November 6th, 2000
By John "JCal" Callaham

The Evil Dead series of horror films began as a tiny budget movie from unknown creators Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell. The combination of horror and slapstick humor has brought all three films a cult following, and even though both Raimi and Campbell have moved on to other projects, the Evil Dead trilogy still has an impact today on video and DVD.

While a fourth film in the Evil Dead series seems unlikely, the folks at THQ are busy wrapping up a third person game, Evil Dead: Hail to the King, for the PC, Dreamcast and Playstation that brings Campbell's character of Ash back to face the Deadites once again. Campbell also returned to voice Ash for the game.

Stomped had a chance to chat with THQ executive producer Scott Krager on the progress of the game, and what players can expect from Evil Dead: Hail to the King.

Stomped: What is the current status of the game in all of its versions?

Krager: The PSX version is at Sony for manufacturing approval, and we are currently finishing the Dreamcast and PC versions.

Stomped: The Evil Dead movies seem like such a perfect choice to turn into a game. How did you get the license to publish games based on the movies?

Krager: I had been trying to get an Evil Dead game made for nearly four years. After an unsuccessful attempt to get the game off the ground at the publisher where I previously worked, I pitched the idea to THQ after joining the company and they went for it. The next thing I knew, we were meeting with Renaissance Pictures, which is Sam Raimi’s and Rob Tapert’s production company. After a couple of meetings in which we worked out the deal, we hooked up with the folks that would become Heavy Iron and the rest is history...

Stomped: There are many different ways Evil Dead could have been turned into a game. Why did you decided on the third person method for the THQ game?

Krager: We felt that a survival horror/3rd person adventure made the most sense because we could faithfully recreate some of the popular settings from the films as well as bring the character of Ash to life in a way that players could fully experience it. This genre also offers the sort of gameplay mechanics that remain true to Ash’s adventures -- a combination of action, puzzle-solving and exploration... with an emphasis on action!

Stomped: How much approval does Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell have over the content of the game?

Krager: Renaissance Pictures, Raimi’s company, has full approval over the game. Sam’s personal involvement has been somewhat limited due to his busy schedule, but we received initial feedback on the design from Rob Tapert, the producer of all three Evil Dead films, and Sam through Renaissance. In fact, it was the filmmakers who wanted to return to the roots of Evil Dead and include the cabin and woods as one of the primary locations. And although Bruce isn’t technically part of Renaissance, we wanted as much input from him as he would give. Thankfully, he has been very generous by taking the time to check out the game at various stages throughout production and offering feedback. Our goal from the beginning has been to remain as true to the films as possible, and what better way than to have the creators involved right from the start.

Stomped: What is the game's story and where does it takes place in relation to the Evil Dead movies?

Krager: Eight years have passed since Army of Darkness. Ash has returned to his normal life and even has a new girlfriend, Jenny. But lately he's been having horrible nightmares about the Necronomicon, deadites, the woods and other strange things. With a lot of convincing by Jenny and accompanied by her, Ash returns to the infamous cabin in the woods in order to confront his fears and put an end to the nightmares. Once there, he is again faced with the challenge of battling deadites and other evil forces that have crossed over to our world because of the Necronomicon. Ash’s evil half appears and is set on an evil mission, which Ash must stop in order to save Jenny and ultimately the world. About halfway through the game, Ash travels back in time through a vortex opened with the Necronomicon and ends up in ancient Damascus at the time the book is being written. There he meets the translator/author of the Necronomicon and uncovers some of the secrets behind its origins as he tries to stop his evil half from carrying out his mission.

Stomped: What weapons will be available in the game for Ash to use?

Krager: In addition to Ash’s signature chainsaw, players will start the game with an axe and pistol. Eventually they will find a boomstick (i.e. shotgun, for you Evil Dead laymen) and rifle. This will comprise the standard weapons suite. Then once in Damascus, players will find upgrade kits that can be used to augment a weapon’s power.

Stomped: What creatures will Ash get to face in the game?

Krager: The main villain in the game is Ash’s evil half -- Bad Ash. There are also about 20 different creatures as well as some NPC's with whom Ash will interact throughout the game. The deadites range from those who were once human to more non-human demonic deadites. There are skullbats similar to those briefly seen in the first two films as well as a couple different types of skeleton enemies. Additionally, the game includes an assortment of bosses, all of which are unique and have very cool characteristics.

Stomped: Having Bruce Campbell doing the voice of Ash was quite a coop. Was it difficult to get him to participate and how did he feel portraying Ash again for the game?

Krager: It wasn’t difficult at all to get him on board. When he first heard about the game, his response was “it’s about damn time.” So, clearly he thinks an Evil Dead game is long overdue. Overall, Bruce has been very supportive of the game and has been great to work with. I think he had fun reprising the role of Ash, especially considering he could sit in the comfort of a recording booth and not have to worry about getting slapped in the face by tree branches, buried alive in a grave, beat up by skeletons, tossed around in shackles or generally enduring all sorts of physical abuse on the set.

Stomped: The Evil Dead movies have pushed the envelope in what could be shown in horror films. Do you feel the game does the same?

Krager: Well, that’s a tough question to answer because our concern is not whether we push the envelope but whether the game is fun. We certainly offer some features and content that aren’t in any of the competitive games, but our main goal is simply to offer something that is not only true to the films but is flat out fun to play. And we think the game is both.

Stomped: Are there any differences between the PC, Playstation and Dreamcast versions of the game?

Krager: The basic game is the same between all three versions, but the Dreamcast and PC versions will have better graphics.

Stomped: When will the various versions of the games be released?

Krager: The PSX version is scheduled for release in late November. The Dreamcast and PC versions are scheduled for release sometime in December.

Stomped: Any plans for a sequel if the first game is a success?

Krager: While nothing is set in stone, we are currently discussing plans for sequels. We certainly hope that Ash has several more adventures.

Stomped: Finally, what is your favorite part of the game?

Krager: Easy one. Being able to take on the role of everyone’s favorite chainsaw-armed, wise-crackin’ hero -- the one and only Ash.

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