In From Dusk Till Dawn you
play the infamous Seth Gecko, vampire slayer extraordinaire, a death row inmate
on the most secure prison facility in the world. Forget Alcatraz, "The Rising
Sun" is a converted oil tanker that sails the seas holding only the most
hardened criminals. Capone wouldn’t have lasted ten minutes, especially after
the Vampires show up. It seems some idiot had the brother of a powerful vampire
sentenced to a term on "The Rising Sun" and the Vampire has come to settle the
score. The good news is your sprung. The bad news is, the place is infested
with vampires. But what the hell, its nothing you haven’t dealt with before.
The game
stands alone from the movie, although there are bonuses for those who’ve seen it
(watch out for the band). Installation was easy but I did deal with a few
technical problems while playing. A few times I experienced unexpected crashes
or extreme stuttering of sound or graphics. But overall these defects didn’t
occur often enough to ruin the game. This first person or over the shoulder
shooter (they allow you to switch between the two at will) offers an interesting
array of weapons and effects like the laser lights making shooting much more
accurate, a disc shooter (so much easier to stake a vamp when it has no legs)
and of course the wrist loaded wooden stake. The fact that most vampires have
hearts that you can shoot (though you can target legs, arms or heads) encourages
accuracy, and the addition of mission based scenarios moves this game more into
the genre of Half-Life than Quake or Doom.
The controls
were easy to pick up and the graphics while not incredible were at least fun to
watch. The addition of the occasional bullet time scene after a particularly
nice shot was great but there were also times they went overboard with the
camera work. The death scene is a never-ending animation that I found
annoying. But it is easily overcome by jumping to the menu screen and loading
"your guns". The music was varied and perfectly matched the atmosphere of the
game. I loved the music switch when you first use the Gattling gun.
While I
enjoyed the concept, the plot and characters weren’t particularly well developed
or even believable at times but then again this is inspired by "From Dusk Till
Dawn" the movie. Which brought us such items as the jackhammer powered stake
through the heart and the mariachis of death. So I guess there’s no
complaining.
From Dusk Till
Dawn does a good job of capturing the style of the movie while transporting the
main character to a new place with new companions. While you don’t need to have
seen the movie to play this game I’m sure it will enhance your experience. Now
stop reading and go kill those *censored* Vampires!
From Dusk Till
Dawn is rated Mature but also includes a parental lock for worried but blood
thirsty parents.
Install: Easy
Some technical
problems after installation. Graphics/Sound stuttering and game crashes
occasionally. Save often.
Gameplay: 8.5
Great elements like
body parts targeting on Vamps and an easy learning curve.
Graphics: 7.5
Bullet time scenes,
detailed models. Not the best but making a good effort.
Sound: 8.5
Could have been
better but not by much.
Difficulty: 8
Forces a good
balance between mindless carnage and strategy.
Concept: 8
Campy and cool just
like the movie.
Multiplayer: N/A
Overall: 8.5
While
not quite at the top of the action game pile, this is one that won’t be in the
bargain bin anytime soon.
