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Evil Dead: The Game - Review Thread

Bullet Club

Member
69ixW3C.jpg


Platforms:
  • Xbox Series X/S (May 13, 2022)
  • PlayStation 5 (May 13, 2022)
  • PC (May 13, 2022)
  • Xbox One (May 13, 2022)
  • PlayStation 4 (May 13, 2022)
Publisher: Nighthawk






Q2q6fCO.jpg



DualShockers - Callum Smith - 8 / 10

However, despite its few drawbacks, it’s a near-perfect tribute to Sam Raimi’s creation as the game is groovy fun whether you play as a survivor or a demon. It has a great foundation so here’s hoping Saber Interactive keeps us coming back with plenty of post-launch updates.
VG247 - Kelsey Raynor - 4 / 5

Evil Dead: The Game is a good time, albeit demanding (it appears single-player missions have everyone struggling), but it truly lets itself down by not having basic accessibility settings available to players. The game itself is certainly impressive in terms of its fresh gameplay and remarkable graphics, and there’s good fun to be had for fans of Evil Dead and Sam Raimi. However, horror fans without an affinity towards the series will likely find more fun in alternative multiplayer horror games, and they’ll probably find more accessibility-friendly games, too.

Flickering Myth - Shaun Munro - 7 / 10

If you can accept its unvarnished edges, Evil Dead: The Game is a fiendishly addictive asymmetric multiplayer game, crafted with a clear love for Sam Raimi’s iconic horror franchise.

GameGrin - Erin McAllister - 7.5 / 10

Playing as the Kandarian Demon isn't as fun as it should be and the single-player experience is somewhat lacking, but if you want to team up with three friends and show a bunch'a deadites just how deadly a prosthetic chainsaw can be, this is the game for you.

Metro GameCentral - GameCentral - 6 / 10

A loving homage to the Evil Dead franchise, but it's a series that doesn't particularly suit the 4 vs. 1 concept, with shallow combat and too little variety.

PSX Brasil - Paulo Roberto Montanaro - Portuguese - 70 / 100

Evil Dead: The Game surprises by offering pretty solid action mechanics, a functional co-op model and amazing visuals, even if it needs to fix some rough edges here and there. However, it lacks the charisma so present in the franchise on which it is inspired and will depend a lot on community support and extra content to stay alive.

Stevivor - Steve Wright - 7 / 10

It’s sometimes a little rough around the edges, but there are some amazing selling points when it comes to Evil Dead. It has the look, feel and sound of proceedings down pat, even down to the movement of the evil presence as it stalks Ash and his friends in the cold, dark woods.

The Outerhaven Productions - Karl Smart - 2 / 5

Evil Dead: The Game is a game that is great in concept, but makes the same mistake that other games looking to dethrone Dead by Daylight make: Focusing on one franchise and expecting it to carry the whole experience. Evil Dead: The Game has a solid foundation but stagnates very easily due to a lack of variety in gameplay objectives and maps. Not to mention it relies on people working together in order to win as one side, which doesn't work without a solid communication system that everyone actually uses or a community that actually wants to work together.

TheSixthAxis - Jim Hargreaves - 6 / 10

Evil Dead fans will love the amount of fan service on offer here, from the painstaking recreation of movie locations to Bruce Campbell's goofy one-liners. However, when it comes to raw entertainment value, there's an imbalance between the forces of good and evil. Playing as the survivors can be fun with friends but lacks the fun or variety of being an evildoer.

Try Hard Guides - Erik Hodges - 9 / 10

Campy and full of action, Evil Dead: The Game still manages to throw in plenty of scares and tense moments as a human player, and playing the Demon offers a truly strategic experience where you still feel challenged. Powerful you may feel, but never overwhelmingly so, as humanity’s defenders can easily overcome a cocky and careless demon.

