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A dreaded enemy from Buffy's past has returned - Ethan
Rayne, a college 'friend' of Giles' - to Sunnydale. Not surprisingly,
he's run afoul of The First - an ancient evil that predates
humankind. And now The First has made Ethan a deal he can't
refuse: ultimate power. All he has to do is lure Buffy into
battle. With their sanity on the line, the gang is going to
need all the help they can get. Enter Spike and Faith...
I
have to admit that I wasn't expecting this game to be up to
much. Let's face it, games based on popular TV shows or movies
are usually pretty naff (remember the nightmare that was the
PSOne X-Files game?) The main reason for this is that
the people working on the game are probably not as familiar
with the series as the fans are, and if they are the chances
are that everything needs to be cleared through so many official
channels, that the gameplay seems to be the last thing on
the list of priorities. Thankfully this game is based on a
story conceived by the writers of the TV show, so at least
you know that the plot is likely to stay true to Buffy-lore.
So,
it is a welcome surprise to discovered that Chaos Bleeds
is a well polished game that should appeal to fans of the
television series. Like the show, there are plenty of witty
one liners (although these can be a repetitive) and you also
get the chance to battle
the demons as Buffy, Willow, Xander, Spike, Faith and even
Sid the Dummy.
The
first level lets you play as Buffy, Willow and Xander as you
run around The Magic Shop looking for vamps to lay to rest.
There is something extremely satisfying about "dusting"
the undead. The graphics look good - for a change the characters
do look and sound like who they are supposed to (the majority
of characters are voiced by the actors in the TV series),
and the effects for the "dusting" looks pretty authentic
when compared to the TV show.
The
gameplay, once you get used to it, is above average - although
the control that allows you to pan around your character,
so that you can see if anything is creeping up behind you,
has a habit of not revolving 360 degrees as it should. Another
annoying thing that it is sometimes difficult to engage your
enemy in combat - instead you end up merrily punching the
air in the opposite direction you want to. But once you get
used to the controls this is not a problem.
Running
around graveyards and smashing tombstones is great fun, as
is finding the secret (or not so secret as the case may be)
areas that hold additional weapons.
Each
character has their own weaknesses and strengthens. Buffy,
Xander, Spike and Faith can kick butt with the best of them,
but you'll find playing as Willow really frustrating as she
is not really built for fighting.
On
the downside, the levels seem claustrophobic there is only
really one path to follow to get to the end of each level
and this gives the impression that the player is not really
in control. Trying door after door, only to be told it is
locked, is frustrating - as is the easy solutions to most
of the puzzles. It's not like they are making it easier for
the younger players, as this game has an age rating of 16+.
Once
you get bored of playing against the computer you can play
against three friends (there are four characters to choose
from, with a further 20 that can be unlocked as you play through
the story mode) in a battle to the death. One word or warning...
don't choose the zombies. They are slow, stupid and you'll
have your behind kicked before you know it.
Buffy
fans will not be disappointed in this well presented slice
of slayer action.
Pete
Boomer
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£27.99
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£37.99
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