BloodRayne

The Good
MAT: "Welcome to Interactive Review(TM) for XBox version of BloodRayne game. Tonight in studio, just for you folks, yeah, Rayne. We'll mainly be talking about what she thinks of her role, and then if time spans overdue, we'll try to convince her to give us the number of her costume maker."
Rayne: (entering the studio, casual glance at the audience, and a luscious one at a host, Rayne approaches the seats at the center)
Rayne: "So, where do I sit down?"
MAT: "Well, this seat here is... mmm occupied, that one's for the badguys. The one on the left is for you. If you please."
Rayne: (sitting down the not so comfortable chair) "Well I do hope you're paying me handsomely for this, ya know."
MAT: "Yeah yeah, but let us start with pointing at good things now."
Rayne: "What good things?"
MAT: (puzzled) "Well... about the game, of course. For example, tell us what do you think of story for starters."
Rayne: "Well, it's not the story that takes the upper cake in this game, it's the one leading it."
MAT: "And, that would be you, right?"
Rayne: "No, I'm just following it. Badguys always get to lead the story. Hence why it didn't turn out so good."
MAT: "Please, do concentrate on good things here. We'll come to bad ones right after that. Start with anything you do find good in the game."
Rayne: "For example, there's a lot of action. They say I'm as good reason to make a movie out of it. Could catch a role there, as well. Anyway, so action is so filled with... well, gore. But it's all special effects, it's not like I kill anyone there... on purpose. Can't blame me for stopping to get a snack on occasion."
MAT: "Cool, cool, tell us what weapons and armor were you using? What was the feeling to have such a powerful arsenal at your disposal?"
Rayne: "That was a very neat thing indeed, it was like 20+ hand weapons, all fireguns of course, that I could pick up whenever encounter any. Or after killing the enemies such as zombies or nazis I could pick up their weapons as well. And on occasion, I can even crack some weapon crate to get some extras. But I gotta tell you, the bullets are spending way too easily."
MAT: "What, no unlimited ammo a la Solid Snake?"
Rayne: "Alas, no. He asked me the same thing last time I saw him."
MAT: "Saw who? Snake?"
Rayne: "Yeah, it's a small world. He did help me to pull off some rather gutsy moves up there on the screen."
MAT: "Yeah, your moves and abilities are rather impressive. Please, tell us more about it."
Rayne: "Well, high jumps, spinning in the air, being able to fall down to virtually any solid ground, yeah it sure comes in handy. But not as handy as my abilities, abilities such as slow-motion Max taught me was really helpful."
MAT: "Being as... creature of the night, could you even be harmed in the game?"
Rayne: "Regarding that my opponents were all kinda supernatural, quite easily. But I got sorta infinite source for replenishing my health. And I tell you, when I'm injured, I don't pick only good looking victims. Everything nearby is a potential prey."
MAT: "Huh, that's... well, I hope you don't kill too many innocents in the game then."
Rayne: "There are no innocents there, and that helps me focusing of course, since I don't have to take care of anything but myself out there on the field."
MAT: "So tell us, what did you think of level design? Did you enjoy all that swamp traveling?"
Rayne: "What kind of a question is that. Of course not, had to jump all the time as water is very hazardous to my health. But later when I started my hunt of nazi officers, there was less water and lots of skills to include. Action to the max, and being only half-human really helps building up my vitality."
MAT: "I must say I noticed some really neat cinematics there, were you there when they pre-rendered you or..."
Rayne: "Yes, I had to tell them to pay attention to my true form... you know, the butt, the breasts, the legs, and stuff."
MAT: "Boy, I sure am glad you were there to keep it up to the quality. And just for the last question since we're runnign out of time... who does your clothes?"
Rayne: "You like it?"
MAT: "I like it's so... fitting. Any chance you'll replace it with something else in a sequel? Perhaps changing it throughout different levels."
Rayne: "Well, stay tuned, you never know. But if they're willing to pay some more... I may just be willing to take some more off."
MAT: "Judging by the audience and how they're grabbing their wallets, I think this just might be a booster up for the next game. I mean, if Lara could do it, so can you Rayne."
Rayne: (giving him a bad look) "You compare me with some cheap excuse of a tomb raider? You should see me raiding tombs."
MAT: "I... uhh... err, I didn't mean that way. Well, I... that's all folks."

