The much-awaited Evil Dead: The Game is finally arriving soon, based on the incredibly popular horror movie franchise Evil Dead. While it will still be a multiplayer-focused title, the developers at Saber Interactive have unveiled key details on the game's story and single-player offerings this week, ahead of its release on May 13th.
Evil Dead: The Game sees series' protagonist Ash Williams (played by Bruce Campbell) banding together with just some of his fan-favorite allies over the years to battle the forces of evil. Originally revealed at the 2020 Game Awards, the game was conceived as a multiplayer-focused team game with little-to-no single-player content advertised at all. However, after some fan backlash and deliberations, Evil Dead: The Game was delayed last August to bring a more robust single-player offering.
Saber's efforts have indeed paid off, and key Saber Interactive developers on the project, Tim Willits and Craig Sherman, went all-in on just what solo players can expect from Evil Dead: The Game. They explain that since the nature of the game is still focused on team play, it is not a full campaign experience, but rather a remix of the multiplayer modes with computer bots instead of real players. While this may come as a disappointment to some, the devs assure that there will be content unique to the single-player mode that offers more in-depth lore and explanations of the main game's events, as well as "a handful" of side missions that players can engage in. Completing these single-player missions will then allow you access to cosmetic gear as well as lore content known as the "Knowby Recordings".
Longtime fans of Evil Dead may recognize the name, as he is the one who originally discovered the "Necronomicon," the book of the dead and the portal with which evil can travel into the world. The recordings are meant as both a reward for original fans of the franchise, as they expand on pre-existing lore, as well as a way to bring new fans into the Evil Dead universe as a whole. More importantly, however, it's meant as a bridge to connect Evil Dead: The Game canonically to the larger Evil Dead universe since Professor Knowby is responsible for kickstarting the game's events.
While it is disheartening to hear that the single-player offerings will be limited, it's clear from what is being offered, that Saber Interactive cares deeply for the franchise and want to do right by its fans. It's a similar situation to the popular Friday The 13th: The Game, where talented fans of the movies got the keys and were able to deliver a robust, carefully-constructed tribute. One can only hope that Evil Dead: The Game is able to deliver the dream game that fans have always wanted and bring the franchise back into the spotlight.
Evil Dead: The Game releases May 13, 2022 on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Bloody Disgusting
