Vampires always been a popular draw for video games, whether fighting against them or, rarely, playing as one. There are many possibilities when it comes to playing a vampire. Whileexpansive games likeVampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2cover a lot of those possibilities, they don’t cover all aspects.
Games likeVampire: The Masqueradefocus on the dark and secretive nature of vampires, but that’s not the only thing that draws players in. For those who prefer action and violence, one of the best series to indulge in was, for a while, theBloodrayneseries. Focusing on stylish dismemberment, the series saw slick, half-vampire Rayne fighting against Nazis, vampires, and other monsters.
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Bloodrayneand its sequel were well received, and were big hits on the original Xbox.Bloodrayneitself got brought to Xbox One, to the delight of fans, but the series has long been stalled. That long hiatus is now coming to an end, largely thanks to new publisher Ziggurat Interactive. Working with Terminal Reality, the original developer ofBloodrayne, Ziggurat plans to make improvements to the original games and bring them to PC. On top of that, the company hopes to create more games in theBloodrayneuniverse, expanding the series with new titles.
This may seem like an odd choice of series to revive for those who have not played the games. To many,Bloodrayneis best known for the terrible Uwe Boll movie, and the games are passing curiosities. In its own day however,Bloodraynewas a phenomenon for its gory action, globe-trotting plot, and the morally grey actions of its protagonists. While the Boll movie was often incomprehensible and took place in a medieval setting, the actual plot of the first game follows Rayne through the 1930s as she fights Nazis and demons. It’s definitely silly, but uses the nature of the plot to its advantage, rather than its detriment.
Several elements ofBloodrayneare shared by some of thebest vampire video games and seriesout there. The wide-ranging nature of the environments has always been a strength of theCastlevaniaseries, as has the inclusion of monsters and antagonists beyond vampires. The gothic, closer-to-modern setting is also part of what makes a vampire playground fun, as shown by games likeVampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines.
What setsBloodrayneand its sequel apart from these, and as some of thebest games where you can play as a vampire, is Rayne herself. Her acrobatic fighting style, wielding dual blades and guns interchangably, is a sight to behold. Similarly unreplicated is the dismemberment that Rayne puts her foes through, chopping them apart piece by piece when not draining them directly. Players should keep their eyes peeled for more news of the return of this acrobatic slayer.
