Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick

Ash has a "to do" list and this are your cue as to where to go next in the game. These missions can either be given to you by NPCs, such as the cops who stop you getting into the Kitten Club, to long-term goals such as getting into the TV station. The first problem is that this makes for a pretty linear experience. Secondly, the puzzles are obtuse. Don't assume that a locked door needs a key or you'll be running around for hours killing every zombie that jumps you in the hope that one of them will drop it. Ash can use spells and dynamite as well as keys to open doors, the trouble is you don't often know which is the right way and there are few hints in the game itself. Lastly, there's no map. This is rather a blow considering the sometimes confusing camera angles and similarity of the backdrops. But on the plus side the levels are relatively small and there are plenty of zombies to kill as you navigate your way round.

Graphically it lacks some of the pizzazz of Resident Evil, but the real reason to play is the scourge of the undead--Ash and luckily he's voiced by the man himself, Bruce Campbell. Fans of the series will enjoy the wry humour and zombie-eradicating goodness, but action aficionados might be left wanting more than the one-liners and samey gameplay. --Kristen Bowditch

Thankfully, A Fistful of Boomstick seems to have ironed out many of these glitches and niggles, but has, unfortunately, substituted them with different ones, making for an improved, but still ultimately unsatisfying experience.

Where Hail to the King attempted an atmospheric, survival horror type game very much along the lines of Resident Evil, Boomstick (not a typo for "Broomstick", as a certain heavy metal magazine recently seemed to think it was) instead opts for more action-packed and cartoony feel. This is basically Medievil in Evil Dead clothing, and for a while this works pretty well. You no longer have to worry about keeping your chainsaw fuelled or switched on, as it now chugs away quietly to itself the whole time, ready to be called into action at a moment's notice. Similarly, your inventory is now infinitely large - no more storing items in chests. Graphically, Boomstick is also much improved compared to its predecessor, as you'd hope given the difference in capacity between their respective platforms. Your screen alter-ego Ash - part superhero, mostly idiot - seems based on the Frazetta-inspired poster for Army of Darkness, rather than on the real Bruce Campbell (who happily returns to voice duties here as he did on Hail) - all rippling muscles and washboard stomach. Your environments are well-rendered and unfold smoothly before you, and there's a certain amount of variety as you progress through the different levels; all set in the same town, but in different time periods, encompassing the American Civil War, the present, and a post-Apocalyptic future.

So, shotgun in one hand and chainsaw in the other (or rather replacing the other - you'll know what happened to Ash's left hand if you've seen Evil Dead 2, and if you haven't, you should, immediately), your quest is simply to kill zombies, solve some simple puzzles, and... er... kill some more zombies. And here's where the game lets itself down. Much like the third movie, it's a lot of fun to start with, as you watch another Deadite's blood arcing majestically from your whirling chainsaw blades, and have fun whacking the buggers with a shovel, but it isn't long before it all becomes repetitive. Incidental pleasures aside (such as finding an area where you're set upon, Agent Smith style, by hundreds of identical zombified cops) there really isn't much to sink your teeth into, and the game is neither particularly scary (unlike Evil Dead 1) or particularly funny (unlike Evil Dead 2).

In short, Boomstick is another misfire. There's plenty of scope for a truly great Evil Dead game, but Hail to the King wasn't it, and, whilst an improvement, neither is this.


You expect a lot more from a PS2 game these days...   January 11, 2004
G. Massam
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Okay, so as an Evil Dead Videogame, we were never gonna be talking complicated but the simple linear gameplay and lack of innovation stopped this one getting 4 stars.
Its a simple 3rd person shooter as you, the hero Ash run about Dearborn town trying to send the Deadites back to hell with a variety of weaponry. And thats about it really.
Its been compared to Resident Evil but don't be fooled, here's the good and the bad:
Good-
Its fun initially to hit zombies with a spade and chainsaw them to bits.
The town is well rendered eg. streetlights, rain & lightning fx.
A spellbook to use as well as shotgun and spade that produces some really cinematic effects.
Bruce Campbell voices Ash with a huge collection of witty quips

Bad-
You run around houses and streets but you cannot REALLY explore like climb on things and open doors to look around.
Annoying linear design as you have to go here to get this and then go there and so on.
Chopping & shooting gets boring quickly and is not really varied.
The 'bosses' are easy to kill.
Way too short with only 5 different timezones to explore!!!
The puzzles are too easy as well!

Im a fan of the Evil Dead movies but in this age of PS2 gaming, you have to pull out all the stops to impress and this just doesn't. Probably for fans only, which is a very narrow way to market your game these days (and a shame because it could have been so much better than average!)


Groovy!   November 27, 2003
Someone (Somewhere)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I think that this game is fantastic or groovy if you will. This is vintage Evil Dead. You get the dry humour of Ash with all of the gore from the film. You play as Ash(obviously) armed with your chainsaw and trusty "boomstick" (shotgun for those of you who are not familiar with the film)you hack your way through an army of deadites to rid your hometown (Dearborn) of the evil which a TV presenter has unleashed. You play through 3 different timezones. Modern day, colonial times, the american civil war and post apocalypse. As you go through the game you can pick up different weapons, both melee and projectiles. You start with your shotgun and a shovel which you find. A little later you find your chainsaw and you're on your way. Once you get into the game you can find weapons such as:
flamethrower
gattling gun
sword
mini boomstick (handgun)
and so on and so forth.
The graphics for this game are pretty good. As of yet I have found no glitches on the game. The game is pretty much free roam but you are limited to where you can go/the routes you take. The controls are really easy to pick up and if you use the camera angles right can make the game even more fun. Another adition is that Bruce Campbell has returned to do the voice of Ash which is cool and will be appreciated by fans of the franchise.
I think that this game is a must for any Evil Dead fan. Its also a hell of a game for someone who has never heard of Evil Dead. So just go buy it. I mean you get to hack up unlimited amounts of zombies with a chainsaw. What more could you possibly want?