or kill him. For something a little lighter, there’s the MediEvil remake, which sees undead knight Sir Daniel taking on all sorts of evil beasts. On top of that, we also have a few Halloween-esque indie titles, Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince, Steel Rats and Battle Princess Madeline.

All of these titles are available now via PS Now, which can be accessed on the PS4 and PC.

【#PSNow】10月の新規対応タイトルをご紹介！
『Days Gone Value Selection』が期間限定配信！
通常ラインナップには『フライデー・ザ・13th： ザ・ゲーム PlayStation®Hits』『メディーバル 甦ったガロメアの勇者』など5タイトルが追加。

詳しくはこちら⇒ https://t.co/qWAadBQ3UL pic.twitter.com/Ke8wpGSLXa

— プレイステーション公式 (@PlayStation_jp) October 6, 2020

Sony’s output of first party exclusives might have been lighter in 2019 than what we’ve become used to seeing from them this console generation (or what we’re going to see from them this year), but that doesn’t mean there was no stuff to enjoy at all. One of the smaller projects was a ground-up remake of the PS1 classic MediEvil, developed by Other Ocean Emeryville, and though it didn’t exactly set the world ablaze, the fans of the property were more than happy with how they modernized the game.

Given that, many have been hoping that a remake for MediEvil 2 will follow as well, and sure enough, some developments just last month made it seem like that might happen. Unfortunately though, it seems like that’s not the case- for now, at least. Jeff Nachbaur, producer at Other Ocean Emeryville, recently took to Twitter to confirm that the studio is no longer working on anything more related to MediEvil. He did, though, add that Other Ocean would be “more than happy” to continue working with the series, and that they have “some grand plans for future Dan adventures if given the chance.”

Here’s hoping Sony responds to what fans of the series are hoping to see, and teams up with Other Ocean once again not long from now. I know I wouldn’t mind playing a MediEvil 2 remake on the PS5.

https://twitter.com/nockeyworld/status/1235341089076391936

Last Halloween, we got to see the return of the cult classic MediEvil with a ground-up remake of the game on PS4. The game follows Sir Daniel as he’s resurrected and battles evil as a literal skeleton of his former self. The franchise was a short-lived one on the original PlayStation, but has seen revivals from time to time with re-releases of the first title. However, there was a sequel as well, one that’s been less revisited- but that may change if a tease from the original game’s composer is anything to go by.

On his official Twitter, composer Andrew Barnabas responded to a tweet from a MediEvil fan account simply saying “2.” His answer was coy, saying “actually…” before seeming to stop just short of saying that something was happening with the second game. He also replied to a user who said the recent remake wasn’t successful and therefore wouldn’t lead to a remake of the sequel, saying that was incorrect. Sony has said little about the first MediEvil remake since it released.

MediEvil 2 takes place in a Victorian London setting. There’s been less love in general directed its way than for its predecessor, but for fans who enjoyed revisiting Sir Daniel’s first adventure, it’ll surely be a welcome return. Whether or not Barnabas is just teasing or there is more to this is something we’ll just have to see. Hopefully, though, Sir Daniel’s resurrection continues.

Actually…..

— Andrew Barnabas (@AndrewBarnabas) February 2, 2020

I’m sorry you are incorrect

— Andrew Barnabas (@AndrewBarnabas) February 3, 2020

Nemesis – Resident Evil 3

Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that the redesign for Nemesis in the upcoming Resident Evil 3 is pretty twisted. While the original looked frightening enough, the remake stretches its lower jaw skin further while resembling the T-103 more (which itself very much resembling Mr. X). It’s a natural evolution and reflects the extreme nature of the Pursuer.

Other Ocean Emeryville and Sony recently launched their remake of the PS1 classic MediEvil for the PS4, bringing Sir Daniel Fortesque and his macabre shenanigans back from the dead. And while overall reception for the remake has been mixed, with several critics calling the game out for its dated design, many have been pleased with the product, and how it brings the PS1 classic forward into the modern age.

To highlight some of that praise, Sony have released a new accolades trailer for the game. The trailer also puts the spotlight on plenty of interesting gameplay footage, while the visual enhancements the game has received are also clear to see. If you’re on the fence about whether or not you should try the game out, take a look below.

In our own review of MediEvil, we praised the game for its charm and humour, but reserved criticism for the game’s refusal to rework some aged mechanics and design choices. Our verdict says, “MediEvil’s story, visual design, humor, and charm stand the test of time, but Other Ocean’s refusal to upgrade the gameplay and include checkpoints makes it a game that is stuck in the past.” You can read our full review through here.

MediEvil is available now on PS4.

Surprising no one, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has topped the charts for boxed video game sales in the UK, as per data provided by UKIE / Gfk Chart-Track (via GamesIndustry), with 62 per cent of its sales coming on PS4, and 38 per cent on Xbox One. Surprisingly, even as physical sales continue to decline day by day overall, Modern Warfare has surpassed the launch of last year’s Black Ops 4, selling 39 per cent more units. Its launch sales still fell below 2017’s Call of Duty: WW2, but as per GamesIndustry, counting digital sales, that gap becomes much smaller.

