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Intro
The concept was simple: make a game based on the Blade II movie. There wasn't
any need to engineer a new storyline or script, there was never a need to try
an "innovative" new combat system; all Mucky Foot had to do was let
you run through sewers and nightclubs, dismembering vampires with lightning-fast
swordplay and an arsenal large enough to take out Mother Russia. Alas, it would
seem that in this day and age, not even the simplest of dreams could come true.
Gameplay: 4/10
The Blade II videogame consists of
really just one mode, and that is the story mode. Here, the player is sent through
three different mission arcs (in order of course), which supposedly culminate
in an end-all final battle where Blade saves humanity once again from the clutches
of the Nosferatu. Unfortunately, I couldn't bring myself to witness this epic
conclusion as I became bored with the play mechanics a third of the way through
and called it quits. You see, there really isn't enough diversity found within
the world of Blade II to keep someone's attention for too long. Sure, it
has some innovative ideas, yet what do they matter when the fun factor is bottoming
out?
First up is the inventory screen. This is something that you are
faced with before each level, where you have several empty slots which represent
your carrying capacity. You must then select which armaments you would like to
carry into battle with you for the day; however, do be careful my friend, for
if you choose to take more than one gun, or a gun and a bunch of melee and/or
armor items, than you will leave yourself with less slots to carry ammunition,
if any of all. Of course, you can find ammo boxes throughout the levels along
with health boosts and point tokens. What's that? What's a point token you say?
Allow me to educate you.
The point tokens are the essential backbone
of any kind of forward progression in Blade II. It is with these that you
will unlock new weapons and items to aid you in your battle against evil, from
the essential shotgun and spiked knuckles, to the ever-stylish body armor and
UV grenade. However, being the mighty day walker that you are, Blade will likely
find that he spends more time letting his fists do the talking than he does dispensing
justice via his shiny toys.
Ah yes, the combat system, in all of its
lacking glory. To put it simply, all fighting is done by pushing in any direction
on the right analog stick, which allows you to deliver swift punches to those
in front of you and then, with lightning reflexes, snap your leg back into the
gut of a dirty little vampire sneaking up from behind. Cool, huh? Actually, no,
it's not, and let me tell you why: first of all, the combat system supposedly
rewards smooth and fluid attacks by chaining into combos, yet all I was ever rewarded
with was getting jumped by a half dozen undead. Second, it seems as though it
was only ever by accident that I would trigger special moves, which include the
cinematic scene where Blade would shove a silver spike through some vampire's
head - and, incidentally, all of the now-dead vampire's friends would simply stand
around and watch in awe as I sluggishly killed their friend, which is kind of
odd if you ask me. Oh, did I mention that Blade couldn't use his sword during
normal combat, even though it's readily available on his back at any given minute?
Instead of being able to slice and dice your way through levels (which might
have saved this game from becoming the black hole of unhappiness that it is),
you must instead wait until your rage meter has built up to a certain point, at
which time you may then unleash your hellish sword fury. You can also allow your
rage to rise to a second and third level, thus enabling you to have super strength
and endurance; however, none of these effects are permanent, for once the rage
mode is activated the bar starts depleting and once it hits zero, it's over folks.
Graphics: 5.5/10
Ok, first up on the chopping block: after usurping
not one but two vampire plans to take over the world, Blade has apparently packed
on a few pounds. I know this isn't something to get too worked up over, but I
simply did not get the impression that the Blade I was looking at onscreen was
the same one from the movies. As for the environments themselves, things really
aren't that eye-catching, as the geometry is all rather primitive in design and
the textures all tend to do little more than blend together. I know that I may
sound very jaded when saying these things but I happen to hold the PS2's capabilities
in high regard after playing Spider-Man: The Movie, and to be quite honest,
Blade II's visuals felt much more akin to those of the Dreamcast Spider-Man
version.
Sound:
5/10
Want a hard-rocking electronic soundtrack to get you as pumped in your
recliner as much as you were in the theatre seats? Look elsewhere. It saddens
me to think of how simple it would have been to contract out a few songs similar
to those in the movies for use in the game. Instead, the game finds itself paired
up with a very small score of music which tries its hardest to be like the theatrical
soundtrack but lacks the kick to really cement itself into one's memories. About
the only redeeming quality on the audio side of things would be Whistler's witty
remarks, though hearing an old man swearing "damn" and "hell"
and "sunnuvabitch" gets old quite quickly. The same goes for all of
the vampires in the game, who all sound exactly the same and can only speak three
threatening remarks. At least there are nice ambient sounds, if you take the time
to notice. Control:
4/10
It would appear that one who has a vertical leap of two stories couldn't
turn on a dime if his life depended on it; instead, he opts to bank around turns
with the equivalent finesse of a cruise-liner. Oh, wait a minute, did I just say
he could jump well? I must have confused the game with the movie. Blade apparently
can only jump in directions, never up, and never very quickly; rather, he must
psyche himself up for a lunging jump into whichever direction he's told, then
take a few moments to gather his wits and resume walking or fighting. Speaking
of which, fighting is not as I would have hoped it to be in this game, as all
moves are done by pushing directions on the right analog stick, and while on paper
this concept sounds fairly nice as it enables Blade to fight enemies on all sides
even when he is surrounded, the execution is more or less lackluster.
Overall: 4/10
I am praying
with every part of my body that when the third Blade movie makes its debut, it
will have nothing to do with the plot of this game. This game was a letdown, and
definitely does not warrant itself as a game to purchase; it might serve adequately
as a rental, but by all that is holy, not as a purchase. While Blade II
is full of many great ideas and honestly clever control innovations, the overall
lack of polish and proper execution causes these novelties to hurt it more than
it helps.
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