Vampire Night

"Amazing, but short"

Vampire Night is one of the few good light gun games on PS2 at the moment. The Arcade classic has hit PS2 and is just as great as it was in the Arcade.

You play the part of two Vampire hunters (Albert and Michel), out to kill the undead in a fast and furious shooting adventure, on a quest to defeat the evil Auguste. Armed with nothing but your light gun, you must blast away hordes of the undead before they take a bite out of you for lunch through six levels, with bosses trying to stop you. For the more accurate perfectionists, there are infected people in every level which you must rescue by shooting monsters off of them before they transform into werewolf like creatures. This may reward you with extra lives or more bonus points, so it usually pays off. The bosses at the end of each level have a small weak spot which will hurt them more and faster if you can target it. The split choice paths give you a different experience every time, usually with the better choice giving you more points. One down side is the irritating little girl that persists on following you around for the duration of the game. You must rescue her on numerous occasions, giving you different routes depending on how well you do at protecting her.

The graphics in Vampire Night are of top quality. Every creature and character has great detail and it remains that way even with the crazy spinning camera movement. The sound effects and music are very accurate, right from the sound of the gun shooting, to the screeches of the undead and the gothic musical feel to the whole game. The voice acting is atrocious, and beyond cheesy. The voices do however, add a small comical relief from all the death and the young girl's screams.

As with all light gun games, this is very short with only six levels. There are different routes to go through, but even with the training and special mode, where you complete objectives and collect gold for better weapons, there is not much to do. If you are a die hard light gun fan, this game is a must for you. If you require a more in depth game with more to do, then avoid.

Vampire Night is a brilliant light gun game and a fine alternative to Time Crisis 2.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/07/03, Updated 07/07/03