Twinfinite - Zhiqing Wan - 4 / 5

Quote not yet available


XboxEra - Jesse Norris - 7 / 10

Evil Dead: The Game is pretty damned fun. For how long I’m not sure, but at $39.99 retail at launch, I think it's well worth the price if you have anyone to play with. Even solo I love playing as the demon and terrorizing at least 2 and sometimes 4 versions of Bruce Campbell. Post-launch support will help this title sink or swim in the long run, but at launch, this Deadite by Daylight is a damned good time.

But Why Tho? - Kate Sanchez - 8 / 10

Evil Dead: The Game is a blast. It’s fun to play, difficult in spots, and something I can see myself returning to again and again just to keep exploring and learning, as well as unlocking new things as I’m sure they’ll become available over the games’ lifespan. Plus, for Deadites out there, it’s beyond a great buy with lore plugged into just about every design choice, line of dialogue, and piece of the landscape. So pick it up and all the king baby.

ComingSoon.net - Michael Leri - 4 / 10

With such a lackluster suite of systems, samey objectives, awful single-player missions, and underwhelming demon gameplay, Evil Dead: The Game is unlikely to live long enough to get a vacation down to Jacksonville and more likely to be dead by daylight.

Dexerto - Ava Thompson-Powell - 8 / 10

Evil Dead: The Game is a faithful and bloody horror that combines plenty of gameplay systems from across the multiplayer genre in tight, impactful gameplay. A variety of game modes and classes mean that there’s something for everyone, but it’s let down by quick-to-tire and repetitive finishing moves, limited accessibility features, and restrictions on earning experience.
That being said, I’m incredibly excited to see what Saber Interactive has got in-store in the future, as with such a well-designed, lightning-in-a-bottle type formula, Evil Dead: The Game will either survive the test of time or be banished to the deep recesses of player’s minds depending upon the quality of the game’s future updates and how many it receives over time.










 

MiguelItUp

Gold Member
As a large Evil Dead fan, I've had a blast with the game. But yeah, I didn't expect this to get glowing review scores as it's an asymmetrical multiplayer game. But it IS fun IMO, looks great too. I have absolutely no regrets buying it.

What I WILL say, is that I'm slightly concerned about the games future until they provide a roadmap of some form. They did say a new map is coming soon, so that's something (the maps are HUGE), but depending on how everything is handled it could do well or fall off incredibly fast.
 
It's been a blast, just needs decent support with content and updates. Has a few rough edges that hopefully get ironed out especially on PC, like no push to talk function. Future support is going to be essential for this game, so many of these online focused titles come out and lack proper support. The game launched in a solid state, it's fun, but they need to do keep people around with more content. They announced the new map for summer so that's soon already at least.

I like the reviews complaining about not understanding what to do. So literally you skipped the tutorials in game that explain in detail how the entire game is played? Brilliant critique
 
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MiguelItUp

Gold Member
I like the reviews complaining about not understanding what to do. So literally you skipped the tutorials in game that explain in detail how the entire game is played? Brilliant critique
On launch it looked like a TON of people didn't do the tutorials, or just turned their brain off during it. So many people running around with no clue.
 

NickFire

Member
I'm torn over this one. I loved Friday 13th, but did not care for DbD. I also like but don't love the source material. Part of me wants to buy it now. Another part says it will be on sale quickly. Still trying to decide.
 

Heimdall_Xtreme

Jim Ryan Fanclub's #1 Member
So not true. I have played over 20 matches and not once I had 4 ash players. Most I’ve seen was 2.

Dude, sometimes I'm sarcastic, but look... I haven't played the title yet and guess what...

xDD

1:45





We know that the most popular and main character of the saga is ASH.
 
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MiguelItUp

Gold Member
a match online game

player 1 : ASH

player 2: ASH

player 3: ASH

player 4: ASH

No one wants to play this game if their character isn't Ash.
In the 20ish matches I've played, there's never been 4 Ashes. Your mileage may vary of course, I mean, Ash IS Evil Dead, yes. However, depending on your preferred class, there's most likely a character that will be better for you because of their tree and abilities. I've seen a TON of high level characters that AREN'T Ash as well.
So not true. I have played over 20 matches and not once I had 4 ash players. Most I’ve seen was 2.
Yup, I think I saw 3 once, and one of them was me because I was checking out AoD Ash.
 

jaysius

Banned
Asymmetric games need to die.

