Well, I didn't think the linearity in Undying was that bad because your environments and enemies are different and each area had their moments but I totally agree with you that it wouldn't be hard to make the game a little less linear, I've also had the same thoughts. The mansion is a good example, why are certain doors arbitrarily locked after I go through them? Also, I want to explore the mansion dammit, don't lock every door except the one (yes, one, not "one of") door I need to go through to continue the story. Had the same gripe in the catacomb/dungeon areas too, the devs could have made some very spiffy mazes instead of making a linear path chockablock with lock doors. Open em up and connect them with passages. The same can be said about the caverns. Oneiros would have been the easiest to improve, even offering multiple paths to the objective. The logistics of teleporting from one "island" to another is a lot simpler than creating an entire area. I thought the monastery level was well done for the most part. The only thing I didn't like there was the goofy stained glass windows, ammo pick ups in a time were firearms didn't exist and the tower in the courtyard with no way inside (seriously walk around it, there's no door). Thats just a few ways I would change, I'm sure there's more that could be changed but I can't think of any more right now.

Warning: Incoming rant

Speaking of the game going out of its way to force the player into its linearity, that's exactly the gripe I'm having with Baldur's Gate II with regards to the PCs dialog that I'm having to stop playing for a bit. As much as I love BG2, the dialog is atrocious that it ruins the game for me somewhat. Example, NPC runs up to you and asks you to find some macguffin of the week, you have 3-5 dialog options. The following you always get:

A) Yes, I'll help you because I'm some goody two shoes that has nothing better to do than help clueless dimwits find out who stole their clockwork testicles or whatever (This option is the only way to get quest XP)
B) I'm evil!!! I'll kill you and keep the clockwork testicles for myself, BWA HA HA HA (This option nets a dinky amount of XP for killing the quest giver, higher shop prices and law enforcement constantly getting up your arse)
C) No, piss off (This option give you nada)

Occasionally you get the following:

D) Ask about the quest (This option continues the dialog that shows if doing the quest is good or not. Whiny plee / sob story types = good, asshole types = evil)
E) I'll help you, ..............for a price (yeah, expecting getting paid for your work makes you an asshole so we have to say something assholey, right?)

Most dialog in Baldur's Gate is like this, no wonder I enjoyed Icewind Dale more. I like to play my characters how I would play them if I was actually in their shoes. I also consider myself a practical person which makes role playing in BG a nightmare because pointlessly killing or selflessly helping everyone you meet is just plain stupid. But there is no choice, gotta pick the good option cos if you don't, no quest XP for you.

Ever play Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat? There's a part in the game when a dwarf is talking to Dietrich about a job, After the dward gives the details, Dietrich casually asks " and payment?". The dwarf replies something to the effect of "What? Is the thrill of battle and all the bugmans best you can drink not enough for you?" Dietrich then replies something to effect of "Ale and a sore head does not pay the innkeeper." Good practical response by Dietrich without being a dink about it, why can't RPGs have responses like this instead of the "choice" of do gooder and stupid evil? I need gold to replenish my healing potions, ammo, upgrade my sword etc and I can't do that with fuzzy feelings.

Rant off

Well for you Blood fans. I picked up the game, on one of GOG's sales. I haven't had much time to play into it much.

Yes, it has cut scenes, and its trying to tell a story using those cut scenes... However, what little I've played seems exactly what I thought of the game watching the 'let's play' videos. In that its primarily the Duke engine style game with a horror coat of paint applied. Same kind of gameplay, key finding, and interface really as Duke or the original Shadow Warrior. With a character that says a few one liners every now and then as you discover areas, or kill things. Even Duke 3D and Shadow Warrior tried to tell a story through similar type of cut scenes. It definitely seems like all or most of the games using the 3DRealms Build engine, designed mainly for action in mind.

It's not quite the same 'action-adventure' game as Undying, that focused more on the story, and atmospheric events, than gameplay. As far as gameplay I felt that some things such as the boss battles had more of a Zelda or Metroid feel to them. In that most of the bosses had a special pattern, health bar, and puzzle element to solving them (often requiring some upgrade that you discovered shortly before reaching the boss).

People do have a point about Undying's linearity though. Having a less linear haunted house, with adventure aspects ala Realm of the Haunting (a game that also was fairly linear unfortunately), would make for a better game.

However, I feel Undying has more in common with Realms of the Haunting as far as atmosphere, and use of story telling, than it has anything to do with Blood which was more of a pure action game (and story was secondary). Undying and Realms of the Haunting also both have that H.P. Lovecraft eldritch style thing going for them.

Wasn't this game supposed to be a lot longer then it actually was? I seem to remember that the first chapter of the game was about double the length of the succeeding chapters and I thought I had read that the company simply ran out of money

Btw, I'm not trying to suggest that the game be given points for this. You have to judge a game for what it is and not for what it could have been

There were things cut from the game, like spells and weapons I believe. As far as levels go, I don't know. There was a demo of the game that had several parts of different chapters Frankensteined together, but I don't think you refer to that.

I love this game though. If any game deserves a HD-remake (and not a remaster) it would be this one.