BloodRayne Betrayal is due to be released in August for the PSN and Xbox Live.
When BloodRayne: Betrayal begins, grim orchestral music swells as the redheaded Rayne enters a gloomy forest. This world is equal parts melancholy and melodramatic, and despite the gorgeous vibrancy of its incredible 2D sprite art, Betrayal is every bit the atmospheric bummer its predecessors were. Suddenly, steampunk robot crab.
WayForward, the developer that brought us Contra IV and the 2009 Boy and His Blob remake, pretends to take a tonal turn with this revival. Really, it's just as wacky as their past games. Rayne arrives at each level via her rocket-powered coffin dropship, gallons of gore spew from dismembered foes to the top of the screen…you get the idea. It's a dark game for sure, but BloodRayne: Betrayal isn't afraid to let loose. The aforementioned oddball boss battle is just the start of the game's steady spiral into absurdity.
At first, BloodRayne isn't much more than a pretty face. The hand-drawn animations, of which Rayne herself has an astounding 4000 frames, are beautiful. Beyond that, the game doesn't have much going for it conceptually. The new direction for the franchise is as a 2D side-scrolling slash-‘em-up, and the once-revered, recently revived genre regularly suffers from mindless simplicity and intolerable repetition. What's immediately concerning is that Betrayal doesn't allow for unlockable abilities or deeper move sets. Rayne has everything she needs from moment one, and it doesn't seem like much.
Senseless button-mashing disappeared once I realized the level of control I had over Rayne, as she's quick and capable in the right hands. Using her vampirism to bite a bad guy, for instance, transforms him into a weapon—kicking him away causes him to explode. Like any well-balanced action game, it's about pulling specific bits from her bag of tricks to outsmart seemingly impervious enemies.
The flexible platforming components begin complementing the combat as enemy encounters get tougher. Rayne can backflip to reach new heights, and she can dash through the air quickly to cover more ground. These motions are great for juggling opponents, getting behind someone, or evading fast attacks. Finding a rhythm and removing heads with speedy elegance feels fantastic. By the end of the first 15 minutes, my stumbling around had evolved organically into what looked like a gracious, gruesome ballet. Blood geysers were the applause for my perfect performance.
How the combination of Rayne’s attacks, enemy types and slick animation holds up over the game's estimated five hour length will prove whether or not WayForward succeeded. Betrayal is an experiment with a modern character, bringing in gameplay that's a throwback to what many consider gaming's Golden Age. The team has earned the benefit of the doubt at this point. Plus, steampunk robot crab bosses are always reassuring.
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