Unique horror shooter The 90s went almost unnoticed at the time of its release, but has already acquired its cult status in our days.
We will go over the plot and plunge into the world of the game. Let’s talk in more detail about the main character, monsters and weapons, and also not ignore the external design. All this accompanied by our loved ones cultists, without which it would be "a little more boring".
Classic shooter Blood has its own charm and personality, full of satire and black humor. Trash mixed with a horror component makes the game truly sophisticated and unique.
Licensed copy original game. Today the only way to purchase the game legally is the Remaster Blood: Fresh Supply available in digital store Steam.
GAME HISTORY
ANDgra appeared on Bylkah stores in 1997, bypassing all consoles, remaining PC exclusive. The developer was Monolith Productions, which bought the rights to the game from 3D REALMS. The studio that developed Duke Nukema and in the future Shadow Warrior.
It is known that Blood also had to go out under the wing 3d realms, but for some reason, halfway through the process, they abandoned the development of the game and sold the rights to it "monoliths». Blood uses the same game engine Build Engine, what and Duke Nukem 3D.
In the 90s it was a shooter "B" class, clearly inferior in power Quake, same as it was released a year later Half-Life And Unreal. It was necessary to compete in the market with Duke Nukem and others second-rate shooters. The game itself was essentially parody to horror films of the 80s-90s and was distinguished by her extraordinary sense of humor. Game genre – Horror shooter with a lot of admixture trash, what does creation do?monoliths» very unique of its kind. For example: Duke Nukem 3D And Shadow Warrior did not contain horror elements, although they were in no way inferior to the madness happening on the screen. Blood at the time of release, it was capable of scaring the average player, taking him out of his comfort zone with various game situations and unusual creepy monsters.
DESIGN AND MONSTERS
The levels in the game are almost complete 3d environment, but monsters and other objects are depicted sprites. "Level design"was a mixture of abandoned cemeteries and dungeons, ominous caves and medieval castles. Immersed in the ruins of the city and all "favorites» sewers are also present in the game. There are also unique levels that differ from the rest in their rich architecture – Dark Carnival and Train. The last two are perhaps the most favorite levels of most players, because they are endowed with great scope for entertainment. In addition to them, in the final stage the player will be thrown into the dimension of hell which directly leads to monastery the main antagonist of the game – Chernobog.
For exterior design only one person answered. His name Kevin Kihlstrom. He’s the same artist, animator And screen video operator. The latter means that he scanned all the actual models from different angles, made sprites from them and then imported them into the game engine.
Monsters, exactly like main character, molded from plasticine. Sometimes this was done on top of a plastic toy in which some parts of the body were movable. The whole thing was scanned and carefully processed, and then turned into sprites.
Kevin Kihlstrom was responsible for all aspects of the game that concerned art design. One can only be surprised how one person managed to do such an impressive amount of work and still remain far in the shadow of world-famous game designers. But this is the fate of almost every developer. Only real people get fame and recognition "geniuses"
The design of the monsters here is inspired by both horror classic, so and mythology. Here you go Zombie, straight from the movies George Romero And Lucio Fulci, who rise from their graves, do not hesitate to climb out of sewer pipes or places not so "remote", as well as their more plump counterpart – Bloated Butchers, who very persistently invite you to join them, simultaneously shaking the air with gases and throwing bile straight from their mouths.
Mythology includes Stone Gargoyles, who wake up from their sleep and clearly cannot tolerate the presence of the main character. Gargoyles one of the most annoying enemies. This is due to the fact that they move both on land and in the air. There are also Phantom ghosts, vulnerable only at the moment of their attack. In the 90s, these guys forced to build entire factories for the production bricks his sudden emerging from a closet door. Hellhounds, capable of breathing fire, moving freely on lava and dying instantly in water. As soon as Cerberus breathes on you at least a couple of times, you will immediately remember that hell is not as hot as in the presence of this pretty dog.
But if you think that in the water safely, then you are deeply mistaken, for straight from the dark abyss of horrors Lovecraft a hungry mouth with hundreds of sharp teeth, called Gillbeast. Posing danger on land and especially under water, these guys develop rapid speed, are always ready and always at the start, they will come running (or swim) the very second they sense your presence.
By the way, “water” is perhaps the most dangerous place in the game. Only the main character has the courage to start suffocating from lack of air. All other representatives of the world live quite comfortably in water and do not feel the need for air. Cultists live quietly underwater and willingly stuff the hero with lead.
