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Blair Witch Volume III: The Elly Kedward Tale

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Blair Witch Volume III:
The Elly Kedward Tale
Developer(s)Ritual Entertainment
Publisher(s)
SeriesBlair Witch
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
  • NA: 20 November 2000[1]
  • EU: 12 January 2001
Genre(s)Survival horror
Mode(s)Single-player

Blair Witch Volume III: The Elly Kedward Tale is a survival horror video game and the final part of the trilogy developed by Ritual Entertainment for Microsoft Windows. The first two games of this trilogy are Blair Witch Volume I: Rustin Parr and Blair Witch Volume II: The Legend of Coffin Rock.

Plot

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The final episode of the trilogy is an original story that was not mentioned in the film. The story focuses on how the Blair Witch legend came to be. The game is set in 1785, in the early days of the Blair Township (later renamed Burkittsville). The story's main character is Jonathan Prye, a former priest who left the clergy during a crisis of faith. Prye, now a witch-hunter, is called to Blair to investigate events related to the disappearance of a woman called Elly Kedward a few weeks earlier.

Elly Kedward was accused of witchcraft after it was found she had been drawing blood from the local children and performing pagan rituals. She was tried, convicted and sentenced to be banished from the town. Instead, the locals tied her to a wheelbarrow, dragged her into the nearby woods and left her to freeze to death. Kedward disappeared from the wheelbarrow to which she was tied, and was never seen again.

A few days later, children from the township began to disappear, and the terrified villagers began to flee — with only the local magistrate, Jonah, and the township's chaplain, Father Hale Goodfellow, remaining behind. Father Goodfellow is convinced that a supernatural force is at work; Jonah, a skeptic, refuses to believe this, assuming Kedward is behind the kidnappings and is still at large near the town. There are also two people who are locked in a jail in the town: Hirrum Heathtow is a drunk, and Elizabeth Styler is a supposed witch who was arrested when she was found in Elly's house, reciting strange phrases.

The player must guide Prye through his investigation, to discover what happened to Elly Kedward. In his search, he happens upon a child having been bound and tortured in the forest. After freeing the child, a voice warns him not to interfere before sending zombies onto him. In the forest, Prye meets a shaman by the name of Asgaya Gigagei, who tells him of the legend of Hecaitomix, an evil spirit once worshipped by the Natives before white settlers first arrived. Angered that he's no longer revered, Hecaitomix plans to destroy the human race and conquer the world. Prye learns that Hecaitomix has abducted a number of children for sacrificial murder, and makes it his quest to rescue them.

Prye's journey not only takes him throughout the woods, but into the spirit realm which Hecaitomix conquered, and the demonic realm which he already rules. While rescuing Hecaitomix's hostages and facing his minions, Prye eventually faces Hecaitomix himself, with Asgaya's help. After escaping Hecaitomix's realm, Prye encounters Styler, who reveals herself to be a servant and vessel of Hecaitomix. The two fight, with Prye managing to defeat her (either by killing her or exorcising the demon from her body).

If Styler is killed, Prye is thanked by the townspeople for having rescued the children and is offered a job as a constable, which Prye declines, having regained his faith and returns to his church to resume his previous position. Exorcising Styler results in a different ending where she returns to her senses and thanks Prye, explaining that she had been under the demon's influence all throughout the story. She asks Prye to come with her, hinting at a romantic partnership. Prye declines, reaffirming his faith and desire to return to his flock. Prye and Styler share a goodbye and part ways.

Reception

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Blair Witch Volume III: The Elly Kedward Tale received "mixed or average" reviews, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[2] Kevin Rice of NextGen said that the game was not scary or challenging, and only mildly entertaining.[13]

The game sold 8,500 units in the U.S. by October 2001.[15]

References

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  1. ^ Beers, Craig (20 November 2000). "Blair Witch Volume 3: The Elly Kedward Tale Ships to Stores". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on 8 February 2001. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Blair Witch Volume III: The Elly Kedward Tale". Metacritic. Fandom. Archived from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  3. ^ Tresca, Michael. "Blair Witch Vol. 3: The Elly Kedward Tale - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  4. ^ Poole, Stephen (7 December 2000). "Blair Witch Volume 3: The Elly Kedward Tale". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on 24 January 2001. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  5. ^ Morgan, Cindy Kyser (10 December 2000). "Blair Witch Volume 3: The Elly Kedward Tale". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on 18 April 2003. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  6. ^ Todd, Brett (April 2001). "The Witch Is Dead (Blair Witch Volume II: The Legend of Coffin Rock and Volume III: The Elly Kedward Tale Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 201. Ziff Davis. p. 98. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  7. ^ Zimmerman, Chris (28 December 2000). "Blair Witch Volume 3: The Elly Kedward Tale". The Electric Playground. Greedy Productions Ltd. Archived from the original on 3 May 2003. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  8. ^ Bramwell, Tom (10 February 2001). "Blair Witch Volume 3 : The Elly Kedward Tale". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 2 March 2001. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  9. ^ White, A.A. (November 2000). "Blair Witch Vol. 3: The Elly Kedward Tale Review". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  10. ^ Park, Andrew Seyoon (22 November 2000). "Blair Witch Volume 3: The Elly Kedward Tale Review". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on 24 January 2001. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  11. ^ McConnaughy, Tim (9 November 2000). "Blair Witch 3". GameSpy. GameSpy Industries. Archived from the original on 12 January 2005. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  12. ^ Lopez, Vincent (28 November 2000). "Blair Witch Volume 3: The Elly Kedward Tale". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 7 January 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  13. ^ a b Rice, Kevin (April 2001). "Blair Witch 3: The Elly Kedward Tale". NextGen. No. 76. Imagine Media. p. 89. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  14. ^ Williamson, Colin (April 2001). "Blair Witch Volume 3: The Elly Kedward Tale". PC Gamer. Vol. 8, no. 4. Imagine Media. p. 90. Archived from the original on 11 March 2005. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  15. ^ "GOD's Games" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 207. Ziff Davis. October 2001. p. 31. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
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