Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds

I have to admit that I was a really big fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show. So I was hoping the game would represent the show well. On some levels it did and some it didn't.

There are two different ways to play Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds.

First, the single player adventure mode. Considered like a lost episode of the TV show, you actually get to play through this horror adventure instead of watching it. For fans of the show, it is pretty interesting because you get to maneuver through all the different locations that you have grown to know while watching the show, like Sunnydale high school, the Magic box, and the Initiative. The story for the game takes place between episodes 17 and 18 of the 5th season.

Throughout the adventure mode, you get to control most of the Scooby's and, if you don't know what a Scooby is, it's what they call their group of friends: the Scooby's. Throughout the game, you gain control of Buffy, Faith, xander, Spike, Willow, and Sid. The story itself is pretty decent and could have easily been an episode on the TV show.

I wasn't real fond of the controls. For the majority of the game, you're taking on more than one enemy and the fighting style was a little difficult for me because I don't have great mobility in my hands but, for non-disabled players, I'm sure it would be a little easier. Even though I found the controls a little bit difficult, the game itself is pretty easy.

Out of the 13 levels, I think only six of them have big boss flights the rest are task oriented. So you should be able to maneuver through the game fairly quickly. Being that you don't get to play with one character for too long, by the time you start to master the controls of each character, the level is over.

As for your weapons, you use the obvious stakes, plus an assortment of axes, swords, shovels, pool cue, crossbow, and water gun. My favorite weapon was the shovel. With the way the fighting system is set up, it's difficult to use the crossbow and water gun so I rarely used those.

The second way to play this game is the multiplayer games, which are nothing more than just mini games that are really cheesy and uneventful. In one, you see who can catch the most bunnies, there's another one where you have to see who can kill the most enemies. I, personally, thought the multi-player mode was just a waste of time. They seemed more like games for little children. That being said, the game is not for children - the third person horror adventure parts has strong language, and a lot of sexual innuendos.

Unless you're a big fan of the show, you're not going to get a lot of the inside jokes and you won't be familiar with the back story that goes along with the game. So for those gamers that don't know anything about Buffy, you'll probably find the game only mildly entertaining. On the other hand, if you're a rabid Buffy fan, it offers a unique experience of being able to travel in a world that you spent seven seasons watching.