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Platform: PS2, XBox

Developer: Mucky Foot

Publisher: Activision

Genre: Action

ETA: November 2002

Blade II

Someone at Mucky Foot must not have got the message that the main reason to purchase a license to make a game based on a movie franchise is to take advantage of said franchise.   Blade II is set to arrive in November, over six months after the domestic release of the film.  Furthermore, unlike the first film, Blade II didn’t achieve much in the way of critical and commercial success.  So, how does a developer overcome these obstacles?  By making a great game, of course.

Judging purely by PR spin and screenshots, Mucky Foot seems well on its way to doing just that.  Blade, in case you are just coming out of a coma, is a “half-vampire” vampire hunter bent on saving the world from the vampires not because he is that fond of the world itself, but more because a vampire caused the death of his mother.  It is an outstanding concept really.  Blade is able to use his vampire strength and stamina to hunt down vampires in ways of which the Von Helsing clan could only dream.

Blades super-powers and fighting skills are both taken advantage of by Blade II’s fully 360 degree fighting engine.  Expect to fight off hordes of vamps and other villains as they surround the protagonist.  Screenshots reveal dozens of enemies on hand at one time.  Blade 2 also features Blade’s favored weapon, a glaive, and dozens more weapons and items for Blade to bash skulls with.

To appeal to horror fans who love over-the-top gore, Blade II will feature gruesome final blows in the tradition of Mortal Kombat fatalities except without the silliness or the need to enter elaborate combos.  The now obligatory (thanks to Joss Whedon’s Buffy series) flash of light and crumple to dust effect is also present.

Finally, the most appealing aspect of the admitted early build of the game that Mucky Foot is showing around is the Blade model itself.  Perhaps the most detailed main character since Shenmue’s Ryu, Blade looks amazing and amazingly life-like.  Graphics are certainly a small part of the overall quality of a videogame, but putting Blade through his paces looks to be gritty, visceral stuff thanks to the model and the sharp looking overall graphics.

It’s still a good deal of time from release, but, as of now, Blade II looks like the beat’em up to have come Q4.  We’ll be keeping a close eye on this one as it goes under the polishing cloth and let you know if any dramatic changes come to pass.  Otherwise, we will be awaiting the release with guarded optimism.  

- Tolen Dante

(July 13, 2002)