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Publisher
Aspyr Media
Genre
Action
Release Date
5/02/2003
Status
Available


BloodRayne
March 17, 2003 | Michael Phillips
Pages:12Gallery


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There are certain games that a person never forgets; they become indelibly imprinted in the massive book that is one's life experience. I'll never forget the first time I played Myst, that game set the standard by which I judge all adventure titles. In the realm of RPGs, Baldur's Gate set the tone for how Dungeons & Dragons based gameplay could translate into the digital medium. The previous titles will stick with me forever.

However, there is one gaming genre on the Mac OS that has never really 'hit' me. There has never been a 3rd-person shooter for the Mac that has even remotely affected me. Tomb Raider was all well and good, but it inspired no permanent memories. Sure, Lara Croft swinging from rope to rope has a certain charm, but not enough to be memorable. Max Payne was very cool, but I prefer fantasy-based violence to the gritty realism of a crime drama. If I want realism, I'll watch CNN. Heavy Metal F.A.K.K. 2 was also a let down. I can't support a game that's theme song contains the lyrics, "F.A.K.K. 2, it's comin' at you!" Indeed, 3rd-person shooters on the Mac haven't been anything spectacular to me. Thankfully, things are about to change!

In a short span of time, the prolific crew at Aspyr Media will be releasing the ultra-violent, horror filled and tres sexy 3rd-person action title, BloodRayne. In this first look preview, we'll discuss what gamers can expect to sink their teeth into when this tale of vampires, Nazis and zombies takes center-stage on Mac OS X 10.2.

Food for the Immortals
Developed by Terminal Reality, BloodRayne is an action-packed vampire adventure in which players take on the role of a mysterious and deadly woman, codenamed Agent BloodRayne. Rayne is a dhampir, the product of her vampire father raping her human mother. Thus, she possesses both vampiric and human strengths. For instance, unlike pure vampires, Rayne can safely be exposed to sunlight.

For many years, Rayne wandered Europe, slaughtering vampires, bent on revenge against her biological father. This activity caught the attention of the Brimstone Society, a secret brotherhood whose sole purpose is to shield the world from supernatural threats. Under the employ of the Brimstone Society, Agent BloodRayne is dispatched to investigate a plot that involves a Nazi official's search for powerful occult artifacts that would unleash unimaginable horror unto the world.

Set across three game areas (Louisiana, Argentina and Germany) in the 1930s, BloodRayne won't be a game for the entire family. It's dark, brutally violent and full of gothic sex appeal. Having experienced BloodRayne on the XBox, I can honestly say that it will be one of the bloodiest games to ever splatter onto the Mac OS.

In order to eliminate her enemies, Rayne uses a multitude of acrobatic maneuvers combined with massive swiveling blades fastened to her forearms. These blades allow her to decapitate and dismember Nazis with ease. For example, with her left blade, Rayne can relieve a soldier of his arm, then as he tries to flee, she can decapitate him with one quick swipe of her right blade. In fact, Rayne can separate just about any part of an enemy's body from another. It's especially delightful to rend a Nazi's leg from the hip and watch him attempt to hop away.

Furthermore, after a successful volley of melee attacks, Rayne can enter a state of Blood Rage. During Blood Rage, the game slips into slow motion and every single blow severs an enemy limb. In this state, Rayne can turn a room full of gun toting Nazis into a blood soaked slaughterhouse.



Pages:12Gallery




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