It would have been amazing if they used this IP for an amazing single player experience. Maybe they could have had this game with a little less nuance as the multiplayer.

This game is $52 CND... LOL!!!
 

NickFire

Member
Asymmetric games need to die.

It would have been amazing if they used this IP for an amazing single player experience. Maybe they could have had this game with a little less nuance as the multiplayer.

This game is $52 CND... LOL!!!
What's wrong with asymmetric games for the horror genre? They kind of fit perfectly considering the genre is usually one bad person killing a bunch of people.
 

Reizo Ryuu

Gold Member
I like the reviews complaining about not understanding what to do. So literally you skipped the tutorials in game that explain in detail how the entire game is played? Brilliant critique
On launch it looked like a TON of people didn't do the tutorials, or just turned their brain off during it. So many people running around with no clue.
I feel like it's worse, because unless you actually turn off "tips", these giant cards flash on screen all the time telling you what all mechanics are when it comes up (like when your fear gets high, the stay out of the dark/stay together card pops up), the current objective is also always on the screen 🤷‍♂️
No one wants to play this game if their character isn't Ash.
I haven't used ash yet tbh, I always use cheryl/kelly/amanda/pablo.
I did see someone throw a tantrum because they wanted to be an ash someone already selected, so they quit forcing the entire lobby to disband smh..
Asymmetric games need to die.
You can play it fully coop or solo if you don't want to play versus.
its single player too? or only online like friday 13?
Online connection is required.
 
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MiguelItUp

Gold Member
Asymmetric games need to die.

It would have been amazing if they used this IP for an amazing single player experience. Maybe they could have had this game with a little less nuance as the multiplayer.

This game is $52 CND... LOL!!!
Honestly, I don't want them to, they just need to be done better.

This morning I was thinking about how I want asymmetrical team-based games to come back, haha. Nosgoth, AVP 1/2, Natural Selection, Gloom, etc.

I don't think they've done this one poorly though, it's just a AA budget title, so there are some limitations. I feel like they went this route because they've already gone the single player route with three other previous titles in the past. I'm just glad to see it come back.

Yeah, it's $40 USD. Which, I don't feel ISN'T fair, at least for me. But I feel like it definitely would've gotten more traction if it were lower or F2P.

It COULD do pretty well, but we gotta see that roadmap.
 
Been playing every day since launch and only one match did I ever get 4 Ash team. So far things have been pretty mixed up, especially with how strong the other characters are. Arthur is a beast. Kelly is a dodge monster. Cheryl is a healing champion. And folks love Pablo making free amulets for the group.

Ash Vs Evil leader class is also pretty meh, the other leaders are both better characters

Also that video quoted, the guy is completely wrong about how the characters play once you level them up. The characters stat allocations and styles are completely different as you progress, at the start they are all very similar but once leveled up they are wildly different in play style and against high level demon players you have to take roles seriously.
 
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Calverz

Member
its single player too? or only online like friday 13?
Has single player with ai and against an ai demon. I believe though you need to be online to play these modes. Not really a deal breaker for me but may for some people against that sort of thing.

There is also some single player missions. Where basically you are ash playing out some film scenarios on your own. I played both Friday 13th and dbd and I think this is better. Purely because playing as survivor is more fun with the combat and looting focus.
 

TrebleShot

Member
It’s really good and has good polish but it should have been free to play, I suspect it will come to PS PLUS and XBGP before long me possibly go F2P with a season pass which would suit it actually
 

Luipadre

Member
It’s really good and has good polish but it should have been free to play, I suspect it will come to PS PLUS and XBGP before long me possibly go F2P with a season pass which would suit it actually
Why lol. I bet the license wasnt cheap either.
 
