PlayStation 2

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds

Evolving from a generic action game trading on Buffy concepts and the Buffy license the first time out to a sharply-delivered game that works because of the licensed property its drawn from rather than in spite of it, BtVS: Chaos Bleeds does for TV-licensed videogames what Activision’s Spider-Man did for comic book-inspired videogames: it proves a licensed game doesn’t HAVE to suck. Unless, of course, the suckage has to do with blood plasma, not gameplay!

For Buffy fans that love third-person fighting action games, Chaos Bleeds will be well received, but for fans coming into the series without thought or care for the role that made Sarah Michelle Gellar a star, this game may not be so appealing and comes off as just another beat 'em up with some supernatural elements thrown in for fun. Overall Chaos Bleeds is an okay action game for the average Joe Gamer, and an outstanding collection of extra baubles for fans of the series still lamenting its demise.

Overall, though, Chaos Bleeds does the TV series justice, with an original adventure taking fans through a number of familiar locales with their favorite vampire hunters. While the A.I. could’ve been stronger and there could’ve been more with the playable characters, Chaos Bleeds does a great job of appealing to fans and newcomers to the show alike. Adventure fans should look at sinking their teeth into this game.

Chaos Bleeds can be regarded as a success if someone like myself can actually enjoy it as a game. As I mentioned earlier I don't like the TV show but I found the game enjoyable and I appreciated playing as different characters as it breaks up the monotony of performing the same attacks throughout the game. Fans of the TV show will surely be impressed and will get something extra from the game. From what I've read the game neatly fits in between episodes of earlier TV shows and people who have watched the programs will certainly appreciate the plot more than someone like myself.

PS2 gamers, I feel your anguish. I could sense your insatiable craving you all feel when there’s a Xbox Only game or GameCube exclusive that you probably won’t get to play unless you have a friend that owns that other console. One of the games I know PS2 gamers have been dying to sink their teeth into is Buffy the Vampire Slayer--a game that debuted on the Xbox with much success and praise from game reviewers. Well, my fellow PS2 gamers, we will get our chance to dust some vampires as Buffy Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds.

Though the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series has seen its series finale and has traipsed its way into the land of pending syndication, these facts do not mean the franchise is without life. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds is the follow-up to last year's well-received Buffy the Vampire Slayer, an action game exclusively developed for the Xbox by The Collective. In this year's installment, Buffy is on all three console platforms and has changed developers--with Eurocom Entertainment Software taking over the reins. Despite the personnel and console changes, however, Buffy is back in true form. For better or for worse, Chaos Bleeds retains practically all of the gameplay elements of the first Buffy game, but there are some significant upgrades as well.

Overall, this isn't just a fans' game. Ok, it helps if you are, and I'm sure that the screaming hordes of teen Buffy lovers will drive this game to success, but it is there on another level. It is addictive, you will want to get stuck in, and rightly so. But if this game is in competition with some bigger players, it will probably lose. Will people go for Buffy over Tomb Raider? They should, but it'll be the latter's control system that drives them there, rather than being a much better game.

Aber zu meiner Überraschung ist Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleed kein schlechtes Spiel. Im Gegenteil: Die Steuerung geht nach etwas Einspielzeit locker von der Hand und das Finishen der Gegner mit dem Pflock oder dem Ende einer Schaufel macht irgendwie Spaß, auch wenn das Blut diesmal nicht bis an die Decke spritzt. Was mich aber extrem gestört hat waren die Rätsel, die zum Teil einfach überflüssig sind. Hätte man diese weggelassen, etwas an der Kamera gemacht und wären von den Künstler bei Vivendi Interactive dem Spiel noch ein paar Gegner mehr spendiert worden, hätte es ein echter Knaller werden können. Gerade die Abwechslung durch die vielen Charaktere macht Laune und die Sprachausgabe passt in jeder Situation wie die Faust aufs Auge und wiederholt sich nur selten. Für Fans der Serie kann ich mir allerdings nichts Besseres vorstellen. Die Extras, die man freispielen kann, könnten für diese Käuferschicht schon Grund genug sein, um zuzuschlagen.

Last year EA and The Collective brought Buffy the Vampire Slayer exclusively to Xbox, and the game was a big hit. Successfully transforming a popular TV show with a devoted following into a good game is not an easy or automatic task. The challenge of repeating that success would be difficult, as Vivendi Universal and developer Eurocom found out with Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Choas Bleeds for Xbox, PS2, and GameCube.

This game does a decent job of being a port from show to game, but falls short on everything else. If you are not a Buffy fan, I wouldn?t even suggest renting it, since there are much better titles out there worth your time. For casual Buffy fans, I would recommend a rental, if nothing else simply to view the extras of the game. The hardcore Buffy fans will find plenty to keep themselves entertained, and would probably do well to purchase this game.

Essai non transformé pour cette suite du truculent Buffy Contre Les Vampires. Si le jeu de Collective comportait quelques défauts, il est regrettable de constater que, loin d'avoir été corrigés, ils sont aujourd'hui accentués. Répétitif, énervant par ses recherches idiotes et disposant de nouveaux personnages pas si intéressants que ça, Chaos Bleeds a pour lui son histoire sympa et ses combats pêchus bien qu'un peu redondants. A réserver aux fans avant tout. Snif.

The PS2 crowd could only look on as their Xboxing friends happily slaughtered the undead in last year's surprisingly good Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This time around, the slayer is back on all consoles in Vivendi Universal's Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds. Developer Eurocom has upped the gameplay in almost all areas, but not all of these upgrades translate successfully to the PS2.

As fun as the fighting can be this is not a great game. I think that even fans of the show would soon get tired of it (I did). There are other games out there that do what this does better; one ironic thing is that the first Buffy game is one of them. The XBox Buffy seemed to play much more smoothly and faster, had 5.1 sounds and did not have so many combat glitches and iffy collision detections. This may be worth a rent for fans, but Xbox owners would be better picking the old game up on budget.

Every Gygax-fearing geek loves vampires, and I’m no exception. Creepy vampires, vampires with cool hair, vampires with terrible hair, weird vampires, jive turkey vampires, even a whole goddamn planet crawling with vampires - hell, throw some false teeth on a zombie and I’m in.