Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick puts you directly in Ash’s battered boots as you carve a path through hordes of Deadites with an arsenal of over-the-top weaponry. The core combat loops around your trusty chainsaw-hand, a pump-action shotgun, and a sidearm, but the game truly shines when you unlock Ash’s supernatural abilities. Calling down fiery meteors or possessing enemies to turn their own evil magic against them adds a strategic layer to the otherwise relentless action.

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The inclusion of four distinct eras of Dearborn offers a refreshing twist on the standard hack-and-slash formula—each timeline brings unique environmental hazards and period-appropriate hazards that keep encounters feeling varied. Whether you’re storming a frontier outpost in the 1800s or navigating a 1960s suburban street, the pacing never drags. Enemy types evolve alongside the settings, ensuring that you’re constantly adapting your approach, whether that means executing precision shotgun blasts or unleashing grenades in clumps of gnarled zombies.

Beyond the story campaign, the arcade mode introduces a slew of challenge-based objectives that reward speed, accuracy, and creativity. Be it a timed gauntlet of rapid-firing your pistol at possessed townsfolk or a grenade-only slaughterfest, these bite-sized rounds extend replay value and test mastery of each weapon’s quirks. The transition between story-driven missions and arcade challenges is seamless, making the game an ideal pick-up-and-play title for both casual sessions and marathon slaying sprees.

Graphics

The visual design in A Fistful of Boomstick captures the campy horror-comedy spirit of the Evil Dead franchise with impressive fidelity. Character models of Ash and the Deadites strike a balance between caricature and grotesque detail—the latter especially noticeable in the way rotting flesh peels and eyes glow with malevolent energy. These effects are particularly effective when paired with the dynamic lighting system that casts long, flickering shadows across creaky wooden cabins or dusty frontier streets.

Each era of Dearborn brings its own color palette and architectural style, from the muted browns and grays of 19th century outposts to the pastel hues and neon signs of the 1960s. Environmental textures are crisp, and the game leverages subtle weather effects—rain-slick surfaces, drifting fog, swirling dust storms—to both immerse the player and layer in tactical considerations. Visibility can be limited in darker areas, heightening tension as you step cautiously forward, shotgun at the ready.

While the frame rate occasionally dips during large-scale battles—especially when fire magic and particle effects converge—the overall performance remains stable on the platforms it was designed for. Character animations are fluid, with Ash’s iconic cocky swagger and frantic chainsaw revving feeling momentum-rich. Even small touches, like the way shotgun shells eject and clatter on the ground, contribute to a satisfying audiovisual package.

Story

Picking up the adventurous tone of the Evil Dead films, the narrative in A Fistful of Boomstick follows Ash as he discovers a mysterious tome that tears open rifts in time. Tasked with closing these portals, Ash must hop between four pivotal eras of Dearborn to thwart a Deadite invasion before it consumes all of history. The setup cleverly explains the shifting backdrops while letting the player experience the legacy of evil through multiple lenses.

While the dialogue leans heavily into Bruce Campbell’s trademark one-liners and over-the-top bravado, the story itself remains surprisingly coherent. Each timeline delivers self-contained chapters that feel like mini-movies, complete with build-ups, escalating stakes, and memorable boss encounters. The narrative pacing is tight—by the time you clear one era’s final showdown, you’re already itching to see what new horrors await in the next.

Character encounters peppered throughout the campaign inject humor and occasional pathos, from panicked townsfolk desperate for rescue to eldritch villains who taunt Ash with cryptic prophecies. Though not a deep, choice-driven epic, the storyline delivers just the right amount of context to keep you invested in this undead-spanning romp.

Overall Experience

Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick is a gleefully violent throwback to classic third-person action, wrapped in a horror-comedy shell that never takes itself too seriously. The balance of melee and ranged combat, coupled with supernatural abilities, creates a satisfying skill curve that encourages experimentation. Whether you’re a series veteran or a newcomer drawn in by the premise of time-traveling zombie slaying, the game’s accessibility and depth are well matched.

The variety of settings and modes ensures that the game rarely becomes repetitive. Story missions feel like bite-sized episodes in a gory anthology, while arcade challenges provide short, intense bursts of gameplay perfect for testing your high-score prowess. Add to that the environmental hazards and hidden collectibles in each level, and you’ve got ample reason to revisit favorite battlegrounds long after the main plot concludes.

In sum, A Fistful of Boomstick delivers an action-packed package with enough humor, gore, and replayability to satisfy both casual and hardcore fans. Its minor technical hiccups are outweighed by strong presentation, inventive combat mechanics, and a playful narrative that stays true to the spirit of the Evil Dead universe. If you’re looking for a fun, frantic zombie-slaying adventure laced with campy charm, this qualifies as a must-play.

Retro Replay Score

6.2/10