Buffy the Vampire Slayer

"Final Fight done Buffy style in 3D"

This game has to be the best adaptation of a movie or TV show into a video game I have ever played. The game just seems to get everything right about Buffy's universe, from the locations down to the witty banter between Xander and Cordelia. When you are playing the game, everything seems perfect. If you are a Buffy fan you need to buy this game, it is the best representation of a TV show in a video game ever.

Graphics: 8
The graphics in this game are very well done. Everything looks just like it does in the show: the school is a gigantic campus where the vamps roam at night, the characters accurately represent their real life counter parts, and everyone has their own unique traits. The lighting is right for each occasion: dark and gloomy in the grave yard, orange and glowing in the boiler room, and bright and luminous at the Bronze. The demonic creatures that come at you are some of the coolest character models I have ever seen. The only problem I have is many of the environments and vamps tend to look the same. For the first few hours it really isn't a problem, but later on it starts to get on your nerves.

Sound: 10
The sound on this game is amazing. Every time you perform an objective or dust a vampire Buffy spouts out an infamous quip. Everyone from the show, aside from Sarah Michelle Gellar lend their voices to the game and it makes the experience much more fun to hear(and even though Sarah doesn't lend her voice, the girl who does Buffy's voice sounds exactly like her). Also the background music and noises fit the mood of the game very nicely. When you enter battle a good beat gets your blood pumping and when you are wandering through a empty corridor, you'll hear the sounds of your prey near by. Overall there really isn't any problems with the sound.

Control: 7
The control is perfect for the kind of tasks you perform. The X-Box controller seemed to be made for fighting in this game. Everything just seems to click when you are fighting. The controls allow you to unleash a volley of strikes on your opponents or it also allows you to pull out your weaponry and create some havoc. The only problem that I have with the controls is jumping. Jumping in this game is a major chore and in the next game it needs a major overhaul. The jumping controls are imprecise and in the last few levels where jumping is a must, you will curse the Collective for what they have done.

Story: 10
The story is written to act like a lost episode of Buffy in the third season and it follows the Buffy formula perfectly. The basic gist of the story revolves around the evil vamp the Master from the first season of Buffy using Spike and Three Super Demons to bring himself back to life. At first you don't really know what is going on, all the gang knows is some really tough vamps are using Spike to gather tools necessary in completing their plan. It isn't really until after the level in Angel's mansion that you learn the truth, and then it is up to Buffy to stop the Master from achieving his goal. I won't reveal much more, but I will say that the story gives you a real reason to play.

Life Span: 8
This game's life span really depends on what difficulty you are playing. I'll give you the numbers on about how many hours it will take you to beat the game on each difficulty:
Easy- 6 to 8 hours
Normal- 10-12 hours
Hard- 15-16 hours
I suggest that you start out on easy a gradually work your way up, otherwise the game will take you much longer to complete. Now the game doesn't offer much in the way of secrets, but if you put in a code, you will be able to play the fun Arena mode where a friend can join in.

The reason I gave this game a 10 is due to the fact that I am a major Buffy fan and also because the game is fun even if you aren't a fan. If you are a fan you need to buy this game and even if you aren't a fan you should give the game a try.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/31/03, Updated 05/31/03