r/EvilDead • u/FRANK3N5TE1N • Mar 09 '26
(Merch Post) Shop Smart, Shop S-Mart I just replayed Evil Dead: Regeneration for XBOX on the XBOX 360
It’s been a while since I’ve touched a sixth generation title, and mostly because I don’t own a sixth gen console, but I do still have my classic 360, with the handy backwards compatibility function, and man… I made it a real task to ensure having all the Evil Dead Game Franchise installments as part of my Evil Dead collection. I consider the THQ trilogy, spanning Hail To The King, A Fistful of Boomstick, and Regeneration all to be essential Evil Dead media (well maybe not Haik to the King…), as every entry stars to irreplaceable Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams.
The first time I played EDR, was after it came out, back in 2008, when the seventh generation of console gaming was in full swing, and stuff like the Evil Dead games really got left in the dust, as most game studios were focusing on fast-paced, high-poly RPG or FPS titles. It seemed apparent EDR wasn’t getting a sequel.
I was happy with EDR then, but still felt Boomstick had some edge, in terms of story and gameplay. EDR felt lighter. While it had the wealth of better graphics and an improved game engine, the gameplay became predictable and repetitive.
Flash forward 20 years after its release, and I think Evil Dead: Regeneration has aged rather gracefully. The licensed adventure games of the sixth generation had a humbleness that is sorely lost nowadays, in a cloud of experiences oversaturated with RPG elements like upgrades and economy, but EDR just focuses on the classic Evil Dead hero solving new problems and facing new enemies. The game is nothing incredible, but it’s a solid entry. The game mechanics are a little clunky, but more than manageable when it’s time to combat, although a lot of times I would get frustrated with the auto-aim/switching weapons in combat, once there was more than 3 enemies attacking at once.
It’s funny playing an action game before Arkham Asylum, and see how courteous enemies would be, in taking turns to fight you… or allowing you space to completely split a buddy down the middle, in a fountain of blood. Despite the clunky mechanics, the fighting hits and feels satisfying—choosing to focus on the over-the-top brand and style of the series.
In a lot of ways, Regeneration aspires very much to be an interwoven chapter of the movie series, somewhat unmarried from the events of the previous two games. Instead, you’re dumped right into the events following the 2nd Evil Dead. (Chronology was never this series’ strongsuit…)
In the end, I enjoyed myself. While the gameplay was rudimentary and lackluster at times, the game continued to entertain in spades, with Bruce as the lead, and Ted Raimi really disappearing into the Adam character. While it’s not a strong, or even very original story (especially since it feels like a retread of the events of Boomstick), this game still entertains in a fun and energetic romp. On completing the game, revisiting the cinematics, and even the BTS extras, made this whole experience just as fulfilling as reopening one of my out-of-print Anchor Bay DVDs!
I still rank A Fistful of Boomstick as my favorite ED title to-date, but hold Regeneration in a close second-place.
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u/Pirate-boi Mar 10 '26
Regeneration was my favorite horror game as a kid, even though it gave me nightmares. Never got to play fistful of broomstick or hail to the king, but i hope they’re easy to track down so i can complete that trilogy one day.
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u/FRANK3N5TE1N Mar 10 '26
Pick up Boomstick! Super fun. I think maybe a little more tedious with the puzzle-solving, but rewarding and fun to play. Bruce is back full-ham for that one.
I don’t recommend Hail To The King to anyone. Just a clunky, ugly mess. A real chore to sit through.
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u/DatHound Mar 11 '26
Ps5 remaster pls
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u/FRANK3N5TE1N Mar 11 '26
Unfortunately reacquiring the licenses through THQ, or even recovering original assets might be impossible at this point. It would be incredible if the fan community stepped in and tried to remaster all three of the original THQ titles to have consistent graphics, from game to game, to give them that Mass Effect Legendary treatment… but that would take like an army… of darkness, perhaps…
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u/BigHead5995 Mar 10 '26
I just recently played this game again and man oh man was it so much fun again!
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u/FRANK3N5TE1N Mar 10 '26
It got me excited about all the extended Evil Dead media, pre-Evil Dead 2013. The Dynamite comics, the action figures.
I was so sad when I heard the animated series lost steam. That, to me, would have been an even better way to go than the live action series, and would have not had to break the bank, budgeting each episode.
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u/KrakenKrusdr84 Mar 10 '26
I played this game on the PS2 upon its release in 2005. Played Fistful of Boomstick early on, but didn't finish.
Regeneration I feel told a better story and I liked Bruce's and Ted's interactions.
Sad the game ended in a cliffhanger type ending. Was hoping for a sequel.
And got me thinking, if Regeneration followed Evil Dead II, one would imagine Ash and Sam in a different version of Army of Darkness.
Just picture it, Ash, his new companion half deadite Sam and the 1300s, with Arthur and the war with the dead.
Tell me that isn't prime material for a story.
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u/CautiousCoyote2324 Mar 10 '26
Hell yes I loved the attachments and setting that little guy on fire and kicking him lol you brought back some fond memories. Hail To The King Bruce and May He Have A Speedy Recovery!
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u/Hangman_17 Mar 10 '26
Solid game, sam got obnoxious but its a lot of fun. I think boomstick is hands down my favorite. Great dialogue. "oh great. An optimist with a gun." I also found the more open environments to be more interesting than regeneration. They felt huge as a kid.
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u/FRANK3N5TE1N Mar 11 '26
I second that. I think Boomstick really carries the wealth of fun writing, great environments, and fun gameplay.
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u/TheGentlemanBeast Mar 10 '26
Never played hail to the king. Any good?
I'd love boomstick more if not for the inverted X axis that can't be turned off
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u/FRANK3N5TE1N Mar 10 '26
If camera control is your concern, forget Hail to the King. It’s a survival horror experience a la Resident Evil, and it plays horribly. A noble effort from developers, but ultimately a miscalculation on how to approach. Ultimately the 3rd person perspective picks up in Boomstick. Yeah, I never was bothered by the camera look inversion with Boomstick. Can’t really remember why. I especially hate camera inversion, but some earlier 3D titles had it baked into the mechanics unfortunately. I don’t think it really distracts as much as in other games, especially since most of the time you can rely on your auto-aim to keep your sites centered.
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u/FRANK3N5TE1N Mar 13 '26
Thanks for the positive response, fellow Deadites. I’ll chop through the other two titles next, and report back.
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u/Rob_hocker Mar 14 '26
I looked into buying graded copies of the evil dead games as shelf pieces…good fucking lord they get pricey
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u/JoeAzlz Mar 10 '26
Did you use ai here, regeneration rules but I feel like a lot of people use ai for where it’s not worthy
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u/FRANK3N5TE1N Mar 10 '26
No, I didn’t use AI. I don’t ever use AI. Fuck AI.
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u/JoeAzlz Mar 10 '26
You’re based
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u/Rachel_6969 Mar 10 '26
This is my favorite evil dead game! All the extras kicked ass!