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Review Database Blood – (PC) Mini Review
On 20th June 1997 one of the most wacky fun FPS games ever to be released was released!
Developed by 3D Realms and sold to Monolith before completion, Blood arrived on the PC at the end of the 2.5D FPS era, and what a way to go out!
While everyone was getting over excited about Quake’s 3D engine with these brand new ugly looking polygons, I was having a blast setting people on fire and kicking heads around in a carnival in my favourite all time FPS, Blood (that’s right, even more fun than Doom)
The graphics in the game are perhaps the most detailed sprites you will see from any FPS game (before the move to 3D, but still more detailed than early 3D games)
Blood splatters everywhere, and I mean everywhere! Just one single scratch and you would think you severed an artery!
As you can see in the picture, one of the main weapons is the Flare Gun, and what a great weapon it is. You shoot some poor soul with it, wait for the flare to slowly burn down then they BURST into flames, running around screaming for help and running into you in an attempt to set YOU on fire!
When you first start the game you rise from the grave because someone tried to kill you, and you already have your first weapon which is a savage pitchfork which you use to jam into peoples necks and watch their heads pop off, once the head has been liberated from the shoulders you can then proceed to boot it around the place like a football until it explodes in spectacular fashion!
Blood was perhaps the first game I played where almost every weapon had an alternative fire mode, and they were all great to use, for example, the flare gun fires 8 shots in one and can ignore an entire group, the shotgun can fire in single barrel or double barrel mode, sending enemies flying, and with the aerosol can you can set it on fire, toss it into a room, wait for it to explode and watch everyone run around on fire.
Some of the more memorable levels are the moving train (impressive for 1997 on the Build Engine), the carnival where you get to play some games, like booting zombies heads into a goal and you win a prize, and the secret asylum level with the demented music playing in the background.
Like other 3D realms games the main character likes to speak, and he does come out with some funny stuff sometimes, he randomly sings to himself and makes lots of sarcastic remarks and cheap puns when he’s going about putting everyone down for the count.
Blood loves to parody popular culture too, there are references to Jaws, Evil Dead and The Shining but to name a few.
This is a game that was made for pure fun, and you could tell the designers had a lot of fun making it, it is one of my all time favourite games and even to this day (15h August 2012) no other FPS game has provided as much fun and entertainment as Blood has.
Unfortunately you don’t get games as wacky and as fun these days. Many game developers have lost their sense of humour and sense of fun when making games these days, Monolith won’t make another as Blood 2 wasn’t a good sequel and all they do these days is make FEAR games, they aren’t even interested in making more No One Lives Forever Games (more on this in another review)
It’s for sale on GOG now, if you haven’t played it before you definitely need to get it, you won’t regret it, and if you do regret it, well, there’s always Halo isn’t there?
| Presentation | The game starts with a pre rendered cut scene which sets the tone. But you don’t need a good story in a game like Blood, all you need is an excuse! |
| Graphics | The best looking of all the old school 2.5D FPS games. With plenty of detail around the level, blood everywhere, transparency, explosions and varied weapons, monsters and levels |
| Sound Design | Sound effects are awesome from the sound of the pitch fork sticking into flesh to the explosion made by the napalm cannon. The cultists also randomly chat and talk bollocks which is a great touch. The music for the game is very good too, it really fits the feel of the game and gives it plenty of atmosphere |
| Gameplay | Second to none. Very easy to play, plenty of enemies to kill, and plenty of weapons to kill them with and the alternative fire modes provide some variety. The levels are well laid out but there is some running back and forth for keys. It’s also great fun to stab naked civilians wearing loin cloths with the pitchfork! |
| Longevity | The single player game is set into 4 chapters (5 if you have the expansion) and the levels are fairly big, you can probably do it in 8-10 hours depending on the difficulty (there are 5 settings) But like me, you will want to go back to it time and time again. There is 8 player Bloodbath mode, but that may be difficult to get going these days. |
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