FIFA 20 which topped charts last week, has, as a result, been pushed down to second place, but the rest of the top 5 is all dominated by new releases. In spite of a bevy of criticism and plenty of backlash from fans, WWE 2K20 has managed to debut at No. 3, though launch week sales are down 31 per cent from those of WWE 2K19.

At No. 4 is The Outer Worlds, Obsidian Entertainment’s new RPG, and a spiritual successor to Fallout: New Vegas. Owing to the fact that The Outer Worlds is also available via Xbox Game Pass, its traditional launch week sales are skewed in favour of the PS4, with only 22 per cent of its sales coming on the Xbox One.

In fifth place is MediEvil, Other Ocean Emeryville and Sony’s remake of the PS1 cult classic. In spite of mixed critical reception, the game seems to have performed decently, which can be attributed to its £25 launch price. Following it at No. 6 is Ring Fit Adventure, which has actually seen a 5 per cent week-on-week rise in sales.

You can check out the full top 10 for the week ending October 26 below.

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
2. FIFA 20
3. WWE 2K20
4. The Outer Worlds
5. MediEvil
6. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
7. Ring Fit Adventure
8. Ghost Recon Breakpoint
9. Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville
10. Minecraft (Switch Edition)

That’s what Other Ocean has done in their remake of MediEvil, a cult favorite that released more than 20 years ago on the PlayStation. The story follows Sir Daniel Fortesque, a legendary knight who is credited with leading the armies of Gallowmere against the evil Zarok the Sorcerer and his undead horde hundreds of years ago. Though mortally wounded in the battle, Fortuesque was able to defeat Zarok and drive back his army. Afterwards, the people of Gallowmere revered him as a legend. It’s a good story.

"A lot of work has gone into making MediEvil look and sound modern, and Other Ocean has done an exceptional job of updating the game’s presentation."

It’s also all a lie. It’s true that Daniel did lead the army that attacked Zarok’s undead horde, but he was the very first to die in that battle, taking an arrow through the eye before the fighting even started. Naturally, this embarrassed him quite a bit. It also embarrassed the King of Gallowmere, who decided to cover it up and proclaim Fortesque a hero. Now, Zarok is back, using his magic to resurrect his army once more. Unknown to Zarok, however, his magic also resurrected Sir Daniel, who finally has the opportunity to become the hero the legends say he is, and earn his place alongside the champions of legend enshrined in the Hall of Heroes, who view him as a fraud.

A lot of work has gone into making MediEvil look and sound modern, and Other Ocean has done an exceptional job of updating the game’s presentation. The character models and environments have been completely redone, the controls have been updated, and even the camera, the true enemy of most older games, has also seen a reworking (though it’s still occasional frustrating, especially when the game forces you into a fixed camera angle). In addition, the game’s soundtrack and a few of its voices (most notably Sir Dan’s and the narrator’s) have been completely re-recorded. The narrator has seen by far the most love, with an expanded script that only improves the game’s irreverent sense of humor. Even the voices that haven’t been re-recorded have been enhanced. The result is that MediEvil looks and sounds like a modern game, and the wonderful art design, hilarious script and voice acting, silly story, and memorable levels make for a game that is still very much worth playing today.

The same cannot be said, unfortunately, about the title’s gameplay, which hasn’t been upgraded at all. While it’s admirable that Other Ocean has strived to retain the original game’s level design and mechanics and done an exceptional job of doing so – Other Ocean proudly notes that their recreation is so accurate that players could use guides and walkthroughs written for the original game in 1998 – it comes at a cost. Much of what MediEvil offers on a gameplay level, while not bad, could certainly be improved, and it’s a shame that Other Ocean has slaved themselves to systems that at more than twenty years old, and not used this as an opportunity to make MediEvil a better game, preserving the parts that work and throwing out the ones that don’t.

"You’ll approach many encounters one of two ways: stay back and shoot at enemies from range or switch your weapons rapidly in order to kill the charging enemies before they kill you. They’ll do that quickly, as even basic enemies deal tremendous amounts of damage if they land a blow."

The combat is the obvious culprit here. Combat often devolves into mashing a single button, trying to kill groups of enemies before they kill you. The game tries to alleviate this by giving each weapon access to both light and heavy attacks, the latter of which can be charged, and by providing you with lots of weapons, but it really doesn’t work out. There’s simply little depth to mine here, and despite the enemy variety, you’ll approach many encounters one of two ways: stay back and shoot at enemies from range or switch your weapons rapidly in order to kill the charging enemies before they kill you. They’ll do that quickly, as even basic enemies deal tremendous amounts of damage if they land a blow.

