Medevil: Resurrection is an upcoming PSP title based on the long-running Medevil series that began on the PSOne. Being a huge fan of the original version and a PSP owner, I could not wait to see what they were able to cook up on this hot little handheld.

As our demo started to get underway, we were informed that their main goal with this PSP offering was to re-introduce Medevil to the masses. For those who are new to the series, the story basically goes like this: you play the role of the main character Sir Daniel Fortesque, who used to be a knight of fame known for his braveness in battle (although you quickly find this reputation to be based on falsehoods). Dan has been dead for many years now, and while he has been resting in his grave, an evil wizard has cast a spell to raise the dead in order to bring destruction to the land. Since Dan is currently dead, he also gets resurrected and now has a chance to be the knight he always wanted to be in life. This all takes place in the form of a third-person action/adventure game that is deeply woven with quirky humor.

The level we saw was the classic graveyard level from the original game, only much prettier. Much of the game's content was actually based from the first Medevil, but this is not a port in any way. While the story and many of the same levels are the same, there are new levels, environments, weapons and characters, as well as new moves and a new control system. The whole engine has also been redone and built from scratch exclusively for the PSP hardware.

Graphically, Medevil: Resurrection was so stunning that it was very difficult to grasp that this game was actually running on PSP hardware and not the PS2. We saw the title on a large LCD screen, and thus at a much higher resolution and size than what you would see on the PSP monitor itself. The game that we saw on the LCD could easily have passed as a PS2 title, which is a testament to the great work the development team has done with the new engine. With its detailed character models, colorful worlds and dazzling special effects, the game is better-looking than the original PSOne version by leaps and bounds. Medevil on the PSP will feature 18 levels and 72 characters, as well as mini-games that tie into the story and help you to better master some of the moves and weapons in the game.

The dev team has also added a full multiplayer component that includes head-to-head mini-games and "Race Mode," which is made up of eight levels from the single-player game that you can play through with a friend on each of your PSPs. Unfortunately, this is not a co-op mode, but rather a race to see who can be the first to reach all of the different checkpoints in the level. When playing, you cannot see the other player on your PSP screen, but you can see their progress. While full-on co-op functionality would have been nice, this still looks like a very fun mode. Right now, two of the mini-games are available from the onset of the game, with the rest opening up as you unlock them in the single-player game. If you complete all of the mini-games, there is the possibility that you can unlock a "special weapon" that would be well worth the work.

When all is said and done, all aspects of Medevil: Resurrection are very impressive. It's not a true sequel and would be better described as a "remake" of the original version, since there is a ton of new content here. For all of the longtime fans of Medevil or for PSP owners who are waiting for a great action/adventure title, this is sure to please. Look for it this autumn (September looks to be the most likely timeframe).