Game Boy :: Genesis :: NES :: Sega CD :: SNES :: TurboGrafx-16 :: Complete System Listings

BloodNet: A Cyberpunk Gothic (Miscellaneous)

BloodNet: A Cyberpunk Gothic review

Game: BloodNet: A Cyberpunk Gothic
Platform: PC
Genre: Graphic Adventure
Developer: Microprose

Reader review by andgregorik

February 29, 2012

This game was never really a fan favourite. I can see why, but it's also clear to me why it was one of my cherished games as a late teen. The collective of writers, graphic artists and composer(s) in Bloodnet are nothing short of brilliant when it comes to setting a particular mood. I would label this unique mood as urban-dystopian-futuristic-cyberpunk-gothic-mystic that ends up being both oppressive and enchanting at the same time, quite a feat. It's amazing what Microprose can bring out of the dedicated player with little more than a mixture of pre-rendered and handdrawn futuristic stills and peculiar midi music to match. Especially back as a teen, Bloodnet's distinctive atmosphere engulfed my very spirits and managed to linger around me even when I was not actually playing it. Few games (or movies, or books) are capable of this as it takes a certain kind of giftedness, one that this staff happened to possess. VTM: Bloodlines comes to mind, and a couple of others.

I also like the fact that Bloodnet is a game of alloys: alloying classic adventure with RPG, distant future with Medieval vampire myths, a bright and loud metropolis with a dark and silent mystery, a detailed and possible future with implausible supernatural goings-on. This aspect was accomplished well.

As for the flipside, the game feels like it is not interested in letting us actually play it, but only showing off its great graphics, ambient music and, above all, writing. At the same time, it has high ambitions of attempting to merge the genres of point-and-click adventure and strictly stat-based RPG. The end result is a weird mishmash of endless conversations, heavy turn-based combat, and wandering about on motionless landscapes. Weirdness can be a good and a bad thing, and in this case it's both. Part of the appeal, I think (at least for me).

My biggest beef with the overall experience is the pre-scripted, absolutely non-interactive dialogs. Again, the sprawling, gritty conversations in this game are masterfully written and are more memorable than the ones in most big-time movies I've seen, but leaving them non-interactive is the biggest deal-breaker, a missed chance for an additional layer of depth and player involvement.

Bloodnet is not a good game. It feels static and almost non-interactive. It is, however, a good experience. So good that it ended up as one of the very few games from the early 90's that I actively revisit from time to time. The ultimate praise I can give the game, I think, is that it is a spiritual and atmospheric precursor to the Deus Ex series and VTM: Bloodlines, which are of course much better games, but Bloodnet holds its own against them in terms of mood, writing and originality. No small feat for a 1993 DOS game.

Rating: 7/10

More Reviews by andgregorik
	Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer (PC) Mask of the Betrayer is a relatively short but sweet experience that, through its gameplay innovations and flawless writing, injects new life into the very fram...
	The Curse of Monkey Island (PC) Aimed squarely at prospective new fans who were probably still preteens during the run of the original Monkey Island games, Monkey Island 3 is an OK if unremark...
	Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir (PC) Storm of Zehir catches us off guard because most of us approach it as "just another small scale NWN add-on". It does start off like that, but soon it blossoms i...

Feedback

If you enjoyed this BloodNet: A Cyberpunk Gothic review, you're encouraged to leave feedback and talk about it with members of the site's community. You don't even need an HonestGamers account to get involved in the discussion. Please remember to keep your comments respectful and on-topic or they may be deleted by a moderator. Thank you for your understanding!

comments powered by Disqus

© 1998-2013 HonestGamers
None of the material contained within this site may be reproduced in any conceivable fashion without permission from the author(s) of said material. This site is not sponsored or endorsed by Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Microsoft, or any other such party. BloodNet: A Cyberpunk Gothic is a registered trademark of its copyright holder. This site makes no claim to BloodNet: A Cyberpunk Gothic, its characters, screenshots, artwork, music, or any intellectual property contained within. Opinions expressed on this site do not necessarily represent the opinion of site staff or sponsors.