Cultists, like a pack M&M’s come in many colors and flavors. Standard – brown are armed Shotguns, Black operate Tommygunami, A Blue shoot from Tesla Guns. Besides weapons, they are also excellent use their mouth and release various "compliments"to the main character.
Top 5 Cultist Quotes: GeraShay Cruo! Crudux Cruo! Maranax Infirmux! Maranax Pallex! Cruo StragaraNa Malexus!
Almost every one of them can accurately throw you dynamite right under your feet, but someone in this gang stands out in a special way. Green cultist does not see meaning in his life if there is no dynamite. He pursues only one goal, to set fire to everything that, in his opinion, is not as cool as him, and he doesn’t care who will become the victim, the most important thing is process, zeal And productivity. He will throw dynamite until he blows up someone, even if it is himself.
BOSSES
And of course, don’t forget https://betway-casino.uk that, like most shooters, there are some Bosses each of which is unique in its own way. Spider Queen generates countless spidery and in its role is only suitable to tickle your nerves and cause inconvenience to those who have an addiction to arachnophobia. Big stone Gargoyle shoots lasers directly from its orbits and chases the player until death. Double-headed Cerberus demonstrates the characteristics of a long binge in hell, which proves this in battle by shooting fiery projectiles from its mouth. Each of them is the final boss of one of the story campaigns.
Among them, the most prominent monster is called Beast. Most often it predominates in two stages. First stage – cultist in red robes. If you meet him, then this meeting does not bode well for you. He, like the brown one, carries a shotgun with the only difference that he has three times the health reserve.
Red Cultist from among selected and came to replace Caleb and his fallen friends, whom he betrayed overnight ChernoboG. After defeating the red cultist, he does not want to rest on his laurels and uses his ability, and then turns into a huge 2 meter monster. Given "Monstradamus"with exposed genitals knows no mercy at all and destroys everything in its path. A meeting with him in 90% of cases ends with a crushing kick in the ass. And only after experiencing the bitterness of the pain in lower body, by choosing special weapons and tactics, you can defeat him.
Beast scary both up close and at long range. It’s unknown what kind of magic he possesses, but when he stomps his foot, our hero experiences lung collapse, which negatively affects his life expectancy.
WEAPON
Arsenal Caleb can boast not only of its abundance, but also extremely rich diversity. There is a weapon for every taste here.
Double-barreled shotgun — Compared to most guns, it seems like an ordinary stick firecracker, but this is only at first glance. This is a universal weapon that can be used in any stressful situations, or as a last reserve if the ammunition of a more powerful weapon is significantly empty. Effective against ordinary enemies like zombies or cultists. After the salvo there is a quick reload. Also, the double-barreled shotgun is the main character’s favorite weapon. One barrel in hand. This can be seen if you carefully look at Caleb’s toy on the basis of which the sprites were created.
Pitchfork — The only always available weapon in the main character’s inventory. Decades later, this weapon has become legendary, leading to game developers now adding pitchforks and saying it’s a reference to Blood (example recent update left 4 dead 2). We appear with pitchforks and the authors do not always provide us with other weapons, forcing us to wander around in search of other weapons.
And then they throw a whole crowd at us hungry obscurantists, and in our hands we have the same ones damn pitchforks…One question arises in my head..
Signal Launcher – Has low firepower, but compensates for its shortcomings by setting fire to enemies vulnerable to fire. A few single shots can make one ill-wisher dance on his deathbed, who will hum the most pleasant songs to the ears. Alt-fire turns a crowd of thrill-seekers into a parade of running fiery men frantically singing about the futility of being.
Interesting fact: a cultist who is set on fire instantly forgets his cult language and immediately begins shouting in English “IT BURNS IT BURNS BURNS! AAHHH!»
Thompson submachine gun — This weapon perfectly breaks up the pace of the game and sets the stage for everything happening on the screen. There is nothing more beautiful than unloading an entire machine gun burst into someone’s impudent face. Alternative fire allows you to fire horizontally at multiple enemies at the same time. But in my opinion, this is one of the least effective guns in the game. The firing range is low, as is the firepower. Accuracy is added to all this and hence not all bullets reach their target.
Spray — As a replacement for the flamethrower, at some point in the game we will acquire hairspray. Like dynamite, the spray can be accurately thrown around a corner right by the collar of a hidden cultist, causing him to run out screaming about him within a few seconds injustices of life so such. Repeat until the gas can is empty.