The Bad
MAT: "We're now somewhere in a deep dark german castle, searching for Wulf, the supreme commander of whatever is representing badguys in this game." (some more walking further) "Ah, there he is. Luckily, he has no idea his soldiers will do almost anything for free pack of cigarettes, so navigation in was easily done."
Wulf: "Who, what in the name are you doing here?"
MAT: "Err... me? You know me?"
Wulf: "Jawohl. Rayne told me you will be visiting me. Something about bad elements of this game."
MAT: "Well, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way..."
Wulf: "That's alright. I am the bad element here. Not proud of it, but someone's gotta do the role, and to tell you the truth, they pay me almost as much as her... though I most probably won't appear in the sequel."
MAT: "Just to ask a few questions that loyal fans told me to if you don't mind."
Wulf: "Nein, nein. Everything for the fans. Just ask, mein freund. But be quick, as I am due to launch full scale attack any moment now."
MAT: "Okay, yes, just to find my papers... where are the... rats... crap... ah, here they are. Okay, first one we have a fan from Transylvania asking what size of bra are you wearing."
Wulf: "!?"
MAT: "!? Ooops, sorry. This one was for Rayne. Here goes. A fan from Austria asking why is there no noticeable background music throughout the game. Or even as a main theme?"
Wulf: "Well, I come from a country with great composers, so that too was a shock after I saw the tracks that will be used in the game. And I can only hope it will be better in the sequel. This one wasn't even enough to boost up the atmosphere."
MAT: "Alright, next question. Carlotta, a fan from Germany."
Wulf: "I like her already. Nice to see some home folks playing this game."
MAT: "Yeah, I get you. But you may not like the question here. She asks why do you have to be so tough to defeat. Says all the other boss battles are somewhat passable, but final boss battle is really hard to play unless you cheat. Why so?"
Wulf: "It was about time badguys get the upper edge on something. And if you look closely, soldiers really do not present any kind of serious threat for Rayne. Likewise, she doesn't present any kind of threat to me. However, due to scenario, I had to stall and eventually let her win."
Fritz: (who just came in) "Herr Wolf, we are told to launch an attack. Shall we wait?"
Wulf: "It's Wulf, not Wolf, how many times do I have to tell you? I will come very shortly, do not attack until I come."
Fritz: "Yessir."
MAT: "Okay, here's one more then. A fan from Casablanca asking why does Rayne look so much better polygon-wise than you guys."
Wulf: "Well, it's not the polygon number that makes her good, she's close with the director hence why. Those blasted game developer, never give a second thought for a nemesis. I am perfectly fine with my 1700 polygons, but I am supposed to be bad, so they didn't want me to look good."
MAT: "Yeah, you never know who's close to whom. Thanks Wulf, it was nice talking to you, now go kick her butt, and for me too."
Rayne: (showing at the door) "Traitorous dog!"
MAT: "Who, me? I was just... no. Nooooo!!!"

The Bottom Line
Wulf: "And I get to say the last word, folks. Your host is currently with Rayne... not sure about his condition though. But with weasels like him, you never know how it may turn out. So, if I am to ask, I'd tell you to buy a sequel only if I am in it. No really, this is a fine action game with lost of blood all over it... just check the name. The forces of evil are afoot, and Rayne might've been able to stop us once, but try playing without cheat codes, then it's up to the real challenge. But really, this is one-nigher only, it is addictive as it comes to gameplay, but doesn't offer pretty much anything else. Hope that movie will look better, 'cos I've got a bad feeling about the sequel, with me missing and all that. G'night folks, and sign a petition for the release of BloodWulf."

The Good
As if we didn't have enough 3D action beat 'em ups already Terminal Reality (responsible for the pioneering Terminal Velocity) decided to craft yet another title of this ilk, and shove it down our throats via the promise of extra T&A and gore... right...

