Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds

"Great Adventure Game, especially for Buffy fans"

I picked up this game because it was marked down to $20 and I had heard, despite being licensed, it was good. I'm a big fan of BtVS, so needless to say, I bought it.

When I think of licensed games, I think of debacles like Bart Vs. the Space Mutants and all those awful Simpsons games and movie tie-ins that have been rushed out over the years. This game though is a rarity, a licensed game that is actually good and stays reasonably true to the source material.

Gameplay: 10/10

The combat system in this game is great and the controls and hit detection are excellent. There's so many different weapons you can use. Different enemies have different weaknesses (ie: vamps need to be staked when their health is low, ghouls don't, etc).

The combat system in this game is deep. I'm playing Rygar right now too, Buffy's combat system is better. Plus, buffy has tons of variety in terms of the different bad guys. There's so many different types. The only action game out right now that even compares is Castlevania: LoI.

Btw, you play as several different characters (that are from the show!) with radically different strengths and weaknesses during the game, which really keeps it from ever getting monotonous. Gameplay in this game is just about the closest I think I've seen to perfect.

Sound: 9/10

The voiceovers in this game are amazing and abundant, which will be a welcome treat to those people familiar with the shows. The only game(s) I've played with voicework this excellent were the games in the Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver series. The background sounds are atmospheric a la Silent Hill (this game is scary btw, too) and fit the game.

Graphics: 7/10

The graphics for the game are average to slightly above average for a PS2 action game. The characters look reasonably like the actors who portray them and the cutscenes (which use the game's graphic's engine) are good. Definitely not bad and it's obvious this is a PS2 game, but doesn't really stand out amongst some other titles.

Story: 6.5/10

The story in this game isn't bad, and it manages to throw in lots of references to the series. Still, it's not that great (ie: parallel universe), but now that Buffy's off the air, I'll take what I can get. It also uses most of the real actors from the show for voices (except for SMG and AH but their voices sound OK nonetheless). Still it's better than most of the eps from Season 6 (well except 6x07 Once More With Feeling, which was GREAT).

If you've never watched the show, you probably will be a little lost. But BtVS fans take note, this game is VERY true to the series (there's some plotholes, but I think the game was made before the final season, so I'll cut them some slack). All in all, definitely well above average story for an action game and still decent enough to be a respectable (though not superlative) entry into the BtVS canon.

Difficulty: 7/10

This game is a good bit harder than average for a PS2 game, still it's not like it's insanely hard like Contra or Metal Slug X. The regular enemies aren't that tough, but some of the bosses and several puzzles are difficult. This game is about half puzzles and half fighting. If you want a pure hack and slash game, look elsewhere. I thought some of the puzzles were reasonably tough, but were fun because they actually involved some thinking.

The puzzles are similar but not quite as hard as say the old Maniac Mansion/Day of the Tentacle type of games where you use seemingly unrelated items to solve a problem or remove an obstacle (that's about the closest approximation I can come up with).

Some of the bosses are tough, like old school NES tough and you must figure out weaknesses and patterns. Expect to die on certain bosses. A lot. This is not a pure hack 'n slash.

Also, you can only save after the level is over. There are continue points throughout the level, but if you shut off your system without completing a level, you start at the beginning. I think this is excellent because an over-abundance of save points has made many PS2 games far too easy. But if you're a weak player or poor puzzle-solver you might want to consider other titles.

Replay/Length: 5/10

This game is a lot longer than I would've thought. I suppose you could beat this game in around 10-12 hours if you used a walkthrough or played through it once already but for a first run through expect closer to 15-20 hours. I'm on the 9th level now, and I've clocked @14 hours. Of course I'm trying to get all the secrets though. You'll be scratching your head for awhile on some of these puzzles so that inflates the time quite a bit. Plus, you'll probably die on bosses until you know their patterns. I'll probably play through it again when I'm done. The game is divided into levels, so it's easy to play for one or two hours at a time (about how long a level takes). There don't seem to be any major bonuses for re-playing though. Most action games have poor replay value so I can't really fault the game too much in this category and would say it's average for the genre.

Bonuses: 10/10 The PS2 version has interviews, the comic book and other goodies that are a serious plus for the BtVS fans out there, so make sure not to get the GC version (I don't think it has the extras).

In Summary:
Pros: GREAT combat system, excellent gameplay, many different playable characters, great Voiceovers, Bonus Material, scariest game out right now, challenging, but not impossible, difficulty level

Cons: GLITCHES lose this game 1-2 points easy. Let me just say I would easily rate this game a 9 (and possibly my as of yet unused 10/10) were it not for the glitches in the game. Not since Perfect Dark (which was glitched to high hell in the first shipment, of which I have a copy) have I seen a game with so many clipping glitches. I had to reset twice.

This is really unprofessional for a software company. Occasionally there are other glitches too, ie: enemy opens door, it won't close, I'm trapped behind it and the wall. But, the clipping glitches were the only ones that actually affected gameplay at all ie: if a badguy is behind a door and running towards it you might see half of it coming through the door on occasion, stuff like that never affected gameplay.

There was also a problem with ladders on one of the levels that leads to a graphical glitch, when you climb a ladder that doesn't seem to be there. It's mostly little things, and it doesn't happen that often, but it happened often enough that I can reasonably say they needed to playtest this game a little more. Still it's a great game, it's just irritating when it glitches occasionally.

Also, graphics are decent to good, still nothing to write home about. Some people may also not like the difficulty of some puzzles and bosses.

Fans of BtVS and Action/Adventure Games (especially the horror/vampire loving gamefans) should definitely buy this immediately.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/10/04