Blood Wake

by Stormfront Studios

Product Features

• Pounding waves, enemy fire, intrigue, betrayal - you'll have to face them all in this blazing gunboat combat epic
• Choose one of ten gunboats to captain and arm yourself with a variety of torpedos, missiles, rocket launchers and more
• Play against other in split-screen multi-player mode, or embark on more than 25 single-player missions

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00005Q8JN
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches ; 5.1 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: December 28, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,546 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Vehicle combat games have typically made up a good chunk of any console's library, but in the case of Blood Wake, the combat is taken to an atypical arena--the sea. Set against the backdrop of an Asian-themed locale where three different groups are vying for power, Blood Wake is a gunboat combat game that features good action, great graphics, and some of the most impressive water effects ever seen in a game.

Playing as Shao Kai, you are betrayed by your brother and left for dead. After being rescued by a rival warlord, you swear allegiance to that warlord and join forces with him. The story and setting are pretty original for an action game, but the animated cutscenes aren't as engaging as they should have been; after watching the first few, you'll find yourself skipping them and jumping straight to the missions.

Thankfully, Blood Wake scores big in this area. The missions run a wide gamut and will have you defending convoys, attacking enemy cargo ships, and collecting "payments." And though the missions are well designed, occasionally combat can degenerate into you and the enemy turning in circles in an effort to gain the best firing angle.

Over the course of the game you'll have access to over 10 gunboat variations, each armed to the gills with a wide variety of weapons. Though you can't choose which gunboat you'll use before a mission, the game does a nice job of giving you the boat that will best serve your purposes. Controlling the gunboats is fairly straightforward; but, since you need to contend with the physics of the water, some gamers may find the controls a little frustrating at first, especially when turning and moving forward after being stopped. Fortunately, after a few missions gamers will get their sea hands and the controls will become second nature.

Graphically, Blood Wake is extremely impressive. The gunboats feature lots of little details like cannons ejecting shells, the pilot moving in his seat, and the wood of the gunboat splintering damage as you take hits. The most impressive thing about Blood Wake, however, is its depiction of water. Waves crash over your gunboat, wakes impact how you steer, and torpedoes will send up a massive wave that will toss you into the air. It's not just fancy special effects; the water actually dictates how combat unfolds. When fighting in choppy seas you need to make sure you fire when you're at the top of a wave, otherwise your bullets will simply hit a wave in front of you. This is a nice touch and really show the amount of thought that went into Blood Wake's development.

Because of its fun gameplay and solid multiplayer component (four multiplayer games are included), fans of vehicle combat games owe it to themselves to try out Blood Wake. --William Harms

Pros:

• Water effects are very impressive
• Fairly original setting
• Awesome graphics
• Lots of fun gameplay

Cons:

• Gameplay gets a little repetitive
• Animated cutscenes aren't particularly engaging

Product Description

Vehicle combat games have typically made up a good chunk of any console's library, but in the case of <I>Blood Wake</I>, the combat is taken to an atypical arena--the sea. Set against the backdrop of an Asian-themed locale where three different groups are vying for power, <I>Blood Wake</I> is a gunboat combat game that features good action, great graphics, and some of the most impressive water effects ever seen in a game.<p> Playing as Shao Kai, you are betrayed by your brother and left for dead. After being rescued by a rival warlord, you swear allegiance to that warlord and join forces with him. The story and setting are pretty original for an action game, but the animated cutscenes aren't as engaging as they should have been; after watching the first few, you'll find yourself skipping them and jumping straight to the missions.<p> Thankfully, <I>Blood Wake</I> scores big in this area. The missions run a wide gamut and will have you defending convoys, attacking enemy cargo ships, and collecting "payments." And though the missions are well designed, occasionally combat can degenerate into you and the enemy turning in circles in an effort to gain the best firing angle.<p> Over the course of the game you'll have access to over 10 gunboat variations, each armed to the gills with a wide variety of weapons. Though you can't choose which gunboat you'll use before a mission, the game does a nice job of giving you the boat that will best serve your purposes. Controlling the gunboats is fairly straightforward; but, since you need to contend with the physics of the water, some gamers may find the controls a little frustrating at first, especially when turning and moving forward after being stopped. Fortunately, after a few missions gamers will get their sea hands and the controls will become second nature.<p> Graphically, <I>Blood Wake</I

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Review of BloodWake, December 18, 2001

By 

markoni (Switzerland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood Wake (Video Game)

Gamers who have dreamed of being a pirate will be provided with another outlet for their fantasy besides dressing up at home and splashing around the bathtub when Microsoft releases Bloodwake for the Xbox. Developed by Stormfront Studios, the game is a story-driven combat game set at sea. We got a chance to test the waters in the game and have come away intrigued by Bloodwake's slick graphics, arcade-style gameplay, and multiplayer modes.

