Countdown Vampires

"Bandai's "Resident" ripoff"

Countdown: Vampires is yet another obvious attempt at cashing in on the survival-horror genre. Though it falls far short of greatness, it has original touches which make it worthwhile. Personally, I couldn't get enough of this game for a few weeks!

You portray officer Keith J. Snyder, hired as a VIP bodyguard at Desert Moon for a huge end-of-millennium party. All hell breaks loose when a strange black liquid douses the revelers via the indoor sprinkler system, turning them into *gulp* VAMPIRES! Luckily, you have a special dart gun (always equipped) that sedates victims after multiple shots, allowing you to pour "white water" on them. We all know by now someone with an underlying motive is at work, & the game unfolds through the usual methods of notes, files, computer access & cut-scenes as the game progresses. It spans 2 discs- a definite time investment, not including game replays to discover the full story. Finishing the alternate storyline opens up a strange "mini-game" where Keith racks up multiple kills & gains rewards accordingly. However, the control is so poor you'll be slashing air while your prey kicks your ass.

Graphics are a mixed bag- the Resident Evil-style pre-rendered screens are well-detailed, but can hide key items (food, ammo, etc) in the form of yellow boxes someone was nice enough to leave around. A neat twist is the option to gamble at slots (it's a casino, after all) winning "J-units" for food, drinks, & bottles (which save space by holding up to 3 drinks). Areas vary from the horror-themed casino complex, a small rustic town, the La Luna dam/secret facility, & connecting areas. The game makes good use of cinematic angles & viewpoints, but character animation is choppy & sloppy, even in cut-scenes.

Audio is decent here; the eerie yet repetitive music helps set the mood, I get a kick out of the monsters' growls & screams, even footsteps sound realistic on metal, wood, dirt, mud, etc. Weapons go bang (there's serious firepower to be found- the screen shakes violently using certain big guns!) A neat related aspect is the "dual-wield": you can switch between/reload active guns on the fly- no need to visit the inventory screen!

Now the bad news: not much care was taken in translating- words are spelled wrong, missing, or have improper inflection; voice acting is corny & melodramatic. Certain puzzles, while clever, are confusing- I used online help & still don't get a few. Lastly, the 2 main boss battles may be THE MOST unfair, lengthy, & frustrating EVER- & are timed!

Definitely try Countdown: Vampires if you at all like survival-horror or vampire-themed games. (If not, subtract a point from my rating.) It lacks the finesse of a job well done, but yet is a decent title, thanks to its size & alternate storyline.

PROS: 2 discs, creepy atmosphere, multiple playthrough rewards, lotsa guns
CONS: poor translation, clunky/frustrating control, obvious clone, needs polish

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 09/06/05