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Film conversions, eh? They've been around for almost the entire life of the gaming industry, and have been responsible for a good number of its worst moments, and comparatively few of its best. Translating a pleasurable movie experience into a satisfying videogame isn't as easy as it looks.
That said, horror-vampire-type conversions are en vogue at the moment, with the recent release of the Buffy game on Xbox, which was a lot better than most expected. Blade II is the next offering for bloodsucker fans, on PS2 this time - the film was reasonably well received, but as we've seen, that's no guarantee of the quality of the game. Does it match up? Read on.
One of the first things to note about Blade II is that it's written by British developer Mucky Foot. Their back catalogue includes Urban Chaos on Dreamcast and Startopia on PC; both good-to-excellent offerings, although neither found sales success anywhere near the level they deserved.
Next up for attention is the game style. Blade II is, surprise surprise, that favourite genre of the film/TV conversion, a third-person action-adventure. You play Blade as he runs around a series of levels killing vampires and uncovering their twisted plans for world domination, or getting jobs in the Red Cross, or something.
Those fortunate few who played Urban Chaos will find Blade somewhat familiar. The gritty graphical style, fighting moves and weapon targeting system are reminiscent of Mucky Foot's past game, which is more or less a good thing. The eponymous vampire hunter Blade can attack enemies all round him without turning, with a prod of the right analogue stick in the appropriate direction. Pushing forwards will make him punch forwards, while backwards will usually result in a kick.
Blade can use a few weapons too. These are selected at the start of a level, so you can kit him out to suit your fighting preferences. He starts with a pistol, but as you progress through the game other weapons and tools become available - boomerang-like throwing knives called glaives, a shotgun and body armour, for example.
Though the fighting system isn't complex, there are a few refinements to be aware of, Combo moves can be done with repeated attacks - these have to be timed right, which can be awkward, but are somewhat more effective. Executing the right combination of blocks and attacks will cause Blade to do a finishing move, where he grabs his opponent and dispatches them in a particularly violent and satisfying way, by staking them in the head or shooting them at point-blank range, for example. He also utters one of his five or so vocal quips at this point - although the moves are good, the sound can be irritating after a while.
Killing opponents in close combat causes Blade's rage bar to rise. Once it gets high enough you get access to some powerful special abilities. First is sword, where he whips out the sword he wears on his back and wields it to devastating effect. Most vampires can be taken down with one or two swipes. Next up is shield, which is like sword, but Blade also becomes invulnerable. Last is strength, which is like shield plus increased strength and cool blur effects on everything. These rage attacks are by far the best way to tackle those embarrassing surrounded-by-undead moments.
A fairly standard graphics engine brings these undead to life, as it were. Model animations are smooth and fluid, and Blade's fighting moves look great. When he dispatches a vampire, they melt away to nothing. The levels are a little less praiseworthy. There's a lot of repetition in the backgrounds, to the extent where the larger levels become confusing.
Each level is split up into a number of stages, each of which is tackled separately and in order. Most have a definite objective, ranging from the simple (move through the level to the exit) to the complex (find the switch, make your way to the roof, get the poison gas, and put it in the ventilation system). Often you move into rooms where the exit door is unlocked only when the vamps inside are dead; this gives it an old-school, arcadey feel that's not entirely unpleasant. Some levels have the odd save point, but Blade is expected to tackle most of them without dying, which isn't a major stumbling block, as his health regenerates over time.
More annoying is the way the vampires respawn. It's common to have to run through the same areas several times, and each time there's a fresh batch of undead to fight. Blade's ammo is severely rationed, and wasting it in this way is irritating.
Blade's biggest problem is that there isn't enough to it. What there is, generally, is okay - fun, visceral combat, easy controls, reasonable graphics. It just needs more moves, more weapons, more variety... just more in general. It's almost as if the developers left it half-finished, with the core of the game complete but all the bells and whistles still to add. So, unless you’re still completely determined to sink your teeth into this one, we’d suggest staking out some of the other action-adventures on offer at the moment.
