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Bloodrayne is a series that I've been aware of, but never all that interested in, until now: Bloodrayne Betrayal, announced early this year, peaked my interest the moment I laid my eyes on the announcement trailer. Betrayal is very different from past entries in the series, this game being an action/platformer, while the others were polygonal action games. The game is currently available on the Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Store, and was released on September 6th (PSN) and 7th (XBLA).
The story in Bloodrayne Betrayal is interesting, but in many ways poorly presented. If I'm correct, the story follows protagonist Rayne, half-vampire-half-human, fighting against her vampire-father and his army of monsters for revenge. It's hard to be sure though, because the bits of text sprinkled in the game via speech bubbles above characters' heads are overly vague. It seems as though the player is intended to be already familiar with the Bloodrayne series for full enjoyment of the story, because some quick research on the series made me understand the plot of Betrayal more. This element is not very strong, but it is a small part of Betrayal, and mostly unobtrusive to the rest of the game.
The first thing that I noticed about Bloodrayne Betrayal were the gorgeous visuals. The super-stylized, dark, hand-drawn 2D art direction is stunning, to say the least. The animation is very fluid, the framerate stays mostly silky-smooth, and the screen is always bursting with color, detail, and character. With technically incredible games like Uncharted 2 in mind, I can say wholeheartedly that this is one of the best looking games I have ever seen. The audio is also very impressive, although not as mind-blowing: The heavy, fast, heart-pumping music suits the game perfectly and fades as your health is low.
Bloodrayne Betrayal's gameplay reminds me of a more platforming-heavy Vewtiful Joe. As Rayne, you must wall jump, back flip, and otherwise hop all about the game's environments until you encounter enemies. More often than not, once you run into some baddies, you are forced - stripped of your freedom to traverse the level - to dispose of them. It's a good formula, keeping the game fresh. Segments in which you play as a bird, flying through the environments, are also here and entertaining, but not a large part of the game.
The platforming in Betrayal largely is very good and controls well. It is usually treated with a sense of urgency, whether you're being chased down by a huge saw, running from enemies, or avoiding toxic green slime. The back flip feels like a 2D version of the identical maneuver carried out by a certain mustached, overall-wearing plumber: It works brilliantly, and is satisfying to use. Wall jumping, interestingly, is only applicable on certain surfaces, which is a cool idea. This wall jump feels a bit loose, however.
Combat in Betrayal is of a hack-n-slash style, similar to Castle Crashers. With sword in hand, you attack enemies fast and furiously, building combos as you go. New moves introduced as the game progresses, such as uppercuts and downward stabs, keep things fresh and varied. Rayne is also equipped with a powerful hand-gun, which is very brutal and successful in its attempts to kill your foes: Each bullet, which are randomly dropped from enemies, is valuable. Bloodrayne Betrayal is filled with around five bosses, all of which are cleverly designed, visually interesting, quite formidable, and a ton of fun to take down.
Bloodrayne Betrayal is very hard: Not often do we see games nowadays with such an old-school approach to difficulty. Platforms are deviously placed, enemies are plentiful and powerful, and checkpoints, while not excruciatingly so, are placed farther apart than most modern games. It's a good challenge rather than a source of frustration, though: Victories after long struggles prove to be very satisfying, and no task is too frustrating. You know a game is doing something right when enjoyment remains throughout long, loud, hate-filled stretches of naughty-word-filled-shouting.
Bloodrayne Betrayal is an extremely good game, is what I'm trying to say. It's only five or six hours long, but every second is immensely enjoyable, and the game is still filled with things to make you come back. Difficult trophies/achievements, hidden skulls (which grant more ammo slots for your gun and health enhancements) and highscore tracking for every level (as well as a collective score for your entire playthrough) gives this game a more than serviceable amount of lasting appeal.
For $15, you can buy one of the very best games to release so far this year. Gorgeous graphics, rocking tunes, challenging gameplay, and addictive highscore chasing and item collecting make this a stellar game. The game's only glaring flaw of a poorly executed plot isn't even close to stopping me from recommending this game to anyone. Video games don't get much better than Bloodrayne Betrayal.
Disclaimer:
Bloodrayne Betrayal was reviewed using the PSN version, played for approximately 5 hours, on a standard-definition, 4:3 television.
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