Rayne, the busty action bimbo from the original gore-fest BloodRayne, is back in an explosive sequel - not surprisingly titled BloodRayne 2 - but with lots more oomph and ass-kicking power.
This sultry half-human, half-vampire - known as a dhampir - was last seen slaughtering Nazi vampires in WWII, in the well-received original third-person action game, developed by Terminal Reality.
Skip forward 60 years, and we meet up with Rayne again. According to the convoluted story line, Rayne is the product of an unnatural union between a vampire and a human being. Kagan, Rayne`s bloodsucking father and Nazi collaborator, is said to have raped her mother and then massacred the unfortunate woman`s entire family.
Understandably, Rayne is slightly peeved and feels some unresolved anger towards her father. An accident kills the old man in the original BloodRayne, depriving Rayne of the pleasure of killing him herself.
Some people seek therapy to deal with unresolved familial issues, but not Rayne. She vows to take revenge on Kagan`s plentiful offspring (who have joined forces to form the Cult of Kagan), by slashing and gouging them to pieces in the most delightfully imaginative ways.
The Cult of Kagan has set out to gain world domination (as cults do) and establish a new order where vampires will rule. To this end, the cult has invented the "Shroud" which is to be used to make the sun`s rays harmless to vampires. Never mind the script (the BloodRayne movie was released in the US in January, for those of you who care), that`s not what the game is really about.
Supernatural threats
Suffice to say, upon hearing of her siblings` evil plan, Rayne - working for the mysterious Brimstone Society where she is employed to save the world from supernatural threats - goes ape.
This is where BloodRayne 2 starts. Essentially, what really appealed to me about this game is it is an unadulterated orgy of guts and gore, and does not profess to be anything else. Violence is the order of the day, mixed with some profanity, a little sexual innuendo and blood - lots of blood. It`s probably wise to note: this game is adult-rated and would most likely not make a very good birthday present for little Johnny.
The gameplay is not very complex, but if you resign yourself to the fact that it`s all about fast-paced action, slashing, ripping and impaling, then the whole thing becomes very enjoyable. From this perspective, I found BloodRayne 2 much more likeable than the adventure of that other generously-endowed no-nonsense vixen in Tomb Raider, which can be downright tedious and irritating at times.
Once you get the hang of combat, you`ll find that most evil minions and monsters are fairly easy to defeat. Rayne`s vicious-looking dual blades are back, as is the wrist-mounted harpoon, which works rather well against most enemies. Also at her disposal are steel stilettos and twin pistols - the Carpathian Dragons.
Whereas the game offers many elaborate moves and combos, I found these to be rather superfluous. The basic slashing with blades, kicking and harpooning are sufficient to maim and dismember most baddies. However, mastering the more complex moves adds to the entertainment value of the game, as they allow Rayne to kill in elegantly complex ways.
Interactive environment
In addition to disposing of enemies in the abovementioned manner, BloodRayne 2 offers a highly interactive environment. This mostly provides opportunities to impale victims on sharp objects, incinerate them in fires or throw them into various mechanical contraptions for crushing or electrocution.
In fact, players are encouraged to use the environment hazards to kill enemies, as this gives Rayne "carnage bonuses" that increase her powers and health. So the violence is almost self-perpetuating. Players are required to solve a number of "kill puzzles" during the game in order to progress. These involve using specific objects to kill baddies. Again, these are not complicated and thus do not have a stuttering, interrupting effect on the game`s primary objective - killing.
The interactive environment also allows Rayne to engage with benign objects in the game, such as blowing up gas bottles, smashing crates and kicking over barrels. While the progression of the game is linear, the interactive surroundings give a far more open-ended feel. I spent much time kicking out window panes, because it looks cool - and because I simply could!
What`s also nice is that if Rayne takes a couple of knocks, regeneration sources are readily available. To restore health, Rayne can simply feed on an enemy, which entails jumping on him or her and sucking the blood out of their necks. This not only restores health, but is a pretty nifty way of killing. Combine a feeding move with one of the "finishing" moves, and the effect is rather gloriously gory.
If Rayne`s already-impressive killing gear is not enough, she also comes with special vampiric powers, most of which are acquired as rewards for achieving certain objectives. Some, such as "blood rage" and "ghost feed" are useful, while others don`t seem to serve much purpose.
Easy to defeat
Apart from the millions of goons that come at you from various directions, Rayne also squares up to various bosses, under-bosses, freak-like monsters, vampires and dhampirs during the game. Each has different powers and abilities, but most are fairly easy to defeat.
The game`s linear nature and repetitive combat engagements do run the danger of becoming boring, but the unrelenting action and violence kept me going.
In short, don`t expect too much originality and variety; rather enjoy the game`s sleek look and feel.
And BloodRayne 2 does look great. The graphics` quality is superb, and all moves look natural and smooth. This is largely thanks to the "rag-doll" physics that have been added to the game, making it all look very realistic. The developers have also gone all out on detail, with lively facial expressions and great-looking light and shadow effects.
Let`s not forget that Rayne herself is pretty hot. A sexy, tight-fitting black and red leather number accentuates her every generous curve and makes her a pleasure to watch. Wikipedia gives Rayne`s measurements as 36-22-36, and she`s said to be 1.8 metres tall (1.93m in heels). It`s not surprising that this supple, athletic dhampir was the first video game babe to be featured in a spread in the October 2004 issue of Playboy magazine. I`ve seen it. It`s cool!
If a leather fetish is not your thing though, BloodRayne 2 allows players to unlock several items during the game, including different outfits for Rayne. One of these is a wicked-looking schoolgirl`s dress, complete with pig-tails.
All in all, this game is good, with many improvements on the original. Not only does it restore mankind`s faith in female action heroes of third-person video games after the boring slog that was Tomb Raider, it also offers some sense of cathartic release. What better way to unwind after a frustrating spell in traffic than to decapitate someone?
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