Vampires are NOT the heralds of demons*
#BLUD is a delightful addition to the realm of indie games, blending charming cartoon-like graphics reminiscent of beloved classics like Powerpuff Girls and Dexter’s Laboratory. Developed by Exit 73 Games, #BLUD tells the story of young Becky Brewster, freshman in high school and oh yes; new kid in the neighborhood. Becky, as it turns out comes from a line of vampire hunters and after noticing weird happenings in her new ‘hood is called upon to help stop the demonic invasion. Because everyone knows that vampires are indeed the heralds of demons*.
MSRP: $24.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $24.99
One of the most striking features of #BLUD is its cartoon-like graphics, which instantly evoke memories of iconic animated series from the 90s and early 2000s. All of the characters are vibrantly designed with bold outlines and expressive animations, akin to the distinct styles seen in man of the Cartoon Network shows from that era. Each environment is crafted with attention to detail, utilizing a palette that pops with bright colors and whimsical scenery or depict a shadowy sewer with danger lurking around every corner. This visual aesthetic not only adds to the game’s charm but also enhances the overall immersion, making every moment feel like a journey through a living cartoon world.
Becky is armed with a hockey stick as her chosen weapon, and she uses it to absolutely bash these vampire-demons. As she progresses through her journey Becky will unlock new albitites that will help her in combat. Some of these are the ability to deflect attacks, throw pencils as ranged weapons of war and more. Combat is a simple pick-up-and-play affair which makes the barrier of entry low for most players. What helps with this is the fact that most, if not all the enemies in the game tend to have a pattern for their attacks and once broken, makes vanquishing them a breeze. The highlight of each level though was by far the boss fights. The absolutely amazing animations that the team pulled off here with this hand drawn game is something else, and the boss fights themselves only get more and more grandiose as the game goes on.
About the only place that #BLUD stumbles for me is with the way missions are handled. By the end of the first hour, you will more than likely have seen every type there is to offer, and that’s because they are all variations of “fetch this” or “kill that”. For those of you who love building collections then you will be in luck, as #BLUD also has many, many types of those missions; so that you can scour every beautiful level until you find all the things. The saving grace here was the puzzles that some of these areas had, but for the most part the repetitiveness of these mission types just led to frustration more often than not.
Boring missions aside I feel that #BLUD successfully captures the essence of classic animated cartoons from the early aughts with its simply stunning graphics and animations to its zany characters and situations. #BLUD stands out as a must-play indie game that delivers on both style and substance. #BLUD developer Exit 73 Games earns high marks for its captivating art style, nostalgic appeal, and well-crafted gameplay but the repetitive nature of various quests types keeps this one from true greatness.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