That said, horror-vampire-type conversions are en vogue at the moment, with the recent release of the Buffy game on Xbox, which was a lot better than most expected. Blade II is the next offering for bloodsucker fans, on PS2 this time - the film was reasonably well received, but as we've seen, that's no guarantee of the quality of the game. Does it match up? Read on.
One of the first things to note about Blade II is that it's written by British developer Mucky Foot. Their back catalogue includes Urban Chaos on Dreamcast and Startopia on PC; both good-to-excellent offerings, although neither found sales success anywhere near the level they deserved.
Next up for attention is the game style. Blade II is, surprise surprise, that favourite genre of the film/TV conversion, a third-person action-adventure. You play Blade as he runs around a series of levels killing vampires and uncovering their twisted plans for world domination, or getting jobs in the Red Cross, or something.
Those fortunate few who played Urban Chaos will find Blade somewhat familiar. The gritty graphical style, fighting moves and weapon targeting system are reminiscent of Mucky Foot's past game, which is more or less a good thing. The eponymous vampire hunter Blade can attack enemies all round him without turning, with a prod of the right analogue stick in the appropriate direction. Pushing forwards will make him punch forwards, while backwards will usually result in a kick.
Blade can use a few weapons too. These are selected at the start of a level, so you can kit him out to suit your fighting preferences. He starts with a pistol, but as you progress through the game other weapons and tools become available - boomerang-like throwing knives called glaives, a shotgun and body armour, for example.
Though the fighting system isn't complex, there are a few refinements to be aware of, Combo moves can be done with repeated attacks - these have to be timed right, which can be awkward, but are somewhat more effective. Executing the right combination of blocks and attacks will cause Blade to do a finishing move, where he grabs his opponent and dispatches them in a particularly violent and satisfying way, by staking them in the head or shooting them at point-blank range, for example. He also utters one of his five or so vocal quips at this point - although the moves are good, the sound can be irritating after a while.
Killing opponents in close combat causes Blade's rage bar to rise. Once it gets high enough you get access to some powerful special abilities. First is sword, where he whips out the sword he wears on his back and wields it to devastating effect. Most vampires can be taken down with one or two swipes. Next up is shield, which is like sword, but Blade also becomes invulnerable. Last is strength, which is like shield plus increased strength and cool blur effects on everything. These rage attacks are by far the best way to tackle those embarrassing surrounded-by-undead moments.
A fairly standard graphics engine brings these undead to life, as it were. Model animations are smooth and fluid, and Blade's fighting moves look great. When he dispatches a vampire, they melt away to nothing. The levels are a little less praiseworthy. There's a lot of repetition in the backgrounds, to the extent where the larger levels become confusing.
Each level is split up into a number of stages, each of which is tackled separately and in order. Most have a definite objective, ranging from the simple (move through the level to the exit) to the complex (find the switch, make your way to the roof, get the poison gas, and put it in the ventilation system). Often you move into rooms where the exit door is unlocked only when the vamps inside are dead; this gives it an old-school, arcadey feel that's not entirely unpleasant. Some levels have the odd save point, but Blade is expected to tackle most of them without dying, which isn't a major stumbling block, as his health regenerates over time.
More annoying is the way the vampires respawn. It's common to have to run through the same areas several times, and each time there's a fresh batch of undead to fight. Blade's ammo is severely rationed, and wasting it in this way is irritating.
Blade's biggest problem is that there isn't enough to it. What there is, generally, is okay - fun, visceral combat, easy controls, reasonable graphics. It just needs more moves, more weapons, more variety... just more in general. It's almost as if the developers left it half-finished, with the core of the game complete but all the bells and whistles still to add. So, unless you’re still completely determined to sink your teeth into this one, we’d suggest staking out some of the other action-adventures on offer at the moment.
lol! Well found FM! I remember that old saying, with the monkeys, typewriters and the result being weird literature - my stats teacher used to use it as a demonstration that things are still possible even when they are highly improbable.
