Evil Dead: Regeneration is an action hack-and-slash game developed by Cranky Pants Games it is also the third and last licensed Evil Dead game published by the late THQ. It was released for the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 and Xbox.It has no relations to the previous two Evil Dead games (Evil Dead: Hail to the King and Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick).
The game takes place in it's own timeline (essentially a What If?), wherein Ash wasn't sucked into the portal that sent him back in time at the end Evil Dead 2. After escaping the cabin, he ended up in Sunny Meadows, a mental asylum for the criminally insane. After everyone was left convinced that he was insane and that all the sickening events that took place in the cabin was his fault. To prove his innocence, a lawyer named Sally helps him out and after finding Professor Knowby's diary, fully believes Ash's story about the deadites. However just as she leaves, one of the asylum's staff members, the insane Obviously Evil psychiatrist Dr. Reinhard reads from the Necronomicon Ex Mortis and accidentally starts another deadite crisis that is much larger in scale compared to the cabin.
Using the chaos to break himself free and regain his possessions, Ash gets two allies along for the ride. The spirit of the late Professor Knowby who assists him from beyond the grave and Sam, a half-deadite comic relief midget (voiced by Ted Raimi) whom is pretty much immortal and despite his buffoonery is actually knowledgeable about the occult, making him valuable to putting a stop to the current crisis.
This game has the examples of:
- Abandoned Mine: One of the portals that must be closed is in a mine long disused.Ash: An old, abandoned mine shaft. Now isn't this cozy.
- Abnormal Ammo: Ash's boomstick fires energy bolts when he turns into his deadite/"Evil Ash" form.
- Alternate Continuity: The game is a What If? scenario, depicting what would happen if Ash hadn't been sent back in time at the end of Evil Dead 2.
- Bedlam House: The sanitarium where Ash was placed in, wasn't a nice place even before the deadites started to run wild.
- Chainsaw Good: It wouldn't be a proper Evil Dead game if we didn't have Ash's iconic red chainsaw. Although the last weapon Ash can acquire is a direct upgrade for it. Ash geeks out upon seeing it (and conveniently enough can be put on his stump without any modifications).
- Chirping Crickets: Used when Ash and Prof. Knowby's spirit talk about Sally.Knowby: Reinhard needs my diary to complete his work, and he's sent his evil minions to pursue her.Ash: Damn, I know she's a lawyer but she doesn't deserve that. I mean, sure she's a little uptight and square, but I think there's something freaky deaky going on there too. You know what I'm saying? *wink*(Knowby stares at him while crickets chirp)
- Clean Cut: Ash accidentally cuts off Sam's head (which drops after a delay) when he swings around his new chainsaw.
- Concept Art Gallery: The game has a bunch of "making of" segments (some involving Bruce Campbell) and concept art.
- Damsel in Distress: Sally, who is kidnapped by Reinhard to get a hold of Prof. Knowby's diary. After being rescued at the end of the game, she abruptly turns into a Deadite without warning, and Ash has to blow her away. He ends up walking off into the sunset with Sam instead.
- Death as Comedy: As a half-deadite, Sam can be killed many times, without any of them being permanent. Many opportunities for Amusing Injuries ensue.
- Escort Mission: In order to get the required spirits to The Guardian, Sam must be protected until he and Ash get there.
- Fire-Breathing Weapon: Ash builds himself a flamethrower.
- Give My Regards in the Next World: Ash's Pre-Mortem One-Liner before killing Dr. Reinhard.Ash: When you get to hell, tell 'em Ash sent you.
- Happy Ending Override: To the first two films; Ash was unable to provide a believable explanation for why he killed his friends at the cabin, so he was institutionalized. Thankfully he has a lawyer who is trying to help and after getting hold of the good Professor's diary, fully believes his story.
- Harpoon Gun: Ash builds himself a harpoon gun that can yank enemies to him from pile a junk he comes by.
- Herr Doktor: Dr. Reinhard talks in a stereotypical German accent, complete with "zes" and "zats".
- Homemade Flamethrower: When Ash and Sam arrive at Port Turnham's fuel storage. The deadite slayer whips himself up an arm-mounted flamethrower
, after seeing the completed invention. Sam is understandably fearful of it. - Human Sacrifice: Dr. Reinhard attempts to gain full power by sacrificing Sally.
- It's Quiet… Too Quiet: One of the many conversations between Sam and Ash, and because it's Ash he's more than willing to put his own spin on the trope.Sam: It sure is quiet...Ash: Yeah, too quiet. Let's make some noise!
- Lock-and-Load Montage: After finally reaching the patient's possessions room right next to the morgue, we are treated to a cutscene of Ash regaining his old outfit and belongings.Ash: Yeah baby, sing... for the king (revs up his chainsaw)
- Non-Lethal Bottomless Pits: A version of climbing back up again happens, when Ash falls into a bottomless pit the screen fades out briefly and back in just as he drags himself up over the edge of the pit.
- Planet Heck: For the last level, Ash and Sam are sent to a cyclopean alternate dimension, that looks a lot like hell. Complete with waterfalls of blood.
- Psycho Electro: First boss fight is against a deadite-possessed electroshock therapy patient, whom is more than happy to use all the volts on Ash.
- Psycho Psychologist: Dr. Reinhard, the game's Big Bad is a staff member of Sunny Meadows mental institute for the criminally insane.
- Spirit Advisor: Professor Knowby, helps out from beyond the grave as a giant floating ghost head. Thanks to Dr. Reinhard causing another deadite incident.
- Stab the Scorpion: Subverted. After Ash builds his harpoon launcher, he fires it at a deadite behind Sam. He then says that he was aiming for Sam.
- Superpowered Evil Side: After killing enough enemies, Ash can bring up the evil within him for more asskicking.
- A Taste of Power: In a fast and loose remake of the cabin scene from Evil Dead 2, Ash has his shotgun, chainsaw, and even gets a mandatory Evil Ash segment to gore a bunch of deadites before the story properly boots up to his being in the asylum for some time afterwards and de-geared. Though in a small subversion, Ash gets his gear back pretty quickly anyway.
- Toilet Humour:
- It is heavily implied that Sam craps his pants when he hears that he has to bring three souls to the Guardian.
- Entering a gate guardian's mouth leads Ash and Sam being farted out the other end.
- Ash can use toilets he comes across; he remarks on how he feels better after.
- Token Heroic Orc: Sam is the only good deadite in the game. It's explained that he was experimented on by Reinhard in an attempt to prove that living beings could harness the power of the Necronomicon without succumbing to it.
- Two-Faced: Due to being half-deadite, one half od Sam's body looks human the other looks flayed of it's skin and showing muscle
- Urine Trouble: When Sam goes to relief himself, he accidentally pees on a possessed miner that just rose up from underground.