What does assymetric game mean? 🤔

Typically uneven sides, one side are the "good guys" versus "bad guys". 1 vs 4 games like DBD, Predator, F13th, this game, and the upcoming Texas Chainsaw. Instead of going coop against an AI, you are playing against a player.

The game though does support from launch the play against AI controlled players. Right now for example you can get matched as a survivor with high level demon players who will make things very tough, so going and playing against an AI demon instead might be better to start and learn and build up XP.
 
Typically uneven sides, one side are the "good guys" versus "bad guys". 1 vs 4 games like DBD, Predator, F13th, this game, and the upcoming Texas Chainsaw. Instead of going coop against an AI, you are playing against a player.

The game though does support from launch the play against AI controlled players. Right now for example you can get matched as a survivor with high level demon players who will make things very tough, so going and playing against an AI demon instead might be better to start and learn and build up XP.

That sounds really fun. Thanks for the response!
 
I hope for more objectives or some more modes. I get the basic jist of the game loop and some games focus on a single game loop type, such as DBD, but would like more variety as the whole find map pieces, find dagger and pages of the book, then banish dark ones thing over and over in same order is gonna get stale to some.
 
Typically uneven sides, one side are the "good guys" versus "bad guys". 1 vs 4 games like DBD, Predator, F13th, this game, and the upcoming Texas Chainsaw. Instead of going coop against an AI, you are playing against a player.

The game though does support from launch the play against AI controlled players. Right now for example you can get matched as a survivor with high level demon players who will make things very tough, so going and playing against an AI demon instead might be better to start and learn and build up XP.

I don't think you earn XP playing against AI.
 
I've played it a ton since it came out. But then again, DbD is my most played game and I also loved Evolve to death, so I am just a huge fan of the genre. But the game is a lot of fun. I don't know what these people rating it 40% are smoking. There are loads of survivors that all play differently, even within the same class. All three demons are very different as well. And even within each survivor or demon you have these huge skill trees to unlock, so they can all play differently.
 

Reizo Ryuu

Gold Member
Not available in MS Store or Xbox website etc. Is it not rated for Australia or something?
 

Cheers mate. So weird, this one I clicked early isn't available. Different bundle or something I guess.

 
Got it the other day for my XSX and :

Let's get it out of the way, game is fun ;)
Never was a fond of MP games and my Halo and Calladuty days are way past behind me, plus, i never enjoyed Dead by Daylight (from the little time i spent on it) BUT, i do loved raiders of the broken planet/Spacelords (when it wasn't F2P), in fact, Evil Dead is more Spacelords than Dead by Daylight in that it's more of a 4 Vs A.I (or 4 Vs an antagonist) than a "trying to avoid the big bad®" asymmetrical type of MP game.
The nice thing is that you can play it purely as a co-op game without getting frustrated by a human antagonist/demon fucking with you (again, like Spacelords) since besides the normal mode (4 Vs 1) there's also a 4 Vs A.I one.


Also :
+ Silky smooth 60fps action
+ Graphics (models/geometry/textures/lighting) are really, really nice.
+ Animations are (mostly) good - the finishers especially are friggin' amazing.
+ Nice SFX and directional sound, music is (obviously) taken from the films.
+ Really nice atmosphere .
+ Lots of characters to choose from (and they all have their unique perks/abilities).
+ Melee is fine/good as is the shooting

Now, for the bad :

- The whole experience is pretty...barebones.
Sure, there's 4-5 "different" modes but in the end it all boils down to : find the pages --> get to the map/dagger --> horde mode for a couple of mins each time --> get to the (same) boss and try to defeat it, that's the whole experience in a nutshell (as a survivor).

- Graphics are pretty nice but the whole presentation is lacking, i mean, you have some SP scenario-based missions where the 'story" bits are presented via static screens, that's it, no FMV's taken from the movies, no CG, no nothing, just static screens.It just feels cheap and rushed.

