A fun game for Buffy fans, expert or not.
Written: Jan 20 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: moderate game play, similar to the first, large content, good graphics and voiceovers.
Cons: multiplayer is bland, extra features slightly disappointing
The Bottom Line: If you enjoy beating up vampires, this is the game for you. Even if you're not really a Buffy fan, you should still give it a try.
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| leafer83's Full Review: Buffy 2: Chaos Bleeds for Xbox |
This is the first time I've been able to get my hands on the game since it came out in May 2003! I finished the original Buffy game for xbox and highly enjoyed it. Naturally I was anxious to try the second edition.
My first impression: still fun, still easy to play.
But you don't need to have played the first game in order to get around this one.
Multiplayer Mode
It's always exciting with you can play with friends. Chaos Bleeds allows you to play with up to 3 other players in the multiplayer mode. Once you unlock the extra characters and arenas, you can play with many choices. Although the individual games aren't amazing, it's still fun to have a chance to beat up other players!
Survival: compete against one or more people, sort of like Mortal Kombat
Bunny Catcher: kinda dumb, but still involves some competition. Be the person to catch the most bunnies, which are color-coordinated according to number of points
Slayer Challenge: other players can change into the "bad guys" and play as vampires or other creatures, battling against you or someone else.
Domination: here you have to guard your territory and the longer you successfully "man" your station, the more points you earn.
Graphics
The graphics are pretty good. They don't top the charts, but you can tell what's going on, and it seems as real as beating up vampires in Buffy's body would be. The characters match well to those in the series. Buffy truly looks like Sarah Michelle Gellar transported into a video game.
Story
I'll admit, the storyline isn't very great. The end result isn't too amusing, and it's not really so good that you just HAVE to finish the game to see it. But, it sticks with Sunnyvale and mentions some aspects from the show. It's not terrible, but it can be cheesy at times.
The Game
This isn't a game for experts, but at the same time, it's not one to whip through in a few hours. There's plenty of little puzzles to figure out during each segment, and some really do take some thinking to accomplish. At the same time, there isn't too much strategy behind the game. Everything is set up to help you advance, and the characters give verbal "hints" such as, "I think there's another way to get in the door." If you easily get annoyed with repetition, I would recommend to turn down the audio set up as it tends to lack in variety of word choice.
Generally, it's not a hard game. One difference I noticed right off the bat, though, the vampires and other villians are much harder to defeat than the first Buffy game. It seems as if the skill level was set on "medium" or even "hard" compared to the first Buffy game made for xbox. Once you've finished off the villians in a particular area, most often you have time to wander around and complete the riddles/puzzles to move on to the next segment.
Set Up
Also, Chaos Bleeds is set up differently than the first Buffy game in that there is no inventory menu to access while the game is paused. Yes, you can flip through what weapons and other objects are available, but this is all during the live play, and it makes it slightly more inconvenient. You'll have to learn how to work the d-pad while in game mode in order to switch weapons, which can be frustrating.
The characters' voices are pretty good. Willow isn't Hannigan in this game as she was in the first game. They still sound pretty much like the characters in the series, and even look like them. Playable characters are: Buffy, Willow, Xander, Faith, Spike, and Sid the Dummy. Each character has his/her own special skills, Buffy and Faith being the strongest, fastest and most talented. Willow conducts spells and isn't very fast. She's somewhat hard to control. Sid is a little awkward to control, but as long as he's equipped with some sort of weapon, he's fairly good.
Weapons range from stakes to rakes to crossbows. A bar at the bottom left hand corner in the game shows a weapon's "life" or strength, telling you when it's time to change weapons. Those that have quantities, such as the crossbow, show the number of arrows left to use.
Extras
Chaos Bleeds has a full extras menu complete with interviews, photos, and mini documentaries. If you enjoy the extras menus on DVDs and can sit still through them, you'll like these. They're fun to watch once, but not every time you play the game. I often forget they're even available.
All in all...a fun and exciting sequel to Buffy the Vampire Slayer for xbox! A great game for all players!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
leafer83
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Location: Muncie/Indianapolis, IN
Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
imac, ipod, dell, books, sony cybershot, web design, music, movies, livejournal, writing, guitar, ball state
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