Vampire vs. Nazis. Bloody mayhem of BloodRayne still fuels nostalgia today
Many developers have learned that making a good game about vampires is tough. Although BloodRayne's ratings don't indicate a hit, 23 years after its release, the Terminal Reality team's project continues to evoke sentiment.
In 2002, Terminal Reality was a big player - BloodRayne, a title that, although not a mega-hit at its release, still made its mark in the memory of players, giving rise to an entire series (quite short, but still).
Vampire versus Nazis
BloodRayne took us to the 1930s. As the game's action occurred right before World War II, the main antagonists in this game were the Nazis. At their head stood Officer Jurgen Wolf, commanding forces that were attempting to acquire artifacts that concealed a powerful force. He believed this force would ensure the Third Reich's ability to defeat its enemies quickly and grant him immortality.
Unfortunately for him, he crossed paths with a half-vampire Rayne, whom he first encountered in 1933, when she was a new member of the Brimstone Society, a secret organization focused on researching and fighting threats to humanity, and was dispatched on a mission to Louisiana. While her first task was to examine the plague transforming people into living corpses, it became clear on site that the Nazis, led by the previously mentioned Wolf, should be her main target.
The German officer managed to rough her up, but it didn't end Rayne's career. As it only kicked off five years later, when our protagonist was already able to inflict some... bloodshed on the Nazis.
Bloody journey around the world
So began the adventure that led Rayne (and consequently us) through Argentina and later . Whether we found ourselves in the swamps of Louisiana, an underwater German base, or a grand castle at any moment, and no matter the tasks set by the devs, the core of the gameplay was fighting the bad guys.
German soldiers trembled before Rayne, as she was a true killing machine. In combat, the protagonist mainly used firearms, including pistols, shotguns, machine guns, sniper rifles, and even rocket launchers. Her arsenal was completed with explosive charges, such as grenades.
In face-to-face clashes, the half-vampire wielded swords and her own fangs to pierce her enemies' necks, feeding on their blood to restore drained strength. The fact that, like Lara Croft, Rayne could use two guns at the same time was guite nice. She wasn't inferior to the famous archaeologist in of acrobatic abilities, performing somersaults and finishing off enemies with spectacular kicks.
The combat in BloodRayne was impressive and brutal (even, after considering the nature of the main character). During the clashes, not only was blood shed, but severed limbs of enemies were also flying through the air. Thus, it shouldn't be surprising that all of this influenced the protagonist, who, by taking down successive opponents, was becoming increasingly furious, charging the indicator known as BloodRage. After filling it out and activating the mode, the screen began to glow with a bloody red, and Rayne gained superhuman strength and speed.
Bloodsuckers abilities
This wasn't the end, as Rayne also had a few other, perhaps less spectacular, but equally useful "aces" up her sleeve. She could use thermal vision to see her targets in the dark and slow down time to gain an extra edge over her enemies. The vampire lady could then aim more accurately and bombard them with a hail of bullets, or avoid gunfire.
As we progressed, we improved Rayne's skills related to melee combat, shooting, and BloodRage. As a result, over time, she became an even more formidable terror within the German ranks.
Hit? Let's say that...
BloodRayne was released on PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube in October 2002. The game of Terminal Reality hit personal computers with a delay, as it was not until May 2003. What's interesting, the game received lower ratings from industry media than we might expect. According to Metacritic, the console versions received average scores between 73 and 76 out of 100. The PC version fared worse, with an average rating of only 65/100.
What happened next?
However, the game succeeded in reaching the mass awareness of players, leading to the creation of a sequel. BloodRayne 2 was released in October 2004 on PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles, and in 2005 it appeared on rigs. In of ratings, the title performed similarly to original, enjoying an average score on Metacritic in the range of 67-71/100.
After the launch of the sequel, Terminal Reality gave up further development of the brand and focused on other projects. In 2011, the WayForward team took on the topic and developed BloodRayne: Betrayal. This time, though, we got a platform action game with side-view events instead of a third-person "action game." Despite the change in perspective and genre, the devs failed to break the trend related to ratings, as the average score of this title on Metacritic didn't exceed 70/100.
In the meantime, BloodRayne also received three film adaptations, which are better left unmentioned...
How to play BloodRayne today?
BloodRayne is one of the few titles described in this series that has received a refreshed version. BloodRayne: Terminal Cut launched on personal computers in November 2020. In 2021-2022, it was released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch under the title BloodRayne: ReVamped. This release was very warmly received by players. Over time, it was followed by a sequel and BloodRayne: Betrayal, which also received new versions.
On Steam, the remastered BloodRayne costs $14.99, in the PlayStation Store and the Xbox Store - $19.99, while in the Nintendo eShop also $19.99.