Kill them all!
The game's story finds you in the role of Lieutenant Shao Kai, an officer in the Northern League fleet. Cast adrift at sea after a brutal ambush by a group of pirates, he is rescued by Ped Zhang, Warlord of the Shadow Clan, another group of pirates. Thanks to the intervention of one of Zhang's group and his slightly surly attitude, Kai is adopted by the clan as a sea raider. Kai's acceptance of the offer is one part survival tactic and one part opportunism. Although he feigns ignorance when questioned by Zhang about his squadron's assailant, Kai is well aware of the identity of his attacker and hopes to you get an opportunity to exact revenge. The twist is that the object of Kai's hatred is his own brother, Admiral Shao Lung of the Northern League fleet, the commander of a fearsome warship called the Dragon.

A little multiplayer death.
You'll find two main modes to choose from: the single-player story mode and battle mode, a multiplayer mode for up to four players. The story mode follows Shao Kai as he balances being a quality pirate in Ped Zhang's crew with his quest for revenge. Levels are grouped together under different "chapters" and strung together by Shao Kai's narrative and sketches, which work together to tell Shao's story and inform you of the objectives for each level. You'll initially start out with a lightly armed and armored speedboat, but as you progress through the game, you'll be assigned better craft such as catamarans, torpedo boats, and sampans. Although, you may find that completing your objectives with even the best of ships is quite a challenge in later levels. The game's battle mode will eventually offer seven different types of matches for you and up to four friends to fight in. Unlike in the single-player game, you'll find power-ups that will give you new weapons or enhance your abilities for a limited period of time during a match. You'll unlock the various battle types and a variety of selectable ships to use in the battle mode by going through the story mode.

The gameplay is standard mission-based fare, which keeps Bloodwake accessible. Your missions will include attacking a ship or building, collecting crates, escorting ships, or performing recon. The game's control scheme is basic and works well with the Xbox controller. You'll control the rudder and throttle on your ship with the left analog stick or D-pad. Pushing left or right steers, while pressing forward accelerates. The left trigger fires your boat's primary weapon and the right trigger fires your secondary weapon. The clear face buttons allow you to toggle between several views, including a first-person view that is sure to nauseate anyone who isn't seaworthy thanks to the game's realistic waves.

Graphically, the game makes good use of its clearly generous polygon budget. There's quite a bit of eye candy on display--the boat models are so detailed you can see gears turning in the engines and weapons. As the game is set at sea, Stormfront has put quite a bit of effort into the "look" of the water and come up with a very stylized and beautiful environment to interact with. The game's environments are huge, though they're a bit sparse at times. Missions set at various times of the day showcase the game's impressive lighting, which is quite beautiful.

So pretty.
In our time with Bloodwake, we found the game's single-player game to be challenging fun. The stylized sketches and voice-overs that drive the story fit the game and are an interesting departure from the CG cinemas that are the norm these days. Being able to select the difficulty of each level before you play it is a nice touch, as it lets you ease yourself into a more challenging game if you feel ready for it. The control scheme is user-friendly and didn't take long to pick up. Although the water's physics, in combination with that of the various boats, made for a slightly floaty experience at times, they gave the game an arcadelike feel that was fine. The multiplayer mode was fun, offering a good variety of battle options and ships once they were unlocked, which wasn't that hard to do. Overall, Bloodwake is looking quite promising.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Fun, extremely good game, January 7, 2002

By 

"attaghan" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood Wake (Video Game)

I love this game. It has great action in a well designed and programmed environment. This game is technically solid and well developed. No slow downs, constant frame rate, great graphics, and the best water effects around make this one of the best games around.

I don't find this game at all monotonous like a few claim. It's a mission based combat game. It's a dog fighting game in water. If you like Star Wars Starfighter or Star Wars: Rogue Leader you will love this game. Plus, It has advantages over those game due to it's great multiplayer and battle mode features. Tons of stuff to do in this game!

I find it disappointing that people who haven't even touched this game come up with clearly false reviews. This game is not Twisted Metal or a Boat Racing game. This game is a mission based combat/ dog fighting game in water.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Blood Wake is one of the better games for X-Box..., January 8, 2002

By 

Isaac Miller (Blacksburg, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood Wake (Video Game)

This game is not the best X-Box game out there... coughHALOcough. However this game is fairly entertaining in its own respect. I won't go into the details about the graphics (boats and water are fantastic other graphics less impressive). The storyline is average with the cheesy voiceovers that you find in just about every game these days. The one player missions are challenging and you have to play them to unlock all the boats for multiplayer. The mutliplayer features various modes all of which are pretty good. There's nothing like blowing up my roomate's ship w/ a torpedo. The key to remember w/ Blood Wake is it's a vehicular combat game on water nothing more nothing less. This game isn't groundbreaking but it is fun. I would say that unless you know for sure you want this game to go out and rent it first to see how you like it. Just remember that you won't have access to all the multiplayer boats until you unlock them in the one player missions. Overall, this is a good game that belongs in the upper tier of X-Box titles.