Occasionally, all it takes to capture my interest is a single trailer. One captivating teaser. That's precisely how I stumbled upon Blud, a freshly launched 2D action game reminiscent of Zelda, featuring vampires, nefarious tech enthusiasts, and high school drama. I encountered its release trailer on Twitter, thought to myself, “Wow, that looks intriguing!” and immediately began playing it. The game, characterized by its vibrant colors, bold outlines, and unique shapes, evokes the feel of a cartoon from the ‘90s or early 2000s. While its remarkable style initially drew me to Blud, I'm pleased to share that the entirety of this interactive cartoon is equally impressive.

Blud originated as a concept for an animated series by studio Exit 73, centered around a young girl who, after receiving training from a mystical mentor, battles sinister vampires and other malevolent creatures while juggling high school, friendships, social media, and her daily life in a small town. However, according to the studio, interest in the Blud series was limited, leading to its shelving. In 2018, the small team of animators chose to develop a video game and transformed Blud—retaining the same story, characters, and universe—into a Zelda-esque hack’n’slash game that mimics a late ‘90s cartoon.

Now, after all these years, the game has finally arrived, and the first striking aspect of this vampire-slaying adventure is the evident involvement of a team of talented 2D animators!

To clarify, I mean this positively. One of Blud’s most compelling features is its distinctive and captivating art style. The levels resemble hand-painted backgrounds reminiscent of shows like Dexter’s Lab and The Powerpuff Girls. Characters and adversaries are crafted with bizarre shapes and exaggerated proportions, as if they’ve leapt from an episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. These characters and villains animate like cartoon figures, with limbs stretching or altering shape to enhance motion and impact.

In action, Blud stands out as one of the most visually stunning games I’ve ever experienced, masterfully capturing (and updating) that nostalgic late ‘90s animated style in a way I’ve never seen before in a video game.

Multiplatform

Blud

• BACK OF THE BOX QUOTE

  "Only ‘90s kids can save the world from evil bloodsucking vampires”

• TYPE OF GAME

  2D top-down hack ‘n slash action game

• LIKED

  Amazing visuals, awesome cutscenes, solid writing, fun combat

• DISLIKED

  Some annoying boss fights, a few bugs, and frustrating jank

• DEVELOPER

  Exit 73

• PLATFORMS

  PlayStation, Xbox (Played) Switch, PC

• RELEASE DATE

  June 18, 2024

• PLAYED

  Played around 7 hours and finished the game

It’s not reinventing the wheel

As for the rest of the game, while it may not reach the perfection of Blud’s visuals, it remains an enjoyable experience. Taking on the role of the vampire hunter Becky, you navigate through various town locations—your high school, a creepy cemetery, a large hospital, and the local mall—completing small quests that typically involve battling different types of vampires and demonic creatures.

Initially, the game's combat is quite straightforward. However, as you gain more abilities and wield a powerful field hockey stick, Blud’s combat evolves, requiring you to block certain attacks while evading others. You must also use items like a shovel and an umbrella to solve puzzles or defeat challenging bosses, each with a unique strategy to uncover.

If you've played video games over the past decade, nothing here will appear groundbreaking or extremely innovative. It resembles a top-down Zelda-style action game, complete with walls that have cracks to indicate where you can place a bomb (in this case, a firework) to create an opening and discover a secret. It's not bad; it's just somewhat predictable. However, the art style and visuals—including stunningly animated cutscenes—enhance Blud and give it a unique charm.

Cartoony quirks

One cautionary note: Some boss fights in this game can be a bit frustrating and might lead you to pause playing. This is often due to the game’s incredible animations, which, while visually appealing, can sometimes make it challenging to determine the right action or where to position yourself to avoid an attack.

This issue can also arise during combat outside boss encounters, where I occasionally took damage because an extended animation left me vulnerable to an enemy. After spending some time with Blud, I adapted to its combat rhythm and nuances, but it occasionally feels like Blud prioritizes looking cool over perfect gameplay, which can be frustrating.

Nevertheless, to the game’s credit, it truly looks fantastic, and it isn’t overly punishing, even when you die. So I didn’t mind being defeated because a fire vampire incinerated me as I was retrieving something, or a tiny vampire creature speared me through a wall. The visuals were just that delightful!

While Blud may not offer flawless gameplay, this seven-hour vampire-hunting adventure is such a visual feast that I rarely minded when a boss overwhelmed me or the menu glitched, requiring a reload. If you can tolerate a bit of quirkiness, Blud is worth enjoying on a large TV screen with friends, especially those who have fond memories of late ‘90s animated cartoons. Just be ready for frequent exclamations of “Oh wow!” as you explore the town and save the world with a pink field hockey stick.