Evil Dead: The Game review – gratifying guts and grue

PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, PC; Saber Interactive
Gory asymmetrical horror is a demonically fun, well balanced power struggle with boomsticks and bonus Bruce Campbell

Dead by Daylight, Friday the 13th, a forthcoming Texas Chainsaw Massacre game ... official multiplayer horror-movie games are everywhere right now, and they understand not just our desire to become the ultimate final girl, but also to explore our gleefully masochistic side as an iconic villain. And Saber Interactive's take on the guts and grue of the infamous comedy horror series Evil Dead is absolutely gleeful, a love letter to Sam Raimi written in blood using the middle finger of a dismembered hand. Four players take on the role of Ash and his companions, one player becomes the Kandarian Demon trying to kill them all, and everyone has a lot of fun.

The good news is that you don't need to have ill-advisedly read a page of the Necronomicon out loud to understand what's going on. Every chainsaw-filled 30 minute bout across the sprawling atmospheric map has the same entertaining structure. As the Survivors hunt down pages and collect the Kandarian Dagger to take down cloaked big bads, the Demon glides along close to the ground in the swooshing style of Sam Raimi's relentless horror camera - albeit occasionally catching on the scenery.

Evil Dead: The Game is out now, 34.99