- Lack of details : the game world is static as they come, can't shoot signs/TV's/Tables/chairs/no bullet holes when shooting at the environment etc, nothing is breakable, everything feels like it's a prop, i do understand that this is a MP game but...

- Buggy navigation : you can get stuck in geometry (rarely but it still happens) , inability to walk/run/navigate towards certain platforms/roads etc 'cause , apparently, you're a couple of millimeters "off" from the platforms'/road's perceived "path", inability to jump over certain obstacles/fences even though you're supposed to (interaction sign appears) etc etc.

- While the combat feels good, some things like joypad vibration feel like an afterthought - light attacks usually lack vibration/rumble (heavy ones too) while finishers feel really nice due to (nicely) implemented rumble, on the other hand, you can shoot a shotgun and...there's no vibration at all (if there is, it's so minimal that you can barely feel it).
Also, (basic) options like stick sensitivity are completely absent.

Now, all of this would be fine and dandy if it wasn't for one thing : The price.
This is yet another game where the publisher asks you money upfront for...what it is to come in the future.
Right now, we're talking about 40 Bucks/Eurotrons (60 for the "deluxe edition) for...1 map and 1 game type (4 VS 1) aaaaand, that's it.
The "season pass" is comprised of "4 DLC packs" which fuck knows what they are/going to be (besides the 1st one which is a character skin pack).
Couple that with the repetitiveness due to a lack of modes and - generally speaking - the fact that the game is - IMO - light on content and this really doesn't feel that good of a deal even if you're a die-hard ED fan, i imagine the developer must have spent most of the budget on the license/actors etc 'cause this doesn't feel like a 40-60 EU game.
After having played a 5-6 matches i already get the feeling that this game won't have any legs if the devs don't produce some new content ASAP (there's a new map coming soon), it's like they never learn, and of course, after a game gets heavily discounted after barely a few weeks and die altogether after a couple of months due to a lack of online population (and its original MSRP) then it's the "market's fault®", am i right ?...maybe, you know, actually shipping a finished and/or robust feature-wise game, or, selling it a a normal/lower price would do the trick but they obviously never learn.

It's a G'damned shame guys/gals 'cause the game does have some good foundations but as it stands right now, for the money they're asking it's extremely light on content.
Personal opinion : this will be on Gamepass/Playstation+ sooner rather than later.

Sorry for the long-winded post, cheers
 
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drotahorror

Member
It’s …pretty good. Gameplay loop is fun for the most part but a bit too repetitive. I can’t see this having lasting power.

Back to hoping The Texas Chain Saw Massacre turns out half decent.
 

NickFire

Member
Got it the other day for my XSX and :

Let's get it out of the way, game is fun ;)
Never was a fond of MP games and my Halo and Calladuty days are way past behind me, plus, i never enjoyed Dead by Daylight (from the little time i spent on it) BUT, i do loved raiders of the broken planet/Spacelords (when it wasn't F2P), in fact, Evil Dead is more Spacelords than Dead by Daylight in that it's more of a 4 Vs A.I (or 4 Vs an antagonist) than a "trying to avoid the big bad®" asymmetrical type of MP game.
The nice thing is that you can play it purely as a co-op game without getting frustrated by a human antagonist/demon fucking with you (again, like Spacelords) since besides the normal mode (4 Vs 1) there's also a 4 Vs A.I one.


Also :
+ Silky smooth 60fps action
+ Graphics (models/geometry/textures/lighting) are really, really nice.
+ Animations are (mostly) good - the finishers especially are friggin' amazing.
+ Nice SFX and directional sound, music is (obviously) taken from the films.
+ Really nice atmosphere .
+ Lots of characters to choose from (and they all have their unique perks/abilities).
+ Melee is fine/good as is the shooting

Now, for the bad :

- The whole experience is pretty...barebones.
Sure, there's 4-5 "different" modes but in the end it all boils down to : find the pages --> get to the map/dagger --> horde mode for a couple of mins each time --> get to the (same) boss and try to defeat it, that's the whole experience in a nutshell (as a survivor).

