“MediEvil”

Sony Playstation

Remember how frustrating it would be playing “Ghosts and Goblins” on your old school eight-bit Nintendo?

Leaping through the graveyard and descending into the depths of Lucifer’s domain, the hero could only be hit by enemy zombies twice before he died.

And then the player would have to do it all over again — all from the beginning.

Even the best gamers could barely get past the third or fourth level in “Ghosts and Goblins.”

But now, with a new game called “MediEvil,” the “Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins” concept has risen from its grave and ascended to become what it should be — a frightful quest with levels realistically passable.

Not that the game lacks challenge. It actually is quite difficult, with the various puzzles and powerful foes.

Commanding the actions of undead skeletal knight Sir Dan Fortesque, the player wanders through graveyards and haunted castles, all with the goal of ridding the world of the wrath of evil sorcerer Zarok.

The hero must accomplish all of this with the help of various weapons including swords, daggers, crossbows, axes and clubs. Even chicken drumsticks come and steal your weapons, making it difficult to fight.

The opening sequence for the game is no less than an incredible cinematic experience. Watching it causes the player to wonder when exactly it was that video games advanced into the realm of reality.

This could never have been done in a home video game five or six years ago.

“MediEvil’s” haunted landscapes and realistic character movements give the game a strange dream-like tone, but the harsh vividness shines through and turns it into a nightmare.

One annoying aspect of the game is that Sir Dan moves somewhat on the slow side, even when he runs.

This can lead to a bit of frustration when it comes to solving the intricate puzzles and riddles put forth for the adventurer, but it’s nowhere near as irritating as the impossible challenge of its predecessor.

4 stars out of five

— Conor Bezane