It's uncanny, they said exactly the same thing about it at:
http://www.gamesdomain.com/ playstation2/reviews/Blade_II.html
I suppose with the number of game reviews posted in the internet these days that eventually this had to happen. A bit like giving 1000 monkeys a typewriter each, eventually they'll type the complete works of Shakepeare by accident.
http://www.gamesdomain.com/ playstation2/reviews/Blade_II.html
I suppose with the number of game reviews posted in the internet these days that eventually this had to happen. A bit like giving 1000 monkeys a typewriter each, eventually they'll type the complete works of Shakepeare by accident.
Film conversions, eh? They've been around for almost the entire life of the gaming industry, and have been responsible for a good number of its worst moments, and comparatively few of its best. Translating a pleasurable movie experience into a satisfying videogame isn't as easy as it looks.
That said, horror-vampire-type conversions are en vogue at the moment, with the recent release of the Buffy game on Xbox, which was a lot better than most expected. Blade II is the next offering for bloodsucker fans, on PS2 this time - the film was reasonably well received, but as we've seen, that's no guarantee of the quality of the game. Does it match up? Read on.
One of the first things to note about Blade II is that it's written by British developer Mucky Foot. Their back catalogue includes Urban Chaos on Dreamcast and Startopia on PC; both good-to-excellent offerings, although neither found sales success anywhere near the level they deserved.
Next up for attention is the game style. Blade II is, surprise surprise, that favourite genre of the film/TV conversion, a third-person action-adventure. You play Blade as he runs around a series of levels killing vampires and uncovering their twisted plans for world domination, or getting jobs in the Red Cross, or something.
Those fortunate few who played Urban Chaos will find Blade somewhat familiar. The gritty graphical style, fighting moves and weapon targeting system are reminiscent of Mucky Foot's past game, which is more or less a good thing. The eponymous vampire hunter Blade can attack enemies all round him without turning, with a prod of the right analogue stick in the appropriate direction. Pushing forwards will make him punch forwards, while backwards will usually result in a kick.
Blade can use a few weapons too. These are selected at the start of a level, so you can kit him out to suit your fighting preferences. He starts with a pistol, but as you progress through the game other weapons and tools become available - boomerang-like throwing knives called glaives, a shotgun and body armour, for example.
Though the fighting system isn't complex, there are a few refinements to be aware of, Combo moves can be done with repeated attacks - these have to be timed right, which can be awkward, but are somewhat more effective. Executing the right combination of blocks and attacks will cause Blade to do a finishing move, where he grabs his opponent and dispatches them in a particularly violent and satisfying way, by staking them in the head or shooting them at point-blank range, for example. He also utters one of his five or so vocal quips at this point - although the moves are good, the sound can be irritating after a while.
Killing opponents in close combat causes Blade's rage bar to rise. Once it gets high enough you get access to some powerful special abilities. First is sword, where he whips out the sword he wears on his back and wields it to devastating effect. Most vampires can be taken down with one or two swipes. Next up is shield, which is like sword, but Blade also becomes invulnerable. Last is strength, which is like shield plus increased strength and cool blur effects on everything. These rage attacks are by far the best way to tackle those embarrassing surrounded-by-undead moments.
A fairly standard graphics engine brings these undead to life, as it were. Model animations are smooth and fluid, and Blade's fighting moves look great. When he dispatches a vampire, they melt away to nothing. The levels are a little less praiseworthy. There's a lot of repetition in the backgrounds, to the extent where the larger levels become confusing.
Each level is split up into a number of stages, each of which is tackled separately and in order. Most have a definite objective, ranging from the simple (move through the level to the exit) to the complex (find the switch, make your way to the roof, get the poison gas, and put it in the ventilation system). Often you move into rooms where the exit door is unlocked only when the vamps inside are dead; this gives it an old-school, arcadey feel that's not entirely unpleasant. Some levels have the odd save point, but Blade is expected to tackle most of them without dying, which isn't a major stumbling block, as his health regenerates over time.
More annoying is the way the vampires respawn. It's common to have to run through the same areas several times, and each time there's a fresh batch of undead to fight. Blade's ammo is severely rationed, and wasting it in this way is irritating.