Aaaanyway. I guess this is the part where I mention the good things about the game, right? Ok... let's see... as mandatory for these types of games you have different viewing modes to aid you, including Dilated Perception, aka "bullet-time" a-la Matrix/Max Payne/Gap ads, which is always a nice addition. Your character can decimate enemies with the aid of a couple of nasty wristblades which chop up your enemies a-la Soldier of Fortune, meaning there's plenty of dismemberment to go around for all to enjoy. Firearms are also available, and they are handled simply via a targetting aid that allows you to zero-in on two different characters at the same time, and thus making John Woo proud. Finally, your character is a half-vampire and thus she gets to sink her teeth on whoever she pleases to replenish her health. This is done surprisingly well, as your character straddles the selected victim (or jumps on him if he's on the floor) and starts sucking away, with the option of turning the victim around and using him as a human shield should other enemies try to take you down while you are having lunch.

Graphic-wise the game has a number of interesting features including very good water effects, and dynamic lightning tricks. The real showstopper however is the curves in the female models used for the game, which also boast an interesting development of physics simulation which allows their boobs to jiggle and sway in every direction as they move... don't you just love technology? The pre-rendered cutscenes as mentioned elsewhere, are a sight to behold, but then again, ever since 3DStudio closed the gap with Maya (or since more small studios became able to afford Maya) this is hardly surprising anymore.

The Bad
Bloodrayne's your basic "kill everything that moves" game, in which you play your average "army of one" super-character able to take down anything the reich throws at her. Oh yeah, I forgot. You fight Nazis... a real clever touch since as you know there are practically no games out there the enemies are Nazis... right. Let's start again: as an operative for a super-secret paranormal organization, you take the role of Rayne, a half-vampire vampire hunter turned assassin that gets tasked with the termination of certain high-profile Nazi generals that are about to unleash some sort of demonic creature... ah, silly Nazis, always fooling around with the occult! Anyway, Rayne dons the most revealing rave costume she could find circa 1940's and she goes forth to off the krauts with her wristblades while paying attention to showcase her boobs in every animation.

Anyway... did you manage to count all the cliches in that last paragraph? All the stolen ideas? Good. Quite frankly Bloodrayne is such a blatant example of plagiarism that I can't understand how is it that no one has bothered to sue Majesco's and TR's ass off. Half-vampire female vampire hunter working for a secret organization and going at it ninja-style with a couple of funky wristblades? Ok, I can count Blade, Buffy, Blood: The Last Vampire, Vampire Hunter D (in which the half-vamps are called Dunpeal, y'know, no relation to BloodRayne's Dhampir...), etc. etc... Need I say more? How about that while Rayne herself looks good she's nothing but Annah from Planescape: Torment in a raver suit?... geez...

Of course, all of this thievery would be minimally justified if BloodRayne were a nice game, however the lack of creativity must run extremely deep at TR, as this is one of the most stupidly generic and boring games I've played in ages. One of those "kill everything that walks till you reach the exit" ordeals with no depth at all, fighting is limited to mashing a single attack button that somehow controls the assortment of combos available to Rayne's disposal and if you think than that's just a bit too much for you then don't worry, as the gross unbalance of features means fighting is dead easy as you have the ability to abuse bullet time at your leisure. Dealing with the consequences of being a mediocre gamer is a non-issue thanks to Rayne's ability to completely replenish her health after munching on one or two Nazis, and don't worry if you get lost either, as a nice viewing mode highlights your "objective" and where you need to go or what you need to kill next. This moronic simplicity in gameplay and design is counterweighted with the most obnoxious and blatantly cheap bossfights you can find this side of an SNK fighting game, with bossfights that are extremely hard (the cheap kind of hard) and out of tone with the rest of the game. Just consider the final boss: a gigantic monster with a single, sniper-only, weak point, no health powerups, a time limit and another boss running around just for the fun of it... this after levels of random button mashing where it's virtually impossible to die unless you really, really suck. (For the record however, my favorite bossfight is the one against the Nazi female scientist, not only because her gigantic cleavage rivals Rayne's but also because it's a clone fight in which you just charge at her and press the attack button while the AI does the same until someone else dies... God, did anyone playtest this thing at all??)

Add to that levels that are insipid, uninspired arenas and which could be cleared just by gluing down the forward and attack keys, weapons that are basically all the same and enemies that are... well, Nazis! Are we sick of Nazis yet? Apparently not... and you know that you have a winner in your hands.

