Blood II: The Chosen

"Not as great as the first, but still is fun."

Now the year is 2028 and strange things are happening. Rifts are being opened constantly and the world is tearing it apart.

But what do you care? Caleb is still alive (surprise, surprise) and seems to care less about the world and more about living a normal life... which is quite impossible because he is immortal and usually (very) drunk.

But the Cabal is still alive, under the new name Cabalco. Cabalco is more than just a cult - it's a mega corporation that is basically a monopoly across the board. Every industry seems to be under their command.

But what do you care? You still like Ophelia. Then, you found Gideon. You take up the hunt.

You have plenty of ways to plug your enemies with bullets with the speedy Mac 10 Sub-machine gun (or accurate alternate fire), the accurate Assault Rifle, the always great Sawed-off Shotgun (double-barrel mode seems to only be available for one, but that could be version differences), the now-industry-standard sniper rifle, and the super-powerful Vulcan Cannon (the most powerful bullet weapon around).

For the people who want to set people on fire, don't worry! You still have the flare guns to set them ablaze. And then, there is the Bug Spray. It's... oddly strong. Just take care because the ammunition is quite small.

Anyone for explosives? You still have the Napalm Launcher, but now you have the Howitzer Shell Launcher (which is extremely fast, but for a limited range) and C4s replace the Dynomite (still comes in three flavors - timed, remote and proxy). But don't expect to be blowing the enemies away in a couple of shots. These explosives are a bit weak. Like Caleb says, ''They just don't make them like they used to.''

Love techno weaponry? Still got the good ol' Tesla Cannon with an interesting upgrade from the first game's. Now you have the Cabalco Death Ray... wait, it's not as cool as it sounds. It's a green laser that repels off walls and strikes enemies with great damage. That's good, but I would expect something more... show-y. Then, the big momma of the techno group - the Singularity Generator. It's powerful, it's great but has one little flaw... if the enemy is inside the singularity, they are safe. BFG 9000 this weapon is not, but still something that should be taken with precaution.

Got focus? Learn to use these powerful weapons. Remember the Voodoo Doll? It's baaaack, and works as well as ever. The alternative, though is lacking a bit of power. A new entry is the Orb. For the more focused person, the Orb can be used as a scout of sorts or a malicious way of taking someone out. The Life Leech is back, and boy howdy it's back! After a slight hiatus, it's power has shot up. Besides the stanard fire upgrade, it now performs a powerful ground burst that causes... maximal damage at the epicenter of the blast. Definitely worth a try, why don'cha?

Another feature in this game is that the dead bodies stay on the ground. While this seems worthless, it's a way of ''keeping score'' as someone reffered this as.

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Category Summary

The Scoring categories are...

Story - The mission or reason the game exists. Does the story give me the feel for the game? Or does it just seem to be ''there'' for no reason? If there is no story, the review will ignore this category.

Graphics - The presentation of the game. Does it work for the style of the game? Or does it seem ''out of place''?

Music - The songs of the game. Does it warrant a listen to? Or would I rather listen to something else?

Sounds - The sounds of the game. Does it bring out the game? Or does it just annoy me?

Gameplay - The handle of the game. Does it feel that you are in control? Or does it feel that ''leaps of faith'' would define the controls?

Fun Factor - The game's enjoyment. Would you enjoy the game? Or would it just bore you quickly?

Replayability - The possibility of bringing you back to the game. Are you going to play a game a month later to remember how good it was? Or just to see why you hated it so much?

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Story

''It's now 2028 and Caleb is still crazy as ever. Now, you must fix the rifts that keep opening up. You are ''the one that binds''.''

Standard sequel fodder.

Score: 5/10

Graphics

For being mostly models, they are very well done... for it's time. Overall something that is nicely made.

Score 9/10

Music

Not much to listen to, but what is available is quite nice. It fits into the mood nicely as well. But you may want your own music if you want more tracks.

Score - 8/10

Sounds

Slightly less impressive, but there's still nothing like open the singularity and sending some of your adversaries into oblivion.

Score - 8/10

Gameplay

This is a bit ''wonkey'' as I would say. The game itself works very well. Everything seems into place... except for the (darn) C4's! Sometimes, they stick in mid-air. WHY?! Stick to the walls (darn) you! Other than that, the game works well.

Score - 8/10

Fun Factor

-Sawed-off? Check.
-Explosives? ...Hmm. Not very good in this game, unfortunately. No check for this.
-Destruction? Check.
-Fun? Hmm... not as much as the first, but still a check.

Score - 8/10

Replayability

After playing as Caleb in the Story Mode (named ''Caleb''), there is a chance to play as the other chosen. After that, get the cheat codes and blow them away with your favorite weapons.

Score - 8/10

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Score Summary

Story - 5
Graphics - 9
Music - 8
Sounds - 8
Gameplay - 8
Fun Factor - 8
Replayability - 8

Total - 54/70

Overall Score - 8/10

Recommendation - Worth the buy, especially if you are a fan of the first game. If not, you should play the demo first.

* Remember this review is my opinion only. You should make the final call on the game. *

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/14/03, Updated 06/14/03