E3: Medieval Moves: Deadmunds Quest Hands-on

On the last day of E3 I stumbled upon SONY’s meeting room, upstairs outside the West Hall, and it was like hitting the jackpot. They had all of the latest and greatest in there, PS Vita, Resistance 3, Uncharted 3, and some other toys I didn’t even get a chance to try. One of the games that did catch my eye was Medieval Moves: Deadmund’s Quest. Medieval Moves: Deadmunds Quest is a new PlayStation Move title that was just announced this E3 and made by the same studio that created one of the best games for the PlayStation Move called “Sports Champions”.

In Medieval Moves: Deadmunds Quest, you control a young prince who’s had his citizens along with himself turned into a bunch of skeletons, and the only reason you’re still sane enough to fight for your people is due to your family heirloom. Armed with a sword, bow, an unlimited supply of ninja stars, and a grappling hook, you’re ready to take on the evil sorcerer Morgrum and his fellow minions.

When I first picked up the controller and started playing the game it felt very natural, and it didn’t take long for me to get used to the buttons, especially since the gestures were basically the same as in Sports Champions. Wielding the sword was just like wielding a sword in the Gladiator Duel. Using the bow and arrow was exactly the same as it was in Sports Champions Archery, and the cool thing about it all was that you can actually use dual Move controls for the sword and shield and the bow and arrow. Throwing the ninja stars is a lot like throwing a Frisbee, so all you really need to know how to do is flick your wrist. In the end, I think that Zindagi Games have stepped it up and improved the gameplay mechanics for their new title which already worked very well in Sports Champions.

As I progressed through the level, I ran into several different kinds of enemies. Some of them just ran at me with swords, others ducked behind objects and shot at me with their arrows. There are also enemies that will put a little more thought into how to attack you and those are the ones that you’ll have to use a little bit of strategy to deal with. They don’t just aimlessly run at you, but actually take their time and use their shields to protect themselves. This is where it’s best to use your environment if you can, by either shooting an explosives barrel when they are next to it or just wait until they drop their defenses when they try to attack you and you sneak in your hit. Another feature that I liked which was brought over from the Gladiator Duel was the bash. Holding the Move button, you push forward on the Move controller and you end up bashing the enemy with your shield, throwing them off balance and giving you a perfect chance to attack them.

As I made my way further up in the tower, I started destroying the empty barrels that were lying around and discovered that some of them actually stored some loot, and others held milk bottoms. That’s right milk… it does the body good. I think one of the coolest and interactive features that I liked about this game is the way that you heal yourself. You don’t just press a button and your character is healed. You actually hold the controller up to your mouth as if you were drinking from a glass and the character drinks the milk, replenishing some of your health.

As I continued playing the level, I came across a couple of puzzles. The first one was pretty simple: there was a bookcase blocking my path, so I ended up using my grappling hook to grab it and while pulling back on the Move controller I toppled it over, clearing the way. In the next puzzle I came up to a door which had three puzzle sets of gears, requiring you to twist and turn your wrist so you can line them up and unlock the door. If you think this is rather childish or easy, keep in mind that this game is geared towards the younger generation. However, I think that it’s still really interesting to see how all of the features have been implemented, giving you a chance to really immerse yourself within the game.

The games cartoony feel and quirky action adventure theme is perfect for people ages seven and up, and with the additional features that are planned for the future such as offline and online multiplayer, leaderboards, as well as several other modes I think SONY has a hit on their hands. Look for Medieval Moves: Deadmunds Quest to release later this year exclusively on the PS3.