The year is 2007. Nuclear war between the United States and Russia has ravaged the earth and has completely wiped Canada off the map. Cybernetic super-soldier Rex Colt is sent to an island to investigate Colonel Sloan, a once-ally that has gone rogue. Upon landing on the island, Rex discovers that Sloan has taken over multiple research bases, and has begun working to destroy the world using specialized rockets. Rex quickly tracks down and confronts Sloan, only to be beaten handily. Sloan explains that he has become invincible thanks to injecting himself with the blood of the Blood Dragons which roam the island. Sloan then leaves Rex to die, surrounded by hungry dragons.
Rex is saved by Sloan's assistant Dr. Darling, a Canadian-born researcher fed-up with Sloan's evil plan. Dr. Darling explains that in order to stop Sloan, Rex must retake the island and put an end to the evil research being done. Rex then sets off on a trek to retake the garrisons across the island and to damage Sloan's evil operation as much as possible.
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| It's always easy to tell who's gonna bite it first in these things... |
Blood Dragon's story is told mostly through animated custscenes that are reminiscent of those found in PC games from the late 80's and early 90's. Not only is the art style similar, but the scenes' animation has been done in a way that parodies those early games. In fact, all of Blood Dragon is a parody of the many over-the-top action movies and games of the 1980's. Everything such as the wailing guitars in the soundtrack, the game's hyper-violence, and many ridiculous one-liners in Blood Dragon hearken back to movies featuring actors like Schwarzenegger saving the world by blowing away hordes of enemies using a myriad of excessively large weapons.
Blood Dragon keeps up its humor for the entire game, keeping players entertained by Rex Colt's outrageous fight against the evil Sloan. I found myself laughing loudly at many of the game's twists and turns as Rex finds more and more 80's actions movie cliches. Numerous references to 80's pop culture can be found throughout the game, which is a special treat for those old enough to recognize them. The final sequence in the game blows the top off of everything done so far, and will have players fully enthralled with the game's ridiculously accurate simulation of an 80's metal band's wildest dream.
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| You can just hear the guitars and smell the burning hair spray |
The art style of Blood Dragon is painted with neon lights. This retro-futuristic look gives the game an extremely unique aesthetic. This theme extends to all parts of the island, including its animal inhabitants. Creatures such as neon-blue glowing snakes and sleek, silver panthers roam the island and pose their own dangers to Rex on his trek around the land.
Gameplay is pretty standard to the FPS genre. A selections of weapons become available throughout the game, and can be upgraded by spending cash. Rex can choose whether to go in with guns blazing, or to move around taking out enemies quietly with his cyber-bow. Enemies come in a few different flavors, and require the use of slightly different strategies in order to defeat them. For the most part though, spraying enemies with bullets until they fall is relatively effective and seems to fit the game's tone.
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| Sloan apparently likes to hire Daft Punk rejects to be his cronies |
Blood Dragon features 7 story missions for Rex to complete and save the world. While this number seems small, the game offers a large number of side missions for players to complete as well - such as rare animal hunts and hostage rescues. Also, strewn throughout the island are different types of collectibles which, when found, give a bit of background information about characters and the world. There are also a number of garrisons around the island that Rex can capture and use as bases.
In all, the game's story mode is likely to offer around 4 hours, with the additional content stretching game time up to around 7 hours. Players can explore the island and find hidden caches of cash and ammo, or fight in the random battles between baddies and scientists that pop up across the land, but otherwise there isn't much to do after completing the game.
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| I really thought the "stealth weapon" wouldn't be so visible... |
Even with the game's relatively short playtime, Blood Dragon's humor and interesting visual style make the game well worth its price for admission. The 80's references alone made the game worth playing to me, and I look forward to revisiting it again. Check Blood Dragon out if you're looking for a throwback to a different era.
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