Enchanted Staff — The staff feeds on fallen souls imprisoned in certain vessels. Consumed Soul is a homing projectile that fires a staff and smashes to smithereens everything that is within fire range. As soon as the shells run out, the staff will begin to draw energy and absorb the soul of the main character. This means that the hero will give his soul in exchange for a shell and die after the first shot.
Voodoo doll – This is a kind of local sniper rifle that is capable of hitting even the nastiest and most annoying enemies at long distances, instantly causing them to jump from slight fright. Ideal for fighting some bosses, allowing you to keep your distance and "plug up"what is certain. But like the Staff, the Doll has its own little peculiarity. If there is no enemy in the scope, Caleb will stick the needle into his finger.
Napalm Gun – Capable of destroying an entire horde with one shot. The number of goals does not matter to her. Every intense firefight ends phenomenal fireworks. This weapon requires special care and caution, as well as accurate calculation and the best solution is to open the door, launch fiery sphere into the room and run as fast as you can. If you hear unkind comments about your actions, it means maneuver was a success.
Tesla Gun — Crown creations the great inventor, is essentially a machine gun that shoots beams of high-voltage electrical projectiles that penetrate any enemy right to the very bone. In the second case, a charge of special power is accumulated, capable of charging all discharged gramophones And payphones within a radius of 15 meters, and their owners are provided with a boost of energy for the week ahead. Nikola Tesla I would be proud of you, free distribution of electricity – to each his due.
Dynamite – The excellent balance between firepower and skill to use it makes Dynamite the best weapon in the entire game, and with such a diverse arsenal, that’s saying a lot. Take it, use it, master the skill of throwing dynamite to the maximum and you will discover a new world where there are no problems that cannot be solved with a well-aimed throw of dynamite. It comes in three variations – classical, With detonator and with motion sensor.
Evil cultists are disturbing your peace? — throw dynamite at them!
This room seems too suspicious to you? — throw a bunch of dynamite there!
If the enemy doesn’t want to die — it means you didn’t use enough dynamite!
PLOT
Let me remind you that most of the text is an expanded author’s interpretation of the briefly outlined plot of the game from the manual and Wikipedia Blood. The text was written by the author himself in which he added something of his own in order to present the story of the game as eloquently as possible.
CHERNOBOG AND THE CULT OF CABAL
Chernobog – "Soul Devourer", "Sleeping God", "He who connects worlds».
It is not known for certain how long it has existed Chernobog, although someone says that aboutn old as time itself. At some point his body was destroyed by unknown forces, what made him inhabit other people’s shells in order to continue fulfilling his duty to maintain the balance of worlds and dimensions. So that the cycle of rebirth is not interrupted, he founded cult, called "Cabal", who adhered to a clear and strict hierarchy. It is worth noting that in itself Chernobog was a source of limitless power, he was not the embodiment of evil, but he was not virtue. In many ways, he was defined by the person in whom he was reborn.
5th incarnation Chernobog appeared in the body Buddhist monk. With him at the helm, the cult became a closed organization, admitting only a select few and practicing peaceful rituals of repentance.
Everything has changed over time. Last incarnation, 16th, occurred in the body of a man who was the focus of all the darkest that can only be in a person, and this also affected Chernobog. The cult changed radically: more and more people from various strata were recruited, rituals began to carry an increasingly sinister essence, and the goal became conquest of the Earth.
Once a religious organization that peacefully worshiped its god, the cult eventually became a totalitarian sect that grew like a cancer throughout the planet – every day the number of converts grew, and the cult metastasized into all layers of the power structures of various states, thus gaining the opportunity to influence the politics and economy of entire countries. Consuming souls, Chernobog transformed, becoming over and over again one step closer to his absolute form. He no longer wanted to be reborn into human body, and in his plans after enslaving the earth, having gained the greatest power, he wanted to invade the planet in his true form and make it part its dimension.
In the end, cultists began to commit heinous atrocities – They tortured And tortured people who are unlucky enough to be in their hands, mutilated And perverted their souls, which, tormented by pain and suffering, then went to dinner Chernobog. The mad followers of the dark and cruel deity sought to do everything to earn the favor of their otherworldly ruler, and therefore invented more and more new ways to cause suffering to unfortunate people. A colossal danger looms over the Earth – a cult that has gained monstrous power "Cabal", in the end, came out of the shadows, and began to repair terror right on the streets of captured cities, preparing their master for the invasion of the planet. And at this moment..Caleb wakes up from his sleep after 20 years of imprisonment.
