BLOOD has held my attention and my love ever since I fired up the shareware version decades ago. I'll just say that the atmosphere, sense of humor, and gleeful carnage in this love letter to horror film and literature make it one of the best shooters ever. This remaster feels smoother and more stable than the other "source ports" that have come out over the years. (That said, THANK YOU to the dedicated fans who put those out over the years!) My favorite feature of the remaster is the Made to Order difficult setting. You can finally nerf those cultists, while still keeping the enemy count high. If you've never played the game before, this purchase is a no-brainer. I've played this game off and on over the years, but this remaster feels like a fresh experience. So far I have zero complaints, and I keep finding excuses to fire it up for "one more level..."
While this game was originally conceived as a holdover title for fans waiting for Baldur's Gate II, it quickly developed its own following. Released in the shadow of Diablo II, what it lacks in big production values it makes up for with personality, challenging gameplay, and a great sense of effort and reward that toes the line between frustrating and elating. The voice acting is great, the art direction is superb, and the music is appropriately epic. Sure, most of the stuff you find is useless, but there's an unlimited supply of healing potions in town. I prefer this game to the original Baldur's Gate, as it is more straightforward, and the difficulty is more balanced. If you are not familiar with the 2nd Edition D&D rules, however, you should seek out a guide to help you understand character creation (offensive magic users are a must!) and gameplay terms. Kill monsters, sell the items you don't use, stock up on weapons, potions, armor, spells, and arrows - and venture into the depths of northern Faerun.
