Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick

"$20 For A Groovy Time"

Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick puts you, the eager player; in the blood soaked shoes of Ashley Williams (aka Ash) from the cult classic Evil Dead film series. Let me give a brief rundown on the story of this game. The town of Deerborn, Michigan is quiet and peaceful until one night, on a television program; a professor plays a tape in which a demon resurrection passage from the Necronomican Ex Mortis (The Book of The Dead) is said aloud. From this point on, demons begin to possess the inhabitants of the small town. This is when Ash, you, decides to take on the role he does in the films, he takes on the role as the deadite slaying hero. And this is where the game starts.

The gameplay of ED: FOB is a combination of typical hack and slash type games while at the same time borrows some elements from games like Metroid and Resident Evil. For example, in order for you to progress at certain points, you need items from other parts of a level to do so. This makes the game more interesting and keeping it from being a simple and mindless hack and slash game.

There are six levels in total in the game. Each level is an open area in which you can go anywhere you want in it, unless you need a certain item first. The best way to describe the level design is to think of Grand Theft Auto III, but only think really small. A city is shrunken down into a small town and filled with an unending amount of enemies to kill. The levels also have some variety, but at the same time they do not. The first two levels take place in modern day Deerborn while the last three levels take place in different time periods of the same town. Each different time period creates a different look and feel to the town. When you beat each level you will unlock concept art. Unfortunately, there is no level selection in this game. This means that if you want to go back and play a specific level you are going to have to play through the game and get back to it, unless you want to play the first level again.

The sound in this game is not groundbreaking, but at the same time it is not terrible either. The soundtrack is generally symphonic and it will become more dramatic if you are you being pursued by the demon possessed citizens of Deerborn. All the voice acting in the game is satisfactory for the over-the-top type of horror Evil Dead is. Bruce Campbell does voice acting of Ash, which adds a touch of authenticity to ED fans. There is even a button you can press in the game that just has Ash say one-liners.

The graphics are nothing to get excited about, but they are ok. Do not expect any bump-mapping or real-time lighting effects. Also the models are not exactly the most complex, but this allows for the game to run at a steady 60 frames per second while having many, many enemies on the screen the whole time you play.

The combat system in the game gives you the ability to have a left arm and a right arm weapon. One arm will have a special arm mounted weapon such as Ash's trusty chainsaw or a gatling gun (Note to non ED viewers: Ash had to cut off his hand in ED II and later in the film attached a chainsaw to his arm to help him fight the deadites). The other holds a variety of different weapons. You have your boomstick (sawed-off shotgun), pistol, dynamite, shovel, sickle, sword, grenade launcher, and others. What is cool about this game is that you can do combos that combine both your right and left arm weapons. For example, Ash can start a combo with his chainsaw that allows you to impale your victim and while they are impaled you can use your shotgun to blow them off your chainsaw.

Fistful of Boomstick also allows you to do magic spells. Throughout the game you will pick up spells that you can perform at anytime as long as you have enough magic power. You gain magic power by killing the demon-possessed deadites in the game. An example of these spells is the Possess Deadite spell, which allows you to possess one of your enemies and control them for a limited amount of time. Another spell will make you stronger for a limited time. Some magic spells you will need, and some will merely help you in killing your foes. Doing these spells is done by holding down one of the shoulder buttons and then pressing a sequence of buttons.

The game also offers an arcade mode. This mode gives you specific challenges that take place in each level. The challenges vary from each other. An example of a challenge is killing a certain amount of deadites under a limited time. This adds some replay value to the game. Keep in mind though that you do not unlock or gain anything but satisfaction from doing these challenges.

The control in this game seems to be pretty well done in my opinion. One control stick moves you around while the other will move the camera. Using and choosing your weapons is also easy. One button uses the right arm weapon while another uses the left. The shoulder buttons will bring up menus for you to choose from weapons you have in your inventory.

And now let me list some of the pros and cons of this game overall:

Pros:

The game is perfect for the ED fanboy.

It is a cheap game that you can find for $20.

It has the voice acting of Bruce Campbell.

The combo system adds to variety in combat.

There is a nice amount of weapons in the game.

The music and voice acting fit the mood of the game.

The game has a special making of Fistful of Boomstick film from the G4 channel on it.

Cons:

Some cinema sequences can nott be skipped.

There are only six levels (These levels will take about 10 to 20 minutes to beat if you know what you are doing.).

Some could consider the levels a bit repetitive.

Some players may not like the campy style of ED.

Some players may not like the unlimited amount of enemies that come after you.

No level selection.

The amount of gore may be offensive to some.

Overall, when it comes right down to it Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick is a game that is worth its $20 price tag. I might even say it is worth $30, but I am an Evil Dead fan. I would tell you, you attentive reader you, to at least rent this game first before buying it. You never know...you might have a groovy time.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 06/27/04