So here we are, finally reviewing Blood. Blood is a classic FPS game made by Monolith. That’s right, the very same Monolith who made No One Lives Forever and of course the legendary F.E.A.R. Blood was their first FPS game and needless to say I had high hopes. At first I was unsure but the more I played the more I realized this game is honestly a masterpiece and very overlooked in favor of other shooters at the time which is understandable.

So Blood has you playing as Caleb, a notorious gunslinger from the 1800's who was a top ranking member of an occult for the god Tchernobog. He along with 4 others became the highest members in a circle called "The Chosen" However Caleb and the others were betrayed and killed. Decades later, Caleb rises from his grave in the year 1928 out for revenge and answers, armed with only a pitchfork. The game has you going through many locales of the time as well as graveyards, caves, etc. The game runs on the build engine which is the same engine used in Duke Nukem 3D, so if you’ve played that then you have a basic idea of what to expect


What makes Blood really unique to me is a variety of factors, but let’s go one at a time. The first thing I think of is the weapon selection. Most games tend to follow a formula with their weapons, having a certain checklist of weapon types to have. Blood however while having some of these..actually has perhaps the most unique weapon list I’ve seen. You have your standard Shotgun, Tommy Gun and Napalm Launcher (basically a rocket launcher) but also featured are Dynamite (similar to pipe bombs in Duke 3D) A flare gun, Tesla gun, a spray can flamethrower, a staff that shoots explosives and..a voodoo doll. Each weapon definitely feels distinct and are all equally fun to use, each one being good for a specific situation. Mosr of the weapons also feature an alternative fire that usually consumes more ammo but packs a bigger punch too, further increasing the uniqueness and strength of each.



Another high point of this game is Caleb himself. As mentioned Caleb is like a dead man walking, but what sets him apart is that unlike most every other shooter at the time, he isn’t a hero whatsoever. In fact Caleb is sadistic, snarky and only does the things he does to fulfill his own desires, not to be a hero. Having a main character be an anti-hero is a great choice at making Caleb feel fresh, and his voice lines are very entertaining and add to his mystique. The enemies he fights also help fill out the ranks as you face grim reaper ghosts, zombies, cultists, gargoyles, demon dogs and even severed hands alongside many others.


The level design is also very good in this game. Unlike Duke 3D, the levels in this game rarely feel like mazes, it always feels like you can find your way out if you go back and check to see what you may have missed. Plus the integration of power-ups like Duke 3D such as high jump boots, a diving suit and a medkit add to the levels as there’s many skips and secrets to find.


Two things I also think Blood really excels at is the sound design and visual style. The game has this really cool goth and old-school aesthetic, taking place in the early 1900’s, you see a lot of old architecture that is not only nice to look at, but also has this great atmosphere to it. The game also knows how to turn up the horror aspect on a dime or switch it into a seriously dark black comedy that has you perhaps laughing or being horrified. The game does what it sets out to do very well. The music similarly adds to it as many tracks are mysterious or haunting depending on the situation.


So all that makes Blood a fantastic time, but there’s one more thing I haven’t talked about, and it’s probably the most infamous part for a good reason I’d say. Blood is well known for being perhaps the hardest FPS game of it’s time. Even when selecting the Lightly Broiled difficulty (Your standard difficulty akin to Ultra Violence in DOOM perhaps) is pretty tough but manageable. Where the game really goes hard is when you select Well Done which is hard. In this difficulty you better bring your A game or else you’ll be shredded. Players looking for a good challenge should look at Blood, it’ll give you a run for your money.



So overall this is a fantastic game all on it’s own, but when you factor in that this package includes the 2 expansion episodes as well, you have yourself an excellent deal and fun time that could probably give you about 25 hours of playtime across the main game and expansions. When playing this game I knew I’d like it and at first while I did, I never expected to love it as much as I have. Blood has become perhaps my favorite classic shooter of the time besides say Quake and the original DOOM. It’s a wonderful experience that I think you should play, especially if you love boomer shooters. Nightdive Studios did a masterful job of bringing this game back in a great way with this remaster. So yeah play it if you haven’t.