From a technical point of view while the game has it's good points (as mentioned above) one cannot ignore the horrible animations, which award BloodRayne with the worst character animations of 2003 and recent memory prize. Really, it's character studio pandemonium here, with a downright pathetic collection of fighting moves that look worse than the most ridiculous moves from Mortal Kombat, where the main character just starts flailing her limbs around and hovering (??) while her blades and heels eviscerate whatever comes near in a completely laughable manner. Worse yet are the walking and jumping animations of Rayne, which make her look like she's running atop a threadmill and is super-imposed over the screen... as for the jump, oh well, it deserves full praise for being the worst jump I've seen in ages... Rayne is a Dhampir, thus she can practically fly when jumping, which I have no problem with. It's the fact that she seems to hover and float upwards instead of jumping that bothers me, and the fact that when she comes down she seems to act as if she had dropped from a parachute... worse yet is the "double" jump, which causes her to STOP in middair, lay back horizontally and then shoot off (rather slowly mind you) in a perfectly horizontal manner (think Dhalsim in Street Fighter)... the fact that not only they included this crap but made it the only way to break some of the obstacles in the game only adds to the insult.

Finally... does anyone really like this kind of crap? I mean, sure I enjoy sexploitation and T&A like everyone of us, but this game caters to the same morons that enjoy games like DOA: Xtreme Beach Volleyball... I mean, I can dig a game that's all gore and sex if it's a good game or at least has something controversial in it, but BloodRayne is just a sad excuse to show dancing boobs and "bad grrls" killing lots of people, you know, the kind of R-rated crap that consoles have been churning out since they finally discovered the 17-24 demographic. Too bad it doesn't include a game in there.

The Bottom Line
So you heard a sequel is coming, a movie is on the works and that it's a decent enough action game right? Wrong. Make no mistake: BloodRayne is lifeless, generic console-crap with extra boobs and blood. Not only does it lack redeeming qualities, but it is such a blatant example of lazy design and plagiarism that it'll make you wish a half-vampire raver bursts through the door and cleaves you down the middle to end the torture that is playing through Rayne. Worse yet: this is exactly the kind of game that people talk about when they say that videogamers are sweaty-palmed, pathetic, sex-starved morons that lock themselves in their basements and jerk off to a pair of digital boobs dancing on the screen.

No, really. This game is the most damaging and retarded product to come out since DOA: Xtreme Beach Volleyball. For retards only.

The Good
There are two things that stand out about Rayne, mostly because they tend to jiggle when she moves. If she’s standing still, you might also notice her fetishistic outfit and your attention may be drawn towards the long blades strapped to her arms (or the multitude of guns that appear when needed). If she’s smiling, you’ll notice fangs. Or rather, you’ll feel fangs as she launches herself at your neck.

Rayne, a half-vampire (Dhampir), is recruited by the Brimstone Society to fight evil based on some killer moves she executes in the game’s opening cinematic. As a half-vampire, she’s a best of both worlds scenario, combining vampiric strength, speed, and senses with resistance to things that would kill a regular vampire outright, like water. She’s not immortal, suffering damage from attacks true vampires could shrug off, but she can replenish her health by drinking blood. While she’s not a clichéd “last, best hope,” she’s definitely the type of thing you’d want to throw at the Nazi war machine.

Ah yes, Nazis. If our grandparents knew what we know now, one wonders if they would have so bravely faced the Third Reich. Hitler, it seems, was close to resurrecting various demons, creating superweapons, raising the dead, and obtaining the Lost Ark of the Covenant. BloodRayne covers all of the above after a dismal opening set in 1930s Louisiana.

BloodRayne, a game that feels like it’s interviewing for a job it really doesn’t want, certainly doesn’t care about first impressions. This third-person, action adventure game shuffles the player off to a flooded Louisiana bayou, teaming Rayne up with Mynce, a more experienced Dhampir, who shows Rayne the ropes. Here, among the various tutorial elements, are irritating jumping puzzles forcing the player to avoid life-draining water by leaping from roof to roof or using telephone lines as tightropes. In this bleak landscape, Rayne fights off mutated humans and fleshy spiders—the results of a voodoo ritual gone wrong.

After the end of the Louisiana levels, the first of BloodRayne’s three acts, the game picks up five years later with Rayne infiltrating a Nazi compound in Argentina. The game really does pick up. Rayne is now a supernatural assassin, tracking down Nazi officers and killing them while mutilating any opposition in her way.

