Bringing a decidedly Sam Raimi spin on the growing asymmetrical survival genre, Evil Dead: The Game was announced nearly two years ago as a reference-filled romp led by series frontman Bruce Campbell. In the shoes of Ash Williams or any of the series’ other heroes and villains, players team up to collect the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis and banish the titular army of darkness forever. Enemies include the iconic Deadites, Evil Ash, as well as the relentless Kandarian Demon, with each wanting nothing more than to swallow each hero’s soul.

Considering the massive Evil Dead fanbase and Marvel’s Doctor Strange sequel bearing the Sam Raimi name, Evil Dead: The Game certainly has a lot to live up to following its release. However, how has the title stood with critics? Well, according to reviews, the majority of sites are enamored by the game’s faithfulness to its cult horror roots, favorably likening the experience to popular contemporaries like Dead by Daylight. However, its unrefined launch content and paltry solo experience may only be enough for pure Raimi enthusiasts to overcome.

• DualShockers – 80/100

“Evil Dead The Game is one of the best and biggest surprises of 2022 so far. It’s a fantastic multiplayer experience that has enough quirks and unique features to stand out against other asymmetrical titles like Dead By Daylight. A field-of-view slider and jump button would have been appreciated, and the new Castle Kandar map can’t come soon enough. Players are also right to worry about its online-only infrastructure as the game is wholly dependent on an internet connection even though it has content that should be playable offline. However, despite its few drawbacks, it’s a near-perfect tribute to Sam Raimi’s creation as the game is groovy fun whether you play as a survivor or a demon. It has a great foundation so here’s hoping Saber Interactive keeps us coming back with plenty of post-launch updates.”

• GameSpot – 60/100

“Evil Dead: The Game is faithful, but sometimes to a fault. If there were more game modes or even more varied objectives in its one attractive game mode, it would feel more like a game for horror fans to play for a long time, maybe even moving competitors like Dead By Daylight or Hunt Showdown off their vaunted pedestals. As it stands at launch, however, Evil Dead only reaches beyond something pretty good when it’s played with a close-knit group of Evil Dead fans. General horror or co-op enthusiasts may get some mileage out of it, but Ash and his boomstick are storming into a crowded field of competitors and can’t quite overcome the horde of similar games already available.”

• IGN – 80/100

“Evil Dead: The Game is an awesome asymmetric multiplayer game that, like its source material, is far better than it has any right to be given its frustrating lack of polish and being somewhat light on maps and modes. Playing as a survivor is a fantastic cooperative shooter experience despite frequent problems with janky level geometry that leads to unfair deaths and other questionable design choices, while playing as the evil mastermind is just downright magnificent thanks to the amusingly fiendish ways you can mess with the other team. The single-player story missions are a distressing mess that I could have done without being forced to play through for unlocks, but everything else proves worthy of the classic cheesy movies that inspired it.”

• Wccftech – 65/100

“Evil Dead: The Game does a solid job of carving out its own bloody, aggressive take on the asymmetric multiplayer formula, but some nagging gameplay issues, frustrating single-player content, and a failure to fully capture the series’ groovy attitude hold the game back. Hardcore Evil Dead fans should find plenty to like here, but with competitors like Dead by Daylight around, this game hasn’t really earned its “hail to the king” moment.”

• Windows Central – 80/100

“Solo players will likely be disappointed by the content offered here, but if you have a squad of dedicated friends who enjoy sinking their teeth into class-based meta, there’s so much to love with this gory, campy, and mesmerizing video game.”

Evil Dead: The Game is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. What do you think? Are you loving this loving asymmetrical homage to Sam Raimi’s horror series, do you think this one needs more time? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day!​

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