My final rating for Blood is a 9.5/10

So here we are, finally reviewing Blood. Blood is a classic FPS game made by Monolith. That’s right, the very same Monolith who made No One Lives Forever and of course the legendary F.E.A.R. Blood was their first FPS game and needless to say I had high hopes. At first I was unsure but the more I played the more I realized this game is honestly a masterpiece and very overlooked in favor of other shooters at the time which is understandable. So Blood has you playing as Caleb, a notorious gunslinger from the 1800's who was a top ranking member of an occult for the god Tchernobog. He along with 4 others became the highest members in a circle called "The Chosen" However Caleb and the others were betrayed and killed. Decades later, Caleb rises from his grave in the year 1928 out for revenge and answers, armed with only a pitchfork. The game has you going through many locales of the time as well as graveyards, caves, etc. The game runs on the build engine which is the same engine used in Duke Nukem 3D, so if you’ve played that then you have a basic idea of what to expect What makes Blood really unique to me is a variety of factors, but let’s go one at a time. The first thing I think of is the weapon selection. Most games tend to follow a formula with their weapons, having a certain checklist of weapon types to have. Blood however while having some of these..actually has perhaps the most unique weapon list I’ve seen. You have your standard Shotgun, Tommy Gun and Napalm Launcher (basically a rocket launcher) but also featured are Dynamite (similar to pipe bombs in Duke 3D) A flare gun, Tesla gun, a spray can flamethrower, a staff that shoots explosives and..a voodoo doll. Each weapon definitely feels distinct and are all equally fun to use, each one being good for a specific situation. Mosr of the weapons also feature an alternative fire that usually consumes more ammo but packs a bigger punch too, further increasing the uniqueness and strength of each. Another high point of this game is Caleb himself. As mentioned Caleb is like a dead man walking, but what sets him apart is that unlike most every other shooter at the time, he isn’t a hero whatsoever. In fact Caleb is sadistic, snarky and only does the things he does to fulfill his own desires, not to be a hero. Having a main character be an anti-hero is a great choice at making Caleb feel fresh, and his voice lines are very entertaining and add to his mystique. The enemies he fights also help fill out the ranks as you face grim reaper ghosts, zombies, cultists, gargoyles, demon dogs and even severed hands alongside many others. The level design is also very good in this game. Unlike Duke 3D, the levels in this game rarely feel like mazes, it always feels like you can find your way out if you go back and check to see what you may have missed. Plus the integration of power-ups like Duke 3D such as high jump boots, a diving suit and a medkit add to the levels as there’s many skips and secrets to find. Two things I also think Blood really excels at is the sound design and visual style. The game has this really cool goth and old-school aesthetic, taking place in the early 1900’s, you see a lot of old architecture that is not only nice to look at, but also has this great atmosphere to it. The game also knows how to turn up the horror aspect on a dime or switch it into a seriously dark black comedy that has you perhaps laughing or being horrified. The game does what it sets out to do very well. The music similarly adds to it as many tracks are mysterious or haunting depending on the situation. So all that makes Blood a fantastic time, but there’s one more thing I haven’t talked about, and it’s probably the most infamous part for a good reason I’d say. Blood is well known for being perhaps the hardest FPS game of it’s time. Even when selecting the Lightly Broiled difficulty (Your standard difficulty akin to Ultra Violence in DOOM perhaps) is pretty tough but manageable. Where the game really goes hard is when you select Well Done which is hard. In this difficulty you better bring your A game or else you’ll be shredded. Players looking for a good challenge should look at Blood, it’ll give you a run for your money. So overall this is a fantastic game all on it’s own, but when you factor in that this package includes the 2 expansion episodes as well, you have yourself an excellent deal and fun time that could probably give you about 25 hours of playtime across the main game and expansions. When playing this game I knew I’d like it and at first while I did, I never expected to love it as much as I have. Blood has become perhaps my favorite classic shooter of the time besides say Quake and the original DOOM. It’s a wonderful experience that I think you should play, especially if you love boomer shooters. Nightdive Studios did a masterful job of bringing this game back in a great way with this remaster. So yeah play it if you haven’t. My final rating for Blood is a 9.5/10