- Graphics are pretty nice but the whole presentation is lacking, i mean, you have some SP scenario-based missions where the 'story" bits are presented via static screens, that's it, no FMV's taken from the movies, no CG, no nothing, just static screens.It just feels cheap and rushed.

- Lack of details : the game world is static as they come, can't shoot signs/TV's/Tables/chairs/no bullet holes when shooting at the environment etc, nothing is breakable, everything feels like it's a prop, i do understand that this is a MP game but...

- Buggy navigation : you can get stuck in geometry (rarely but it still happens) , inability to walk/run/navigate towards certain platforms/roads etc 'cause , apparently, you're a couple of millimeters "off" from the platforms'/road's perceived "path", inability to jump over certain obstacles/fences even though you're supposed to (interaction sign appears) etc etc.

- While the combat feels good, some things like joypad vibration feel like an afterthought - light attacks usually lack vibration/rumble (heavy ones too) while finishers feel really nice due to (nicely) implemented rumble, on the other hand, you can shoot a shotgun and...there's no vibration at all (if there is, it's so minimal that you can barely feel it).
Also, (basic) options like stick sensitivity are completely absent.

Now, all of this would be fine and dandy if it wasn't for one thing : The price.
This is yet another game where the publisher asks you money upfront for...what it is to come in the future.
Right now, we're talking about 40 Bucks/Eurotrons (60 for the "deluxe edition) for...1 map and 1 game type (4 VS 1) aaaaand, that's it.
The "season pass" is comprised of "4 DLC packs" which fuck knows what they are/going to be (besides the 1st one which is a character skin pack).
Couple that with the repetitiveness due to a lack of modes and - generally speaking - the fact that the game is - IMO - light on content and this really doesn't feel that good of a deal even if you're a die-hard ED fan, i imagine the developer must have spent most of the budget on the license/actors etc 'cause this doesn't feel like a 40-60 EU game.
After having played a 5-6 matches i already get the feeling that this game won't have any legs if the devs don't produce some new content ASAP (there's a new map coming soon), it's like they never learn, and of course, after a game gets heavily discounted after barely a few weeks and die altogether after a couple of months due to a lack of online population (and its original MSRP) then it's the "market's fault®", am i right ?...maybe, you know, actually shipping a finished and/or robust feature-wise game, or, selling it a a normal/lower price would do the trick but they obviously never learn.

It's a G'damned shame guys/gals 'cause the game does have some good foundations but as it stands right now, for the money they're asking it's extremely light on content.
Personal opinion : this will be on Gamepass/Playstation+ sooner rather than later.

Sorry for the long-winded post, cheers
Appreciate the review.
 

kunonabi

Member
Maxed out the Necromancer class. I wish the level cap was 50 so I could get the build just right, oh well.
 
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IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman


Evil Dead: The Game Reviewed on Xbox Series X by Travis Northup. Also available on Xbox One, PlayStation, and PC.

Evil Dead: The Game is an awesome asymmetric multiplayer game that, like its source material, is far better than it has any right to be given its frustrating lack of polish and being somewhat light on maps and modes. Playing as a survivor is a fantastic cooperative shooter experience despite frequent problems with janky level geometry that leads to unfair deaths and other questionable design choices, while playing as the evil mastermind is just downright magnificent thanks to the amusingly fiendish ways you can mess with the other team. The single-player story missions are a distressing mess that I could have done without being forced to play through for unlocks, but everything else proves worthy of the classic cheesy movies that inspired it.
 
Didn’t even know this game existed

Big fan of the films so decided to pick this up, grabbed the deluxe edition because why not

Only complaints so far which isn’t really a complaint is that this game is absolutely impossible to play with daylight shining in. Really hard to see shit. I think I’m gonna be playing the shit out of this once it gets dark
 
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