The cool thing about the work of Nightdive Studios is how they pick up titles that you completely forgot about. Sure, they know their Turok and System Shock remasters, but they also worked their magic on the likes of Po’ed, as well as Killing Time: Resurrected. Their latest game, Blood: Refreshed Supply, is a loving take on Monolith’s 1997 PC shooter. And, just with its previous entries, it’s worthy of attention.
You portray Caleb, a gunslinger that has a grudge against the demon Tchernobog. But in order to get to him, you’ll have to deal with an army of all kinds of demons, using an array of spectacular weaponry to get there. It’s an old-school kind of shooter, but nicely retouched for today’s market – Nightdive’s forte, as you know.
The game has its difficulty curve to get over, and does take a slight bit to get started. Once it does, however, the Blood certainly flows. The level design is still stunning after all these years, and the gameplay is exciting with its weapon variety. Not to mention it’s never looked or sounded better. And did I mention the massive Death Wish content they just added? Wow.
Blood: Refreshed Supply may not be a familiar title to all, but it’s one FPS fans should most certainly check out.
Blood: Refreshed Supply Definitely Lives Up To Its Name
As an undead gunslinger, you definitely hold a grudge as Caleb. But, hey, why wouldn’t you? Tchernobog (good luck saying that five times fast) has given you something to be mad about. And in an effort to get even with him, you’ll have to plow your way through some nightmarish levels, filled with ne’er-do-wells that want you dead.
The original 1997 game definitely came out at a time when FPS games were being pioneered by some of the best out there. So, yeah, you might have missed it the first time around. But Blood: Refreshed Supply is ready for rediscovery, with Nightdive Studios providing its usual “golden touch” to make it better than ever.
The team actually rebuilt the code from the ground up, so that it feels better than ever. Gunplay is actually very exciting with each new encounter, and you even have fun poking folks with a makeshift trident (provided you don’t die first, obviously). The weapon types get more creative as you go on, and there’s a lot of fun battles to get into. It just feels smooth throughout.
That said, there is a question about flow. The early levels start off a bit stagnant, and the difficulty curve may throw off many, as rookies will likely die often at the beginning. But stick with it, the better content is yet to come, and Blood: Refreshed Supply comes packing.
This is especially true with the massive new update added to the game, Death Wish. It comes with four additional episodes, following what took place in the main game. It adds tremendous replay value, and, hey, it’s free. That’s right, you get it with the main game. Not a bad gift at all.
Those of you who aren’t into “older” FPS games may not get the big deal with Blood: Refreshed Supply. But, as with other Nightdive Studios games before it, this one’s ripe with bloody pleasure. I had a good time diving back into the pool of Blood, and if you don’t mind getting dirty, you will as well.
Blood: Refreshed Supply Has Never Looked, Um, Bloodier
For a 90s shooter, Blood: Refreshed Supply sure does look damn good. That’s because Nightdive recoded the game, as I mentioned above, to run smoother than it ever has. The frame rate is undeniably slick, and combined with the classic level design, it holds up quite well. Not to mention the on-screen carnage is both satisfying and nostalgic.
As for the music, it’s vintage 90s tunes and I’m good with that. The classic soundtrack holds up very well, with a few new additions here and there. And, of course, you have those sweet old-school groans and effects, as you’d expect in a game such as this. Heck yeah.
Go On, Donate Yourself To Blood
Okay, I know you may already have a full gameplay plate with everything that’s out there. But if you even care one iota about awesome FPS games, you’ll save some room for Blood: Refreshed Supply. This is amongst Nightdive’s best work as a dev, and really shows its devotion to the old-school. Not to mention it’s fun as hell, even with its rampant difficulty curve. And that new content…oh, boy!
It just makes me wonder what other gems Nightdive could jump into next. Hell, who knows, they might even justify Daikatana at some point. That’s just wild guessing. For now, hey, get covered in Blood.
GAMERHUB RATING: 4 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Thanks to UberStrategist for providing us with a review code! Blood: Refreshed Supply is available now for Steam/PC, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch!
