A brand new experience called Evil Dead: The Game is out now, but fans with half-decent memories will know that this is not the first Evil Dead game.
The first Evil Dead game came out in 1984, simply titled The Evil Dead, reaching such cutting edge (at the time) systems as the Commodore 64, the ZX Spectrum and BBC Micro.
Jumping forward a few years, the PS2 era was a particularly powerful proponent of Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell’s film franchise, with games like A Fistful of Boomstick, Hail to the King and Evil Dead Regeneration popping up in the 2000s.
The most recent of those three, Evil Dead Regeneration, is fondly remembered by many. And if the new Evil Dead game leaves you wanting to jump back into 2005’s Regeneration, you might want to read on for some details on how to do that.
What is Evil Dead Regeneration?
Developed by Beenox and the brilliantly named Cranky Pants Games, and published in 2005 by THQ on PC, PS2 and Xbox, Evil Dead: Regeneration imagines what would have happened if Ash wasn’t sent back in time at the end of Evil Dead 2.
What if Ash stayed in his own time, got locked in an asylum for the criminally insane, and ultimately ended up hacking and slashing his way through legions of fearsome foes?
It’s a fun thought experiment to get swept away on, even though the initial reviews were not particularly glowing. If you’re wondering how the game’s graphics look in this day and age, there are loads of full playthrough videos online like the one below.
How to play Evil Dead Regeneration in 2022
Unfortunately, Evil Dead: Regeneration is not available to play on any modern machines. We’ve just checked the storefronts on PS5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch and Steam, and sadly none of them have Evil Dead Regeneration available.
This is actually fairly common for games that are based on movies and other intellectual properties: the companies that make these games normally only have the rights to use the licensed characters and names on the particular systems they were originally making the game for.
This means that developers can’t keep re-releasing those games on new consoles (or subscription services) without partaking in some potentially pricey renegotiations with the rights holders.
For example, the classic Spider-Man games from the PS1 era are nowhere to be found on modern systems. Sometimes those original deals have end dates on them, too, so in some cases they actually get taken off their original storefronts.
So, if you really are desperate to play Evil Dead Regeneration in 2022, the only legal way to do so is by booting up your old console or computer from back in the day, and sticking in an original disc.
If you don’t have your original copy of Evil Dead Regeneration to hand, CeX‘s current pricing will sell you the PC version for £6, the Xbox version for £22 or the PS2 version for £40. You might also see a copy pop up on eBay from time to time, if you’re hoping for a groovy bargain.
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