Blood: Fresh Supply

While usually Night Dive at least uses the source material to decent effect, this time around they couldn't wrestle the source code from Warner Bros. (which I can't really blame Night Dive for since WB would ask for a whole mint full of money). This results in an inaccurate and buggy mess using not even the Build engine, but KEX. If you just came to this after playing the original, you will definitely notice: movement is odd, phyics aren't quite right, there are graphical bugs, stuff you can't normally do in Blood, the whole bit. I wouldn't use this unless you're either very desparate or huge improvements come down the line. If you really don't want to run the original on DOSBox like GOG has right here, try NBlood or BloodGDX.

"Blood" is not only easily my favorite Build Engine shooter, it's actually my favorite shooter of all time. It's a great feeling FPS experience with a fun setting, nice midi soundtrack, great psychotic protagonist and - last but not least - THE most satisfying double barrel shotgun I have ever seen in a video game. The Fresh Supply port is very decent, and is actually my favorite way to play the game these days. However, this edition on GoG also includes downloads for the older version, the One Unit Whole Blood edition, which is compatible with several source ports. So you're basically free to pick your favorite way to play "Blood". A note to new fans: do yourself a favor, and once you complete the game, try the famous "Deathwish" mod (can be easily downloaded from ModDb). It's so great it could be an official sequel.

Never though I`d like to rain on this parade so much considering I really like Blood, but here goes: this port is not ready just yet. It has a lot of technical issues(reportedly, myself I had none so far on Vulkan), midi instead of CD tracks(goddamn it why Nightdive, just why), and a boatload of gameplay issues(this is actually serious). From bloated butchers being resistant to fire to fanatics trying to throw dynamite to plasma gun using a different amount of cells for a single burst to any kind of fanatic/cultist being way too precise with their shooting. This last one is especially bad, as it turns what is supposed to be a classic run and gun from the 90s in the DooM style into an arduous affair with a lot of savescumming and throwing dynamite from behind the corner instead of attacking enemy head-on. I hope Nightdive fixes all of this promptly, as Blood is certainly the most deserving game of the Build triumvirate.

At last, a proper modernized version of Blood is finally here! While there has been a number of noble attempts from fans to recreate this classic FPS, all have been a little rough around the edges, and not quite able to capture the feel of the original. Blood: Fresh Supply is here to rectify that, and it does so beautifully, making it arguably the definitive way to play and enjoy the game today. For those not familiar with this gem... (Build)ing off of Duke 3D's success, Blood took the genre to ridiculously over-the-too heights, and remains virtually unparalleled with respect to weapon variety and level design. Despite appearances, Blood is so much more than a horror-themed 'Doom clone'. Sure, it makes numerous references to classic horror films (The Shining, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Rosemary's Baby to name a few), but it draws the essence of its forbears and distills it into a unique experience that is both hilarious and thrilling. Put simply, this is the Evil Dead II in video game form! You'll be chucking a stick of dynamite into a mob of zombies one moment to duel-wielding Tommy guns in a room full of Pig Latin spewing cultists the next. You'll laugh like a maniac as you do so. And then you'll die. A lot. If there's an FPS with a more unique weapon roster, I haven't played it. The only two standards here are your trusty double barreled shotgun, and the aforementioned Tommy Gun. Everything else is either designed to explode enemies at the seams or immolate them on contact (like the Flare gun, replacing the standard pistol). Combined with the often devastating alt-fire modes, you have a plethora of options in which to dispatch your foes. The enemies are varied and require different strategies to properly dispatch, and the level design is ridiculously creative at times. Some of my favorites include a haunted mansion and a speeding train. Hell, even the obligatory sewer level is topnotch from a design perspective. In short, "this promises to be fun!"

Sticking with the BloodGDX fan port for a few entirely solvable reasons: * Music playback is sort of buggy, particularly when loading saves and with CD audio. * Multiplayer is useless for private/LAN games because you can't set a password or a custom name and it somehow automatically signs into Galaxy even if Galaxy isnt running. * Call me crazy but I would REALLY like the option to use full color depth instead of 256 colors or whatever faux-limited-palette thing is going on here; the banding artifacts on shaded surfaces were acceptable in DOS as a technical limitation but replicating them here is a little too purist for me. Will bump this up to five stars if they solve at least two of these 3 problems, because Blood is a five-star game and this is a great effort that only falls short because of the existence of BloodGDX.