HERO’S STORY
Caleb born in the USA in 1847, Texas. During the time of the Wild West and the civil war in the country, by the age of 17 he had already earned a reputation for himself ruthless shooter, relating to everything a bit of irony.
One day, one carefree evening, he met Ophelia Price, standing among the charred ruins of a house. From her he learned that her husband was trying to abandon his service and escape from the cult "Cabal". Resulting in cultists burned down their house. Son died in fire. Ophelia being loyal to the cult, she blamed all her sins not on the cultists, but on her husband, whom she considered coward.
Hero floating over the course of life, after meeting Ophelia, joined a cult where his skills as a marksman appreciated. Later he fell in love into a girl and this determined his future fate. Years later, they reached together high rank and steel Chosen, along with two other cult members, one of whom was named Gabriel, and the second Ishmael. For many years they served Chernobog and flawlessly carried out all his tasks, spreading influence and filling the ranks with new members of the cult. They enslaved and sacrificed the souls of those who refused to serve, in return gaining more and more power bestowed by their master.
Early 20th century, when Caleb turned 60 years old, and the influence of the cult began to spread throughout the world, Chernobog decided to bring as a sacrifice their chosen ones. He called demons from another dimension and in front of our hero died his friends, like his lover Ophelia Price. A Caleb was buried alive
For 20 long years the hero was imprisoned and thirsted for revenge. He dreamed of the day when his revenge would be accomplished.
AWAKENING
In 1928, when the cult Cabal grew to unimaginable proportions, Caleb was resurrected and discovered that cult members began to attack cities and capture entire continents. Without losing your sense of humor, he immediately began to clear the area and cities of cult members as well as their creatures. Destroying everything in his path, the hero is blinded by revenge and his own madness absorbed the hearts of their enemies, thereby becoming stronger and returning their human form.
Realizing that Ophelia Price a long time ago dead, Caleb finally reached her body, but it was too late. Her body was crucified demon Gargoyles. The hour of reckoning has arrived immediately. The boss was defeated, and the hero said goodbye to Ophelia, betraying her body fire.
Soon the hero discovered remains two of my friends. Heart Gabriel the hero eats after defeating the spider queen, and Ishmael incinerates Double-headed Cerberus with whom we also had to engage in battle. Caleb filled the guts with explosives and watched with great pleasure as the huge lifeless body Cerberus in a split second it shattered into small pieces. After eating the heart of one of his friends, Caleb gained new powers, which in the future allowed him get there to the dimension where he lives Chernobog.
FINALE OF THE STORY
Caleb destroying demons And cultists, absorbed enough number of souls and went into the dimension Chernobog, having gone through several circles of utter hell. Having left purgatory, the hero found himself at the crossroads of his fate and faced gloomy And cruel deity in full force. Linking space and worlds dark lord was waiting for the main character, because according to his plan, it was Caleb had to deliver him those very tormented And consumed souls. This was the point cause according to which Chernobog betrayed the main character, giving him motivation and a reason to take revenge. But Soul Devourer clearly underestimated his former chosen one and overestimated his own strength. Chernobog was not even in its absolute form and Caleb, although not without difficulty, being in a real bloody meat grinder, I was able overcome his former master..Chernobog’s plan to seize the land was doomed..
EPILOGUE
By the way, Caleb throughout the game he kept letting go of various kinds jokes soaked with no small amount sarcasm And satires, which makes him a funny and charismatic character, in no way inferior to his counterpart Duke Nukemu, and in some ways, in my opinion, even more attractive. His madness reaches its climax when he eats the hearts of his fallen friend Gabriel, and the hero himself is not at all shy on the way to his goal destroy innocent slaves of cultists, which also makes him a kind of antihero. For him, banal revenge is not so much a matter of principle, but rather an excellent way carry out your time and have fun what is called from the heart.
END
PS: That’s it for the story and review of a great game Blood have come to their end. This text is in places expanded version of the video, but some points, for example, the campaign Death Wish And easter eggs not here. The text, as well as the video review, were created with the help of two of my friends, to whom I express my deep gratitude. It was a joint effort on our favorite game.