Daniel can ward off blows with his shield, but that shield has durability. High damage moves chew through even the best shields, so blocking isn’t an answer long term. Sir Dan also has life vials, which will bring him back from the dead should he fall, but when a few good hits will truck his meager health bar, that isn’t a big help. You can partially solve this problem by engaging enemies at range, but ammo is limited, and you’ll eventually have to jump into the fray. Boss fights are equally hit and miss, alternating between brilliant and mind-numbingly dull. The best challenge you, but the worst are just repeating the same motion over and over. A particularly egregious example comes early in the game as Sir Dan fights two wolves who continuously circle him and then charge. You avoid their attacks, and then fill them with crossbow bolts and throwing knives. Rinse and repeat. Yawn. But even boring boss fights carry a risk of imminent death because of Dan’s meager health bar.

Which brings me to MediEvil’s biggest problem: a complete lack of checkpoints. It’s commendable that Other Ocean wants to maintain MediEvil’s original design, but restarting a level every time you die isn’t fun, especially when the game’s combat isn’t very good, and a single mistake can cost you your life. This may sound like an odd complaint post-Souls games, but there’s a distinction between a game that’s designed to be replayed ad-infinitum and one that isn’t. MediEvil’s levels are good, and they’re fun the first, second, and even third time. But after that, it just gets irritating, especially since many of the levels just involve fighting, simple puzzle solving, and collecting keys to unlock the next area, and all the visual and enemy variety in the world can’t change the fact that you’re doing the same thing, just in different spaces. The good news is that many of the levels are short, so even if you die, you’re not losing a ton of time.

"MediEvil’s biggest problem is that it doesn’t take advantage of the fact that it’s a remake. Other Ocean has done an admirable job of updating the game’s sound design, script, visuals, controls and camera, but it ignored the biggest opportunity: fixing the flaws in the gameplay. "

The levels have chalices, which spice things up a bit, requiring you to fill them by killing all (or most) of the level’s enemies before they can be claimed. Claiming them allows access to rewards from the Hall of Heroes, where the legends of the past offer Dan new weapons and other boons. It adds a level of risk and reward to each level, and acquiring all of them grants access to the game’s best ending. But this isn’t enough to dull the pain of repeating the same level over and over again. If the combat were good, or the game less harsh, the lack of checkpoints wouldn’t be an issue. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

MediEvil’s biggest problem is that it doesn’t take advantage of the fact that it’s a remake. Other Ocean has done an admirable job of updating the game’s sound design, script, visuals, controls and camera, but it ignored the biggest opportunity: fixing the flaws in the gameplay. MediEvil’s story, characters, and environments are still a lot of fun, but the gameplay feels like a relic of another age, and not in a good way. StarCraft, Halo, and Shadow of the Colossus didn’t need to be reworked because their design stands the test of time. They’re games that exemplify the peak of what’s possible in their genres and trying to change them probably would have made them worse.

MediEvil simply isn’t that good. I don’t blame Other Ocean for staying true to a game they clearly love, but MediEvil’s gameplay simply doesn’t hold up. It’s not a bad game, even today, but it isn’t a good one, either. I hope that someone takes a crack at remaking or remastering MediEvil 2 because this is a charming series that, like Sir Dan himself, deserves a second chance. But if they’re only going to resurrect this franchise to slap a new coat of paint on it, Sir Dan was probably better off dead.

This game was reviewed on the PS4.

MediEvil might not have been the biggest game on the original PlayStation, nor is its PS4 remake Sony’s most high-profile release. But the PS1 classic had its fair share of fan following, which means that plenty of people have been looking forward to Other Ocean Emeryville’s revival of the action adventure title as well.

That action-adventure title is out now, promising improved visuals, polished mechanics, and a faithful recreation of the original experience. To go along with the game’s release, Sony have released a launch trailer, setting up the adventure awaiting players in the game and showing glimpses of the remake’s gameplay and its enhanced visuals. You can take a look low.

MediEvil is not too large a game, as far as file size is concerned, at just 22 GB, though it does have a 15 GB day 1 patch. If you’re wondering how the game looks in action, you can check out a recent gameplay trailer through here.

Earning new weapons and items in Sony’s MediEvil isn’t just about finding it in a chest. Sometimes you need to collect some souls, fill a chalice and hope for the best. In this case, it’s the Chalice of Souls that needs filling – doing so will earn some spiffy items like a crossbow.

In the most recent “Bonehead’s Guide to Gallowmere”, we learn that evil souls are needed to fill the Chalice. Which is important because apparently, not all souls are evil (who knew?). So be careful who you decide to kill – it might have some consequences down the line. Vanquish enough evil-doers and eventually, there will be a statue of Sir Dan in his honor.

Developed by Other Ocean Emeryville, MediEvil for the PS4 is out today and is a remake of the classic PS One title. Check out previous “Bonehead’s Guide to Gallowmere” videos to learn more about attacking with different weapons and using shields. You can also learn what the Dan Cam does here.