BloodRayne (PC) Review

By Athanasios 14.08.2019

Review for BloodRayne on PC

Remember BloodRayne? Relax, relax... this isn't about Uwe Boll's anathema. BloodRayne was a little action game that was developed in 2002 (by the now defunct, Terminal Reality), which managed to make a handful of money back in the day, as it had a one-liner-throwing, saucy vampire heroine slashing Nazis to delicious bits; a recipe which will never grow old. It's safe to say that it wasn't perfect, yet it had a certain "camp" quality, as well as a pleasantly simple approach when it came to its gameplay that it's easy to understand why some loved it. It's time to take a look at how one of the most unlucky franchises begun, in one more Cubed3 retrospective review.

Rayne is a 'dhampir;' a half-vampire who works for an organisation of cloaked men, whose aim is to stop any creatures, normal or paranormal, from harming the world. Her recent assignment has her chasing plague-baring ghouls, arachnid swamp monsters, and Nazis with a knack for the supernatural, with these cute humanoids trying to find some demonic artifacts to - what else? - rule the world. Note that Rayne has a scantily-clad, busty sidekick, her enemies are mostly zombie-fied soldiers who spew out phrases like "I'll wear you like lederhosen!," and when our protagonist isn't killing them one by one, she throws lame one-liners left, and right.

Screenshot for BloodRayne on PC

Take a look at this: Rayne defeats a big, supposedly scary boss. She then straightens her boobs, and gives its burning carcass the finger. Yes, if you haven't figure out that yet, BloodRayne is a b-movie enthusiast's paradise. It's silly, it knows that it's silly, and embraces that silliness - and that's what makes it so enjoyable. Notwithstanding the lack of a decent budget, as well as an adequate amount of time to make use of it, BloodRayne also looks very good, with a nice use of gloss and bump maps in textures in order to make them look more lifelike, especially when it comes to Rayne's attire. It's also a joy to hear Nazis beg for mercy when she gives them a peck in the neck.

Sadly, the relatively high-quality paints available were mainly used to draw some pretty uninspiring locales. More specifically, literally three out of the five or so hours required to reach the finale of this quest, take place in boring bunkers made out of concrete and steel. Even worse, the whole b-movie feel sort of takes a backseat to the gameplay, with a heavy emphasis in killing the same enemies over and over, and little to no cut-scenes between levels - a wasted opportunity for the game to use its biggest strength, similar to the equally corny and Nazi-hating, Return to Castle Wolfenstein. At least is the action on offer any good, or does it too throw its potential out of a window?

Screenshot for BloodRayne on PC

In order to save you some of your time, just know that this is insanely repetitive. Apart from a few brief breaks, involving some boring platforming, or the obligatory, annoying vehicle segment, the game loop revolves around hacking-and-slashing your way towards the end of each stage, with the occasional stop to take some of the blood of those who made the mistake to spill yours. Even the main objectives that are given to you - hunt down some high-ranking fools - don't manage to alter the experience even a bit, as said fools are just a bunch of enemies that are just slightly harder to beat, although a nice bite from behind their backs is all it takes to kill them in a handful of seconds.

Concerning Rayne's extra skills, guns tend to feel like an afterthought, as your blades can kill far more efficiently. It's also possible to throw a chain like Mortal Kombat's Scorpion, and bring your enemy at drinking range, but Rayne is so fast, that walking towards her food becomes the better choice. As for her vampire abilities, there's a "sniper" sight that's almost useless in such a frenetic game, an Aura sight that mostly acts as an objective marker, a "bullet time" sight that doesn't require any energy, and can thus be used indefinitely, and finally, a berserk-like mode that Rayne can enter every now and then - nothing exactly groundbreaking in terms of game mechanics.

Screenshot for BloodRayne on PC

BloodRayne could in no way be categorised as a great game. The battles, while not challenging, are somewhat "floaty" - as if you are hitting air, rather than connecting with actual flesh and bone; human enemies are worthless blood bags whose main aim is to provide health and ammo; the Daemite, the second major enemy, is an annoying creature that blindly runs towards you; and, finally, controlling Rayne can be a major source of aggravation when it comes to making accurate manoeuvres, especially when platforming is needed... and yet, despite all these flaws, this can be tons of fun - as long as one doesn't expect an action masterpiece.

Yes, this isn't without issues, but it's simple enough that it doesn't matter. It's a mindless hack-and-slash kind of deal, with no additional bells and whistles, making this a perfect game for turning off your brain and killing an evening or two. Its tiny length, as well as the fantastic absence of extra, pace-ruining objectives means that it's also something that speed runners will love - as long as they can stomach the aforementioned, annoying vehicle part. There are 100 better alternatives out there that this critic could mention, but if a fan of fast action games, and corny '80s-esque b-movie horror, give it a shot - you can find it for less than a few coins nowadays.

Screenshot for BloodRayne on PC

Cubed3 Rating

6/10
Rated 6 out of 10

Good

BloodRayne is simplistic, unimaginative, and quite unpolished, and yet, for all its flaws, it's also a fun hack-and-slasher, with a protagonist that's reminiscent of '80s action heroes, and a strong b-movie feel that's hard not to appreciate this time and age.

Developer

Terminal Reality

Publisher

Majesco

Genre

Action

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  6/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date Out now   Australian release date Out now   

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