A true FPS classic that, despite a high learning curve, easily became one of my favorites in the genre. While the opening levels might be overly difficult and punishing, the gameplay and level design of Blood finally shines through after slamming your head against the wall repeatedly. The weapon arsenal is robust, satisfying, and for the most part, every weapon is handy. The level design is often inventive and creative and requires exploration and ingenuity in terms of discovering secret pathways without feeling overly labyrinthine like Hexen or Doom 2. Learning how to properly throw the dynamite at different lengths to properly counter the game's ferocious enemies is a difficult skill to master but feels near orgasmic when you do. Thankfully the levels are largely consistent too, and the game mostly avoids the 90s FPS curse of a weak third act. Making the cultists, the game's default enemy, one of the most dangerous was a brilliant subversion of typical shooter conventions. Blood may be punishingly difficult but once you learn how the game functions, it becomes one of the most fun FPS games I've ever played. I can't say I cared for any of the boss fights, they're fairly standard shooter fights. Shial especially strikes me as entirely superfluous and I kind of just ran out of ammo and repeatedly stabbed her to death with the pitchfork for ages. The final boss Tchernobog is a weakling, going down almost instantly with multiple napalm shots. They are a relatively minor part of the game, so it's not a huge deal, but it is noticeable when it happens.
The game's presentation is a gleeful combination of gothic and post-war Western aesthetics, blending them with surprising ease to create a grungy, dingy-looking atmosphere of cathedrals and stagecoaches. While Blood did look slightly outdated even in 1997, with games like Quake 2 and Hexen II easily kicking its ass on a technical level, I believe it to be the visual peak of pseudo-3D FPS visuals. The intractability of the environments and the smaller details such as Caleb's weapon sprites visibly becoming lighter and darker based on the lighting is impressive, and the enemies all have expressive and detailed sprites made from clay models. Environments look as detailed and lived-in as the Build engine can allow for, and levels such as the Overlooked Hotel are filled with smaller details and just exude charm. Caleb himself has an incredibly cool design, reminding me of a demonic version of Colonel Mortimer from For A Few Dollars More. Speaking of Caleb, he could have easily been the edgiest, most wince-inducing thing in the world, but he's the perfect blend of intentionally camp and genuine awesomeness that makes him infinitely endearing. If there's any weak spot, it's the soundtrack, which is fairly mediocre to my ears. My opinion on the OST can swing fairly moderately depending on whether you selected the MIDI or CD tracks, and I played most of the game on the former and was thoroughly unimpressed. A lot of the MIDI tracks simply have repetitive, boring, and unimaginative compositions that neither stand out nor build an effective atmosphere. The CD tracks, on the other hand, feel like what the composers always intended the music to sound like. The compositions are still nothing special, but the additional vocals and sound effects create a competently creepy and effective atmosphere that is far superior to anything the general MIDI tracks can offer.
Blood is easily one of my new favorite FPS games, with its creative level design, phenomenal weapon arsenal, and satisfying and innovative combat loop leaving me longing for more. Tackle on appealingly edgy art direction in the best possible way and some impressive use of at-the-time outdated technology and you get something truly special, and a true shooter classic. It's a shame the soundtrack isn't more memorable, but it hardly brings down the game. Highly recommended, and a must-play for anyone who loves FPS games.
The game's presentation is a gleeful combination of gothic and post-war Western aesthetics, blending them with surprising ease to create a grungy, dingy-looking atmosphere of cathedrals and stagecoaches. While Blood did look slightly outdated even in 1997, with games like Quake 2 and Hexen II easily kicking its ass on a technical level, I believe it to be the visual peak of pseudo-3D FPS visuals. The intractability of the environments and the smaller details such as Caleb's weapon sprites visibly becoming lighter and darker based on the lighting is impressive, and the enemies all have expressive and detailed sprites made from clay models. Environments look as detailed and lived-in as the Build engine can allow for, and levels such as the Overlooked Hotel are filled with smaller details and just exude charm. Caleb himself has an incredibly cool design, reminding me of a demonic version of Colonel Mortimer from For A Few Dollars More. Speaking of Caleb, he could have easily been the edgiest, most wince-inducing thing in the world, but he's the perfect blend of intentionally camp and genuine awesomeness that makes him infinitely endearing. If there's any weak spot, it's the soundtrack, which is fairly mediocre to my ears. My opinion on the OST can swing fairly moderately depending on whether you selected the MIDI or CD tracks, and I played most of the game on the former and was thoroughly unimpressed. A lot of the MIDI tracks simply have repetitive, boring, and unimaginative compositions that neither stand out nor build an effective atmosphere. The CD tracks, on the other hand, feel like what the composers always intended the music to sound like. The compositions are still nothing special, but the additional vocals and sound effects create a competently creepy and effective atmosphere that is far superior to anything the general MIDI tracks can offer.
Blood is easily one of my new favorite FPS games, with its creative level design, phenomenal weapon arsenal, and satisfying and innovative combat loop leaving me longing for more. Tackle on appealingly edgy art direction in the best possible way and some impressive use of at-the-time outdated technology and you get something truly special, and a true shooter classic. It's a shame the soundtrack isn't more memorable, but it hardly brings down the game. Highly recommended, and a must-play for anyone who loves FPS games.