Classic FPS games have always been amazing, and the Boomer Shooter genre has become very popular in recent years for a number of reasons. Notably, while modern AAA titles tend to emphasize cinematic storytelling, realistic mechanics, and cover systems, boomer shooters do not bother with that and focus on the gameplay.
Back in the 90s, the Build Engine was developed for FPS games, primarily Duke Nukem 3D, but there were a number of others that used the engine, including Blood. A horror themed take on Duke Nukem 3D, the game was still full of the edginess of the era, and was full of macabre humour, while still being a power fantasy game with a catchphrase spouting protagonist. The game has been re-released before as Blood: Fresh Supply, from Nightdive Studio, but now Nightdive has gotten a second chance to really go all out with the new version Blood: Refreshed Supply.
Blood stars Caleb, a gunslinger turned cultist who was betrayed by his dark god Tchernabog and murdered along with his fellow cultists. Caleb has been resurrected as a revenant in 1928, and starts a campaign of revenge to defeat Tchernobog and take out his forces. Blood revolves around southern gothic themes and Lovecraftian horror, yet manages to still be a funny game that makes its nightmarish imagery something that you can have a laugh at while enjoying the game.
Rather than your usual sci-fi weaponry, Blood uses more creative weapons, such as a pitchfork to use in melee and bundles of dynamite to toss at enemies or use in traps. There is also a voodoo doll you can use to hex enemies from a distance, a staff that steals life from your enemies and powerful weapons like the Tesla Cannon and a napalm launcher. This is one of the most creative arsenals in an FPS and fits the setting perfectly, while offering a lot of variety from the usual FPS games.
Caleb, as mentioned, is a sarcastic, witty character who delivers some off-beat lines tinged with dark humour, and is one of the more unique heroes in a 90s FPS game. He definitely stood apart from the rest and managed to inspire later characters, much in the same way that Doom Guy and Duke Nukem did. He also happens to be a character that could only really work in this style of game, and he is used to perfection.
The levels in Blood are superbly designed and include gore filled carnivals, hellish realms, graveyards and more. The maps feel like creepy mazes filled with unsettling things yet are exciting to explore, and there is a real sense of reward when you come across secrets. The levels do a lot of work in this game, yet that work is in partnership with everything else, making the game feel seamless.
When it comes to Blood: Refreshed Supply, the game is now using a new engine that manages to make the game look even better and run far smoother, with improved lighting and controls, remade cutscenes and makes use of voxels for some of the environments, to really give the pseudo 3D appearance. Going back and comparing this to both the original release and Blood Fresh Supply, Blood Refreshed Supply really feels like a massive improvement, with minor touches that may not stand out right away, but help to make the overall experience a better one. T restored weather effects that were missing from the original have been fixed, the enemy behaviour can be adjusted and enhanced, a vault has been added full of new features to discover.
Nightdive wanted to make sure the Nintendo Switch 2 port would be amazing, and delayed it to ensure they got it right, and wow did they. The game supports eight-player mode, and can run at 120fps and in 4K. This may not sound exceptional to some, but many developers are still getting the hang of the Nintendo Switch 2, and the game runs perfectly in both handheld and docked mode. Of course, the new content is here as well in the form of the new campaign episode set after the main story and manages to fully capture the vibes and feel of the original game.
Blood: Refreshed Supply is a fantastic experience on Nintendo Switch 2 and is the best way to experience the game. The flaws of the original have been removed, but the good points have been left in and enhanced. This is the dark fantasy action game that really stood out in the 90s, standing out again today and it will manage to win you over, just like it blew away all doubters in the 90s. This one is highly recommended.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided