Evil Dead The Game was released on May 13th and has received a generally welcoming reception across the gaming community. In an industry where multi-million dollar franchises become complete flops, a smooth launch is a breath of fresh air for even the staunchest of critics.

Best described as a 4v1 survivor horror game, four players try and survive the onslaught of an ancient Kandarian Demon. Human and demon characters have access to a detailed skill tree, upgrading and improving stats after matches, and a rudimentary temporary leveling system available during gameplay. Survivors have several primary and secondary objectives to complete, but a demon’s only focus is to eliminate all the humans. Players can use dozens of tiered melee and ranged weapons found throughout the map, drive cars, and even visit familiar areas like the Knowby Cabin. The general game design might not be original; it works very well with lore that doesn’t try and take itself too seriously.

All of this was made possible by STARZ and all three studios (Renaissance Pictures, StudioCanal, and MGM) that own the franchise coming together to create a single product. This collaboration is almost guaranteed to ensnare fans from the original cult classic films like “Evil Dead”, “Evil Dead 2”, “Army of Darkness” and audiences introduced to the universe by the Ash vs Evil Dead series. Meticulous detailing gives the player a genuine feeling of being in the Evil Dead universe. Everything feels accurate and holds to what fans have already seen on screen. Bruce Campbell and even the less well-known characters display an almost uncanny design accuracy. Even if the game had been a flop, the horror and comical atmosphere created would almost certainly cement it as a Halloween seasonal favorite for fans that just can’t get enough boomstick.

But Evil Dead: the game is anything but a flop; over 500,000 copies sold, and platforms like Xbox, Sony, and PC are still running store weeks after launch. We can assume sales are steady. An initial rocky early release nearly ruined developers’ hopes for a successful launch. Even after a twelve-hour delay, and some slightly salty Twitter backlash for the said delay, the game has continued to surprise fans.

With more human survivors, weapons, levels, and Kandarian Demons undoubtedly on the way, Evil Dead lobbies seem jam-packed even without the future details. With all the hype building around the game, we are excited to see what Saber Interactive has in store for the coming holiday season. What did you love about the game, what did you hate, or are you still on the fence about buying? Leave your comments below!