Back in the early 2000s, BloodRayne graced consoles with its presence. While this third person action adventure series had a fantastic story and interesting gameplay elements, it was only mildly successful. The poor decision to hand the movie rights over to Uwe Boll only further mired the reputation of the franchise. However, the series was not without its fans.
Majesco, together with WayForward, has raised Rayne from her almost ten year torpor to embark on a new adventure; BloodRayne Betrayal. This 2D side scrolling hack-and-slash game is coming directly to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network this July. We managed to get our hands on it during our trip to Los Angeles and played through a few levels. So how does this new imagining of BloodRayne stack up?
The seductive Dhampir, Rayne, is again recruited by the Brimstone Society, a covert organization dedicated to eradicating all supernatural evils. Rayne is tasked with infiltrating a sinister ball being held in a castle. However, hordes of monsters and vampires stand in her way.
Of course, Rayne is an arsenal unto herself. Not only will she hack her way through enemies with her blades, but she is given a number of signature moves such as the Heel Stomp, Infection (which turns vampires into bloated exploding time-bombs), and the ability to suck them dry to regain her own health. The bloody and brutal methods in which she dispatches her enemies is a throwback to the game’s predecessors, but make no mistake, this game stands on its own.
BloodRayne’s artistic character style is reminiscent of the classic Vampire Hunter D. Many of the vampires, like in D, range from the classic human vampire to the rather horribly disfigured and grotesque monsters wielding scythe-like appendages and more. And while you progress through the levels of crypts, graveyards, caves and castles, you will find that they seem to draw on another great vampire classic, Castlevania.
Over the top, screen-filling level bosses can be found throughout the game as well. They do an extraordinary job of keeping you on your toes and putting all of your skills to the test as you work to take them down.
BloodRayne Betrayal looks to be an exceptionally promising game. Majesco and WayForward have worked hard to give Betrayal a classic BloodRayne look and feel while bringing it into a new platform and new artistic styles. This game is one that we'll be definitely looking forward to seeing when it releases this August on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network!
