Vampire Rain
Added July 25th, 2007 by Serenity Now
In 2002, developer Artoon brought us Blinx: The Time Sweeper, a cult-classic smash. While not necessarily a runaway success, the game managed to earn itself a sequel two years later. When I received word that Artoon was developing a new title for the Xbox 360, I was absolutely elated. How could the developer that brought us two of the finest platformers on the original Xbox do wrong? Answer: Vampire Rain.
You play as John Lloyd, a seasoned member of the American Information Bureau (AIB). When half-zombie/half-vampire “Nightwalkers” begin terrorizing civilians, it’s your job to step in and put an end to their brutal antics. If you don’t, their population will soon exceed that of humans.
The hypothesis at hand is one of the most contrived and generic I’ve ever come across. This is something you’d expect ten years ago on the original PlayStation, but in modern-day media it’s something to be ashamed of. It should come as no surprise that therein this mundane story lies a horrendous script, nearly on par with a pornographic film.
Vampire Rain doesn’t know what it wants to be. One minute it’s cheesy horror fare, while the next it’s an exceedingly tedious stealth title. Alas, it doesn’t succeed in either vocation and falls flat on its face with a lackluster control scheme, linear mission layouts, and even worse weaponry.
You’d think multiplayer would be Vampire Rain’s saving grace. However, you’d be dead wrong. The online play is so painfully executed it shouldn’t even be advertised as a playable facet. You’re presented with your basic substandard set of modes, such as deathmatch, destroy, and capture the flag, as well as the team variations thereof, but good luck finding someone to play with. This game isn’t exactly selling like hotcakes – and for darned good reason, too.
The entire single-player is doused in rain, hence the title. Lucky for the player, Nightwalkers aren’t too fond of rain as it barricades their senses, such as eyesight and hearing. Visually speaking, the rain texturing is exceptional and probably Vampire Rain’s only true positive aspect. Character modeling is of decent quality, most notably in the extended cut-scenes. The animations aren’t as silky as one would have hoped, but they’re not stiff or pigheaded either. Audio-wise, both the sound effects and soundtrack are dreadful, with voice acting effortlessly taking third place in the loser category.
Summary:
If it weren’t for Tenchu Z, Vampire Rain would undoubtedly be the worst title I’ve had the displeasure of playing on the Xbox 360. Why Microsoft decided to bring this travesty to North America is beyond comprehension. It packs itself chock-full of every gaming cliché in the book. Redeeming factors aren’t simply scarce – they’re downright nonexistent. The visuals are mediocre, the gameplay is a tired mess, and the storyline is pure and unadulterated compost.
You play as John Lloyd, a seasoned member of the American Information Bureau (AIB). When half-zombie/half-vampire “Nightwalkers” begin terrorizing civilians, it’s your job to step in and put an end to their brutal antics. If you don’t, their population will soon exceed that of humans.
The hypothesis at hand is one of the most contrived and generic I’ve ever come across. This is something you’d expect ten years ago on the original PlayStation, but in modern-day media it’s something to be ashamed of. It should come as no surprise that therein this mundane story lies a horrendous script, nearly on par with a pornographic film.
Vampire Rain doesn’t know what it wants to be. One minute it’s cheesy horror fare, while the next it’s an exceedingly tedious stealth title. Alas, it doesn’t succeed in either vocation and falls flat on its face with a lackluster control scheme, linear mission layouts, and even worse weaponry.
You’d think multiplayer would be Vampire Rain’s saving grace. However, you’d be dead wrong. The online play is so painfully executed it shouldn’t even be advertised as a playable facet. You’re presented with your basic substandard set of modes, such as deathmatch, destroy, and capture the flag, as well as the team variations thereof, but good luck finding someone to play with. This game isn’t exactly selling like hotcakes – and for darned good reason, too.
The entire single-player is doused in rain, hence the title. Lucky for the player, Nightwalkers aren’t too fond of rain as it barricades their senses, such as eyesight and hearing. Visually speaking, the rain texturing is exceptional and probably Vampire Rain’s only true positive aspect. Character modeling is of decent quality, most notably in the extended cut-scenes. The animations aren’t as silky as one would have hoped, but they’re not stiff or pigheaded either. Audio-wise, both the sound effects and soundtrack are dreadful, with voice acting effortlessly taking third place in the loser category.
Summary:
If it weren’t for Tenchu Z, Vampire Rain would undoubtedly be the worst title I’ve had the displeasure of playing on the Xbox 360. Why Microsoft decided to bring this travesty to North America is beyond comprehension. It packs itself chock-full of every gaming cliché in the book. Redeeming factors aren’t simply scarce – they’re downright nonexistent. The visuals are mediocre, the gameplay is a tired mess, and the storyline is pure and unadulterated compost.
