Game: BloodRayne Genre: 3D action Release date: oct 2002 Developer: Terminal Reality Publisher: Majesco Games Consoles: РС, PlayStation2, Nintendo Gamecube, XBOX

BloodRayne is a 3D action game in every way, shape and form. Players control the limber vampire girl as she makes her way from the darkly lit swamps of Louisiana in search of spidery beasts to her eventual confrontation in the industrial German factories with several Nazi leaders. The game unfolds in linear style, leading BloodRayne from target to target for the kills.

Of course, you don't need an original story to make a great game. But, unfortunately, the gameplay in BloodRayne is every bit as derivative as the plot. This is a stock action adventure game, with a strong emphasis on action and lots of jumping challenges involving Rayne's deadliest foe, water. Levels are of the "kill these enemies, then kill those" variety where you plug away from point A to point B, with an occasional series of leaps to point C. Puzzles involve little more than finding the occasional object or figuring out that you have to knock down a wall in order to move forward.

Rayne has access to several weapons, including her huge, gut-draining forearm knives, but there are only a few attacks and stringing together the same combos over and over isn't very entertaining. Sure, it's fun to slice the heads off Nazis and zombies, and there's lots of blood and gore. But it would be nice if the game let you learn new ways of doing it as you progress. Instead you get a "rage" mode that basically just speeds up your regular attacks.