MediEvil, the iconic gothic PS1 platformer, is the latest classic to get the PC recompilation treatment, and I'm thrilled to confirm AI isn't involved. I'll admit that my heart initially sank given that the retro recomp scene is currently plagued with vibe-coded projects, and while the artist and voice behind Sir Dan has appropriate words for anyone who's thinking of doing that to the classic caper, this specific project is officially made with "human hands."
Highlighted by Gallowpedia, the MediEvil Recomp project by BlackLabelHQ takes the retro console classic and resurrects it with a bunch of modern tricks. The project effectively adds perks like widescreen support, scaling aspect ratio, increased draw distance/render distance, a frame rate boost, improved textures, Frame Interpolation, and elements that'll let you bring Sir Dan back on your PC with improved performance and visuals.
There's certainly room to argue over whether you should take an "of its time" gem like MediEvil and spruce it up. The platformer's visuals are a wonderful blend of PS1-specific limitations tied to draw distance and texture size and its wonderful Tim Burton-inspired art direction. That said, the fact that the project's creator outright condemns AI being used for such purposes, saying, "we value human work; PRs made with AI will be closed," means you can enjoy the revamp without destructive tech weighing on your mind.
The first beta release of the MediEvil Recomp project is out now! This lets you play MediEvil with widescreen support, scaling aspect ratio, increased draw distance/render distance, increase FPS support, PGXP, Better Terrain, Frame Interpolation, and other things all natively running on your PC.
With the way things are going right now, it's extremely refreshing to see a recomp project emerge that doesn't leverage AI. Thrown-together, vibe-coded ports are swamping the internet right now, and I've already been let down multiple times this week alone. If you love MediEvil and are remotely thinking about using AI to make a PC version, though, the original game's legendary co-creator and lead designer, Jay Wilson, has an appropriate warning for you.
In response to the MediEvil Recomp and conversations about it not being vibe coded, Wilson (AKA Jay Gunn) says, "I have no idea about what this is other than what I see posted here. But I agree with what the comments are saying - keep GenAI the fuck away from MediEvil… now and in the future! The charm of those days of dev’ was that everything was handmade with barely any premade tools or shortcuts."
I naturally wholeheartedly agree with Jay's take here and the fact that its '90s limitations are what make it special. I routinely still play the first romp and its underappreciated sequel, MediEvil 2, on original hardware, and while I normally even stick to a CRT, you can absolutely use OG hardware to revisit the classic in time for the spooky season.
If you're looking to replay MediEvil this Halloween, I've got you covered on how to connect retro consoles to modern TVs and monitors. If you invest in an upscaler like the OSSC for $111.99 or even the GBS-C for $89.90 you'll be able to experience the platformer on your new display while maintaining the original visuals. You don't even need to stick with an OG PlayStation system specifically; if you've been looking into how to play PS2 games, you'll be able to take the same approach to play the older PS1 disc.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.gamesradar.com/hardware/retro/keep-genai-the-f-ck-away-from-medievil-my-favorite-ps1-creepy-comedy-caper-now-has-a-pc-recomp-and-its-thankfully-not-vibe-coded
