MediEvil

Few heroes have as bitter a past as Sir Daniel Fortesque, the central figure of the cult MediEvil from 1998. A knight who once fell in the very first shot of a battle and was posthumously passed off as a hero, he gets a second chance: when the evil sorcerer Zarok reawakens an army of the undead, Dan too rises from his tomb to finally make amends for the old lie and win real glory.

Studio SCE Cambridge mixed a gothic atmosphere reminiscent of Tim Burton's films with light-hearted humor and solid action gameplay. The settings alternate between spooky graveyards, enchanted forests and misty swamps; along the way Dan collects ever better weapons and can even remove his own arm and use it as a projectile. Battles with skeletons and other monsters are accompanied by collecting chalices of souls, which unlock the Hall of Heroes.

Retro players love MediEvil precisely for that unique mood — it's funny and melancholy at the same time, and its half-there, mumbling hero became one of the PlayStation's unforgettable icons. No wonder it earned both a remake and a sequel; the PS1 original, however, still has its raw, unmistakable charm.