MediEvil PS1 Classic Gets PC Recomp, No AI Involved

Ever wanted to replay MediEvil on your PC without worrying about AI-generated nonsense? Good news: the classic PS1 gothic platformer just got a proper PC recompilation, and it's made with real human hands. The MediEvil Recomp project by BlackLabelHQ brings Sir Dan back with a bunch of modern perks, and the creator has made it clear that AI-generated code won't be accepted.

If you're a retro fan, you know the recomp scene has been flooded with vibe-coded projects lately. That's why this one feels like a breath of fresh air. The project adds widescreen support, scaling aspect ratio, increased draw distance, a frame rate boost, improved textures, frame interpolation, and more. Basically, you get to enjoy MediEvil with better performance and visuals, all natively on your PC.

But wait—should we even be sprucing up a game that's beloved for its PS1 limitations? MediEvil's Tim Burton-inspired art direction and those chunky textures are part of its charm. Still, the fact that the creator outright condemns AI for such purposes means you can enjoy the revamp without any ethical ick. As they put it, "we value human work; PRs made with AI will be closed."

And they're not alone. Jay Wilson, the original game's co-creator and lead designer, had some strong words for anyone thinking of using AI on MediEvil. "Keep GenAI the fuck away from MediEvil… now and in the future!" he said. "The charm of those days of dev' was that everything was handmade with barely any premade tools or shortcuts." That's a sentiment many of us can get behind.

The first beta release of the MediEvil Recomp is out now, so you can try it for yourself. If you'd rather stick to original hardware, that's cool too—you can still play MediEvil on a CRT or use an upscaler like the OSSC or GBS-C to connect your retro console to a modern TV. Or, if you're into emulation, you can take Sir Dan on the go with a retro handheld.

But if you want fancy features like widescreen support, the recomp is the way to go. You can even play it on handhelds like the ROG Xbox Ally X or Steam Deck OLED. Just make sure to avoid any AI-related projects that might creep out of the ground this spooky season.

Will you be checking out the MediEvil Recomp? Let us know in the comments!