Evil Dead is a film franchise that feels like it was destined to be adapted into video games. A charming hero who can spout witty one-liners, bloody action, and disposable hordes of undead enemies just waiting to be introduced to the business end of a boomstick? That's the description for roughly half of the video games currently in existence.
Ahead of the latest Evil Dead game release, we've gone back in time to look at how Evil Dead has been adapted over the years. From old-school adventures with ancient graphics to cheesy action experiences in the PS2 era, here's a brief history of Evil Dead video games.
The Evil Dead (1984)
An adventure game that was released on the Commodore 64, BBC Micro and ZX Spectrum, Evil Dead's first foray into digital space was about as scary as a box of kittens. Stuck in the infamous log cabin, Ash Williams had to battle collections of blocks that represented the Deadites, keep an eye on his energy levels, and eventually end the terror by destroying the Necronomicon. Simple, but fun in quick bursts back in the day.
Evil Dead: Hail to the King (2000)
Evil Dead fans had to wait 16 years for someone to pick up the license, with developer Heavy Iron Studios making its debut with this PlayStation classic. Set up as a sequel to Army of Darkness, Evil Dead: Hail to the King pulled plenty of inspiration from Resident Evil to recreate familiar haunts and enemies for a blood-soaked adventure that ends with a hell of a great twist. Plus, you can't beat hearing Bruce Campbell fire off more one-liners.
Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick (2003)
Ash Williams would load his boomstick for a new adventure on PS2 and Xbox in this Hail to the King sequel. Down on his luck and ready to kick some Deadite butts once again, the sequel improved on the original and once again recruited Campbell to voice his iconic cinematic hero.
Evil Dead Pinball (2003)
For the tens of people who had been asking for it, Evil Dead finally entered the realm of pinball on mobile devices. Players had to collect pages from the Necronomicon using their table wizard skills, while also dealing with the realization that a few rounds of Snake were more fun on early-2000s mobile hardware.
Evil Dead: Regeneration (2005)
Unrelated to the previous two console games, Evil Dead: Regeneration took the franchise in a new direction by reimagining the series through a what-if lens that takes place between Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness. What would have happened if Ash had not been thrown back in time? Plenty of blood and campy horror, with this particular game being well-received by fans as an Evil Dead spin-off that kept the cult-classic film's tone intact.
Army of Darkness: Defense (2011)
With Apple's iPad having entrenched itself as the tablet device to own in the early 2010s, along came this simple but enchanting Evil Dead game. Players were tasked with keeping the Necronomicon out of Deadite hands in this side-scrolling tower defense game, as they threw waves of soldiers and heroes against the army of darkness.
Evil Dead: The Game (2011)
A top-down twin-stick shooter for iOS, this Evil Dead game was big on boomsticks, Deadite cannon fodder, and Ash's oversized cranium. This game essentially retold the story of the original movie over the course of 30 levels.
Evil Dead: Endless Nightmare (2016)
Essentially a first-person endless runner that was loosely based on the underrated 2013 remake of Evil Dead, Endless Nightmare was a quick and dirty action experience that recycled Mia's dialogue as she tore through supernatural evil.
Evil Dead: Virtual Nightmare (2018)
A few years later, Endless Nightmare was resurrected for virtual reality headsets and mobile devices. Same game, same low-budget horror experience, but without any of the indie charm.
Evil Dead: The Game (2022)
Evil Dead at its best has always been a sly mix of gory horror and over-the-top ass-kicking, and developer Boss Team Games has decided to roll hard with those ideas in this new adaptation. So far, Evil Dead: The Game looks like a thrilling and bloody take on asymmetrical multiplayer horror, one that celebrates the legacy of the franchise across all of its incarnations. Aimed at both fans of the series and gamers looking to explore new ground in this well-trodden genre, it'll be interesting to see how this Evil Dead game shapes up on May 13.
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