Gaming Target - Xbox: Blade II

Written by Leigh Culpin on August 20, 2002

First Impressions: Heads will rollЕ

It was only a matter of time before a Blade game was created Ц the concept has been around longer than the movies or even the comics: A half-human, half-vampire, who has traits of both races, and is aptly dubbed the Уday walker,Ф hunting the creatures of the night. There are lots of vampire games around, and each is different. This one differs in a few more ways than the usual though Ц complete with an all-new innovative combat control system, and nothing but steady action, this could live up to the movies' and comics' depictions of the infamous character.

The storyline of the game is original, setting you six months after the end of the second movie. You're still on your quest to free humanity from the curse of vampires, and your trusty pal, Whistler, is with you all the way, letting you УbuyФ new weapons and armor with points you earn during gameplay. The weapon variety will be more or less restricted to what was seen in the second film, including Blade's pistol, sword, glaive (a lethally sharp boomerang-like weapon), shotgun, and of course the good ol' UV grenade. The enemy variety will also be somewhat simple, but what did you expect from a vampire hunting game? The game is also highly action-orientated, with few puzzle-like areas, and since the different armors and weapons you'll receive are gained though points you earn, more steady action with some collecting is emphasized.

Graphically, the game looks good, but it's no Brute Force or Halo. However, with hoards of enemies expected to appear onscreen all at once, that's no surprise. Apparently, the game does manage to capture the dark gothic style of the films, which, obviously, is a plus. The GUI is sleek looking (if a bit largeЕ) and also gives you that distinct Blade feeling. The environments are mostly new, but some have been created with the movie in mind, and you'll certainly feel like you're in Blade's shoesЕ err, boots in quite a few of them.

Now for the really innovative (but not necessarily well-done) portion of the game Ц the combat system. Rather than letting you lock on to only one or even a couple enemies at once, they completely eliminated the lock-on system (for melee combat at least) and instead implemented a 360° combat system Ц you simply push the right thumb stick in the direction you want to attack. You unfortunately don't get to choose if this is a kick or punch, however, it aims to create more action-packed combat and certainly gives more of a movie-like feel. Also innovative is a combat-tree system Ц as you fight, new, more cinematic moves will gradually be unlocked, though, at the end of the combat (after you've dispatched the enemies you're currently fighting) the tree will reset. This should all add up to exciting, true-to-film combat, assuming it's done right.

The sword fighting, only useable when Blade gains enough Bloodlust, is certainly one of the coolest parts of the game, and immerses you even more into that movie-like atmosphere. Additionally, you could go with the safer ranged attack option, your pistol, shotgun and glaive, which are easily (if somewhat automatically) aimed, letting you even the odds a bit before all your vamp buddies get in too close. The glaive is undeniably the coolest long-range weapon, allowing you to decapitate numerous enemies in one throw.