Blade's biggest problem is that there isn't enough to it. What there is, generally, is okay - fun, visceral combat, easy controls, reasonable graphics. It just needs more moves, more weapons, more variety... just more in general. It's almost as if the developers left it half-finished, with the core of the game complete but all the bells and whistles still to add. So, unless you’re still completely determined to sink your teeth into this one, we’d suggest staking out some of the other action-adventures on offer at the moment.
That said, horror-vampire-type conversions are en vogue at the moment, with the recent release of the Buffy game on Xbox, which was a lot better than most expected. Blade II is the next offering for bloodsucker fans, on PS2 this time - the film was reasonably well received, but as we've seen, that's no guarantee of the quality of the game. Does it match up? Read on.
One of the first things to note about Blade II is that it's written by British developer Mucky Foot. Their back catalogue includes Urban Chaos on Dreamcast and Startopia on PC; both good-to-excellent offerings, although neither found sales success anywhere near the level they deserved.
Next up for attention is the game style. Blade II is, surprise surprise, that favourite genre of the film/TV conversion, a third-person action-adventure. You play Blade as he runs around a series of levels killing vampires and uncovering their twisted plans for world domination, or getting jobs in the Red Cross, or something.
Those fortunate few who played Urban Chaos will find Blade somewhat familiar. The gritty graphical style, fighting moves and weapon targeting system are reminiscent of Mucky Foot's past game, which is more or less a good thing. The eponymous vampire hunter Blade can attack enemies all round him without turning, with a prod of the right analogue stick in the appropriate direction. Pushing forwards will make him punch forwards, while backwards will usually result in a kick.
Blade can use a few weapons too. These are selected at the start of a level, so you can kit him out to suit your fighting preferences. He starts with a pistol, but as you progress through the game other weapons and tools become available - boomerang-like throwing knives called glaives, a shotgun and body armour, for example.
Though the fighting system isn't complex, there are a few refinements to be aware of, Combo moves can be done with repeated attacks - these have to be timed right, which can be awkward, but are somewhat more effective. Executing the right combination of blocks and attacks will cause Blade to do a finishing move, where he grabs his opponent and dispatches them in a particularly violent and satisfying way, by staking them in the head or shooting them at point-blank range, for example. He also utters one of his five or so vocal quips at this point - although the moves are good, the sound can be irritating after a while.
Killing opponents in close combat causes Blade's rage bar to rise. Once it gets high enough you get access to some powerful special abilities. First is sword, where he whips out the sword he wears on his back and wields it to devastating effect. Most vampires can be taken down with one or two swipes. Next up is shield, which is like sword, but Blade also becomes invulnerable. Last is strength, which is like shield plus increased strength and cool blur effects on everything. These rage attacks are by far the best way to tackle those embarrassing surrounded-by-undead moments.
A fairly standard graphics engine brings these undead to life, as it were. Model animations are smooth and fluid, and Blade's fighting moves look great. When he dispatches a vampire, they melt away to nothing. The levels are a little less praiseworthy. There's a lot of repetition in the backgrounds, to the extent where the larger levels become confusing.
Each level is split up into a number of stages, each of which is tackled separately and in order. Most have a definite objective, ranging from the simple (move through the level to the exit) to the complex (find the switch, make your way to the roof, get the poison gas, and put it in the ventilation system). Often you move into rooms where the exit door is unlocked only when the vamps inside are dead; this gives it an old-school, arcadey feel that's not entirely unpleasant. Some levels have the odd save point, but Blade is expected to tackle most of them without dying, which isn't a major stumbling block, as his health regenerates over time.
More annoying is the way the vampires respawn. It's common to have to run through the same areas several times, and each time there's a fresh batch of undead to fight. Blade's ammo is severely rationed, and wasting it in this way is irritating.
Blade's biggest problem is that there isn't enough to it. What there is, generally, is okay - fun, visceral combat, easy controls, reasonable graphics. It just needs more moves, more weapons, more variety... just more in general. It's almost as if the developers left it half-finished, with the core of the game complete but all the bells and whistles still to add. So, unless you’re still completely determined to sink your teeth into this one, we’d suggest staking out some of the other action-adventures on offer at the moment.