Rayne is a killing machine. Players can make a good deal of progress simply by pressing one button which causes Rayne to leap onto an enemy and drain their blood. In case of heavier resistance, Rayne is also armed with the aforementioned arm blades, which scythe through the air cutting off arms and slicing off heads. Like Mortal Kombat’s Scorpion, Rayne can harpoon enemies at a distance and bring them in for the kill (this is very useful against Nazi jetpack troops). Rayne also uses guns she finds along the way (and the game has one of the smartest auto-targeting systems I’ve seen), including antitank rockets and grenades. Last but not least, when Rayne’s blood meter (charged during combat) is full, she can unleash devastating high-speed attacks making minced meat of all but the toughest opponents.

In terms of vampire skills, BloodRayne can leap like a Jedi, fall almost any distance, and move much faster than most opponents. Her strongest abilities deal with the way she perceives the world. There’s a standard view, a vampiric night vision mode which reveals enemy biosigns and the location of mission objectives, and a slow motion mode—BloodRayne’s version of the ubiquitous “Bullet Time”—which is almost dreamlike. As Rayne moves through the game she gains other abilities, resulting in game play that gets better as it goes along.

Fighting endless Nazi hordes might sound repetitious, but BloodRayne finds a balance between basic puzzle solving and combat. Sure there are many Nazi grunts, but they are easily dispatched. Soon enough, Rayne encounters Nazis trained to fight vampires and the Nazi officers Rayne targets often lead to challenging boss battles. One brute trapped me in an engine room and could destroy most of the level trying to get me. Other noteworthy villains include a Klan-themed Nazi armed with a Gatling gun and a descendant of the vampire queen Erzebet Batory. Every “boss” has a unique fighting style with weaknesses the player must discover and exploit. Of course there are plenty of supernatural villains, too.

Level design is top notch. While Louisiana is visually bleak, it is well laid out and has an undeniable atmosphere. The Nazi compound in Argentina feels like a massive fortress and includes diverse areas which don’t recycle the same design themes. With a game that climaxes in an ancient castle pulled from Nocturne, BloodRayne has many surprises for the player in terms of missions, opponents, and plot. This is enhanced by a save system which would normally frustrate me. While you can’t save anywhere, the game is broken down into over forty levels with save points at the levels’ end. Thankfully, most save points are available before boss battles rather than after. There were very few levels which I needed to try and retry and their completion (usually) was quite rewarding.

The Bad
I don’t think I can express how much the Louisiana levels hurt this game. It’s almost along the lines of Daikatana’s swamp levels, acting as a spoiler. These levels set a bad tone, indicating that the game is full of jumping puzzles—which it isn’t. One skill in this section: tightrope walking along telephone lines, barely surfaces during the rest of the game. It’s amazingly unfocused—human spider zombie thingies created by voodoo? Bah. Poorly voiced Cajuns begging for help? Double bah. Massive amounts of health stealing water? That’s just dumb.

Rayne’s default attack is a mixture of blade attacks and kicking. Repeatedly pressing attack performs a pseudo-combination move, incorporating both types of attacks, but kicking is so ineffective it ends up being a waste of time. Since one button performs all the melee attacks, it’s really just an exercise in button pressing (not mashing, since you really can’t mash a shoulder button).

I found large portions of the game to be playable only in the game’s slow motion mode. Slow motion allows for strategy while real time play relies on twitch reflexes. When you are up against a boss or a flock of feral vampires, slow motion often provides a much needed balance. Of course this artificially extends the game’s length while making playing less edge-of-the-seat.


The Bottom Line
BloodRayne was a strange experience for me. I absolutely hated the beginning, grew very interested during the middle portion, and was let down by the game’s end. Rayne, herself, is part of the problem. Nocturne featured a similar character, Svetlana Lupescu, but used her more effectively. There is no insight into Rayne’s character or origin, other than the fact that she follows some moral compass.

Rayne feels like she was designed by a committee for fourteen year old boys. I cringed every time she flicked off a monster. Also cringe worthy is the fact that right bastard and incompetent director Uwe Boll is wrapping up a film based on this game set faithfully in eighteenth century Romania and costarring Meat Loaf.