Do you like horror movies with lots of gore? Chainsaws? Hordes of undead people? Then Evil Dead: Fistful of Boomstick for PlayStation 2 should rip your heart out with joy. THQ is producing the most impressive game yet inspired by the Evil Dead films of Sam Raimi.
Resident Evil by Capcom was the first attempt at such a survival-horror title and it focused a lot on puzzle solving, less on action. Soon to follow, THQ published Evil Dead: Hail to the King, and the blood really started to flow. But, camera angles during fights, too many monsters to kill, and inattention to details made gameplay difficult and tedious. Now, THQ has emerged from the gore lab with Evil Dead: Fistful of Boomstick, and this time they think that they've got it right.
The latest Evil Dead game fuses the campy humor of the Evil Dead horror movies with a grizzly mix of action and problem solving. The Necronomicon Ex Mortis, or "ancient book of the dead", has turned the townspeople of Deerborn into the undead, or Deadites. You play the role of Ash, hero from the Evil Dead movies, to fight off their hordes. The mission is to battle your way through these ghouls before they swallow your soul. Weapons include an axe, rifle, shotgun (a.k.a. boomstick), smaller pick up items and the infamous chainsaw which is actually locked on to Ashs right arm as in the movie. A new spell casting system gives you the ability to take out Deadites with the Rain of Fire or to shock them with the Stun spell. Interactions with other characters provide hints to simple puzzles. Bruce Campbell, who played Ash in the Evil Dead movies, voices the main character with insults and hilarious one-liners as you shoot and slash your way through the town. Vortexes to the past and future transport you to Deerborn in four different time periods, with the history of the Deadite invasion unfolding before you.
Evil Dead: Fistful of Boomstick uses the same game engine as State of Emergency by Rockstar Games, to produce eerie scenes and smooth animations. Evil Dead movie fans will appreciate the recreation key locations. Overall, the gameplay is fast, fun and furious. So, even if you've never heard of the Evil Dead movies, we believe that this game will not disappoint.
