Blade 2 Review

Telling the Hollywood Tale

Blade started off as a little known Marvel comic book character. In the blink of an eye, he swung open the huge doors of Hollywood, and immerged as a successful and appealing movie icon. Don't know how many of you have seen both movies, but a majority of critics and viewers considered the sequel to be far better than the original. As for me, I managed to catch the first movie, which I guess truly needed a far more elaborate plot and a stronger background story around the characters. This wasn't the case with the sequel (so I'm told). The story was absorbing enough throughout the entire movie and the actions scenes were amazing (a big hand for Wesley Snipes for playing the lead role).

Activision and Mucky Foot Productions have created an Xbox third-person action game based on this popular sequel, to go along with the movie's DVD reincarnation. Sadly, the dudes at Mucky Foot seem to have overlooked several crucial points while creating the game.

Come her you silly vampire and gimme a big hug.

That's right just let it all out.

For starters, the excellent story from the sequel wasn't adequately elaborated in the game. Once again we come before a somewhat frail story based on a successful Hollywood movie. In a nutshell, the story is loosely based on the movie, in the sense that it continues six months after the movie's end. Your first task is to investigate a vampire blood-deal. Once you look into it, you'll have to hunt down several elder-vampires that are all involved in a ruthless plan to take over the human population. Following the instructions of your gray-bearded side-kick, Whistler, you will have to complete various mission objectives, which are going to change as you go along.

Slipping Without Falling

One of the major issues that spoils the overall impression of the gameplay is the dreadfully balanced control system. The 360° combat system was supposed to be the pinnacle of the gameplay. So, obviously, it required a simple and practical control scheme. Unfortunately, in Blade 2 you won't be given a decent chance to properly work on Blade's fighting capabilities. If you wish to try out his martial art skills, you're going to have to make a huge effort and even after a few desperate attempts you are likely to get whipped by a throng of vampires before you can say "oooh, so exciting." The catch is that you have to choose the appropriate direction for his kicks and punches, simultaneously controlling the character's movement. This kind of control scheme handles pathetically. Standard combat moves and various combos were optimized for the right thumbstick; just push the thumbstick in the direction of the enemy and that would be it... You wish! When you're left to deal with copious amounts of enemies, it's almost impossible to perform a complete combo hit. The game instructions advise you to move the thumbsticks slowly and rhythmically so that you can successfully complete these combos. Yeah right. Who are they kidding? There's no way your average Xbox gamer will handle the controller delicately and uncomplainingly. I mean it's possible; it simply takes a long time to learn and it requires a great deal of your patience (most of which you're going to need for the things coming your way).

It's a Vampire Jungle Out There

Blade has one basic goal. He's out to rid the world of the hideous blood-sucking vampire race (apparently, Buffy went off to pursue her cheerleading career). Essentially, the gameplay revolves around this very premise - to knife, gun down, or slice every living vampire. Fortunately, all of Blade's sharp silvery toys will be here to help him obliterate vampire flesh. Weapons can be selected before the beginning of each mission assignment. Next to the usual fire arms, such as the pistol and shotgun, Blade can carry deadly hand grenades (most useful against a larger group of enemies). Other sharp titanium-based weapons are at your disposal: a boomerang-like glaive and Blade's notorious sword. Blade carries his sword at all times, but can only use it if he has a sufficient amount of bloodlust. Vampire bloodlust is gained after a certain amount of time passes. If you wait a bit longer, you can get extra strength and a shield that protects you from multiple attacks. Using the blade is perhaps easier than performing the combos. Although, I still think that most of the players will be disappointed not to have immediate access to Blade's sword. After all, what good is Blade without his blade...?

Blade takes a hit.

You got somethin' stuck in your throat? Let me have a looksy now.

And while we're on the subject of Blade's weapons, I must mention here the rather bothersome way the designers have handled aiming. This drawback will start annoying you when you begin to use the shotgun and the glaive. In addition, confusing camera angles can make this task even harder.

The AI has some weird and unexplainable issues. For example, sometimes vampires will act smart and won't run thoughtlessly into battle. Yet, every now and then they will seem completely spaced out and just wait for the tip of Blade's sword to heave their pitiful vampire head off. The only time when the AI code appears OK is when enemies begin flanking Blade and attacking accurately from a distance using shotguns and pistols (though we all know that is not the smartest way to boost AI in a game - ed).

Given the fact that you fight against a vast horde of vampire goons that are out for your blood, you can expect to get bored from all the killings in a matter of minutes. Well, I think I did have fun at the beginning, but that was shortly overclouded with those nutty controls. Additionally, certain sections are just too damn difficult even for the likes of Blade. He is well-equipped and can fight his way out of tight spots. However, it most often happens that you get through an entire level and then die right at the end - naturally, this means ol' Blady has to start the level from the beginning and kill a thousand vampires all over again.

Luminous, shiny, and colorful...

Visually, there's nothing in the game what you'd call exceptional Xbox graphics. Still, a few details make the ambience rather genuine and movie-like. The background and some objects have topnotch reflections, while certain areas feature multi-colored vivid lighting effects. The nifty light effects, motion blurring, and excellent reflections (the floors, walls, and some on the main character) leave some lasting impressions. On a bad note, Blade 2 features substandard models that look, act, and fight almost comically at certain points. The animation is poor and robotic, and their appearance yearns for more ploys. Alright, alright, I'll have to admit that the development team did a decent job on Blade's cape, which is possibly the sole plus point of the animation system.

Much Ado about Nothing

As I summarize my impressions of Mucky Foot's Blade 2 title, several points come to mind. Firstly, I think this game could've been far more exciting for hardcore Blade 2 movie fans if it weren't for the game's remarkable shortness. It may take you about five to six hours of intense gameplay to finish all the missions (that is if you manage not to die a lot). On top of that, the sounds are exceedingly monotonous, which doesn't exactly perk up the atmosphere. The music's OK, but it has a number of recurring tracks, while the sound effects positively need more work. The character Blade craves more remarks next to the usual "Ooooh, so exciting" and "Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer."

I hardly think that all this is worth $49.99...