I never met a BUILD engine game I didn't like...
For years, I’ve secretly wished that Caleb, Ophelia, and Tchernobog’s sick and strange love triangle might find its way to the big screen, hellhounds and all. Failing that, I would be overjoyed to see a third installment of Blood on the amazing Lithtech EX engine. Caleb is one of the most compelling protagonists in FPS history; his bad-boy-gone-worse swagger and reverential approach to carnage lure the player toward even more cathartic nastiness than usual. After all, would the noble Kate Archer or stoic Number 47 take time out from a mission for a round of zombie head soccer? Caleb’s weapons are equally notable, and I wouldn’t mind if every shooter included a voodoo doll in their arsenal (alongside the fire-breathing decapitated head from Shadow Warrior and Shrinker from Duke).
Every level in Blood is packed with cultists, spirits, and demons, especially on the more difficult settings. Even though the BUILD engine is almost completely lacking in artificial intelligence, Tchernobog’s dark menagerie is still plenty capable of sending Caleb back to the grave. However, the demented folks at Monolith were kind enough to match each episode’s gradual increase in deadly resistance with a very diverse tool belt; by the end of the game, Caleb will clear entire rooms full of freaks with a slew of explosives and magic. I was never once bored while playing Blood, and frequently found myself still wide-awake at 3:00 AM, caught in the throes of “just one more level” addiction.
Like the other classic BUILD engine titles, Blood does a wonderful job of gathering several memorable characters, places, and events from books and movies into what was, back in 1997, a relatively new form of storytelling. Even those who don’t instantly recognize a reference to Lovecraft’s Miskatonic Valley or Ash Williams’ disembodied hand can get into the game’s fast-paced gameplay. Anyone who does relish the laugh-while-cringing antics of such films as Dead Alive or Evil Dead 2 will probably still – even almost ten years after the game’s release -- enjoy joining Caleb on his posthumous rampage.