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If you were one
of the gamers who amazingly managed to still buy BloodRayne, even
after the pathetic and pseudo-poetic advertisements, than you now
have hard proof that game developers hate you. The paper-thin plot
that ensues in BloodRayne is thus: Rayne's mother, who was human,
was raped by a vampire and the resulting product was Rayne, a "Dhampir."
A "dhampir," as you might expect, is a vampire with all of
the strengths of vampires, however not as
The thin plot in BloodRayne, however unbelievable, is just the tip of the iceberg and you will soon experience bizarrely horrible graphics, bad dialogue, and human physics that not only defy the laws of nature but also don't look human at all. Perhaps going for a strange and gothic necrophilia feel, the game also tends to get over gruesome in parts and with BloodRayne's excessive moaning. Rayne's aforementioned moans occur whenever she feeds, however it sounds more like she has stumbled on a cache of bedroom tools powerful enough to be confused for a jackhammer. In addition to moaning, BloodRayne also has time to spout out what I assume is witty banter, however between the gunfire and demonic screams, it is (thankfully?) inaudible. Now two of the characters in this title are the pure embodiment of delusional gamers, proving that the developers of this game have never been within 100 yards of a woman (or even in the same room) let alone having ever seen breasts before. Instead of the natural movement of a female's body, the makers of BloodRayne instead make the breasts of Rayne and Mynce (her mentor in the game's beginning) suddenly move for no reason at all. That's right, instead of breasts, we are witness to what looks more like small rabbits kicking around in burlap sacks as the camera pans around the two's bodies. As the characters talk with one another, their breasts will also suddenly wiggle as if someone were tickling them. And, if their concepts of the female body and its physics were not strange enough, you are also expected to believe that these characters perform their supernatural feats of feeding and fighting in the bizarre lingerie and leather suits that they wear. BloodRayne, sorry to say, is the unfortunate victim of some very repetitive level design. Often time it is just a matter of finding out how to get into a room before you enter yet another all-too-familiar are and perform the exact same feats as before. The repetitive levels lead to your target who, after you follow the same trail to get to him, offers little satisfaction to actually killing him. In addition to the cut and paste levels, the vampire abilities that Rayne has make the levels all to easy, especially when you can beat it in mere minutes by just biting everyone. This is not to say, however, that BloodRayne is completely without its merits. In fact the amazing vampire elements within the story present an interesting way of keeping the game free of strange health boosts, like a lavish turkey dinner sitting inside some random jail cell. Instead, if the player's health gets too low, all that you have to do is feed on the nearest goon, replenishing your health as you suck away. Also another element to be noted is the Bloodlust meter which, after being replenished through hand-to-hand combat, can allow for various attacks to be used, all beginning with the word "Blood" (it's a reoccurring theme, by the way). Aside from the blood-theme moves, Rayne also has a variety of vampire attacks, aside from biting, that allow her to get an advantage once in awhile, or at least until her Bloodlust meter runs out. One of these moves can help you if you are slightly lost in the game; using your aura sense you can spot where you are supposed to be going, an area that is highlighted in bright blue. Another ability, and perhaps one you will come to rely on more and more, is Rayne's "Dilated Perception," in which she can slow down time to attack enemies and even dodge their bullets. Rayne can also find a power up that allows her to see into great distances, though you are unable to actually move in this mode. Rayne's normal abilities also seemed enhanced, apart from being super strong and an excellent fighter, you my notice that it seems a well placed jump on a trampoline could send her into orbit.
Rayne, aside from all her vampire abilities, also has a literal arsenal at her fingertips. In the beginning of the game Rayne is automatically armed with two arm blades, those come especially handy with the enemies you can't feed on. Also, slightly before the end of her Louisiana excursion, Mynce will give Rayne a harpoon, which she can use to pull her next victim closer to her. Apart from those features, Rayne also has the ability to pick-up and use most any weapon she can find. There are different categories of weapons from your light weapons to some heavy artillery, which can blow an enemy's head clean off with a good shot. Also, in the midst of combat, Rayne can jump on the nearest victim to feed and, at the same time, her hapless victim can double as a shield against other enemy fire. Highs:
Lows:
Final Verdict:
Freakish "mutates?" Supernaturally altered GGG members?
C'mon, a bad story is no excuse for trying to pawn of equally bad
graphics. At times this game feels more like an N64 game, a mediocre
one at best. Not to mention this is Overall Score: 4.5
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