This game is also available on Xbox.
Retro Game Walkthroughs for Blade 2 (PlayStation 2)
Submitted By: UrbanShark
Blade II Walkthrough
PS2 version
Posted by Urbanshark
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* My Review *
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When I first saw BLADE II the movie in my local cinema, I was not quite sure whether it was meant to be "serious" or not. I thought it will be something like "Interview with the vampire" with more action, but boy, I was wrong...
The movie consisted mostly of hi-speed battles wrapped into a thin storyline. It was obvious that the violence level was WAY to high, but on the other hand the movie was simply "stylish", with its eastern-like high-speed battles and the typical Hollywood line dropping. Not long after the game came out, and - no surprises here - it is a mission-based fighting game.
Story: 4/10
Its Blade versus an army of bloodsuckers, period. The only saving grace is that the story is original, instead of a movie clone. Not the main reason to buy this game :-)
Graphics: 7/10
No "Metal Gear solid" quality, but I didn't really expect anything that grand. But the graphics aren't bad either. The character models are done with nice details (especially the tattoos are nice to look upon), there is good dynamic lighting (especially in the sewers) and blade carries the weapons you select prior to a mission visibly on his back/sides. The frame rate is quite stable, as far as I can tell, and that's about it. Thoroughly solid work with small details (knock vampires into pillars in the asylum and they scatter chunks of rock around)...
Sound: 3/10,
Music: 7/10
The sound effects are nothing to write home about. You hear your basic punches, kicks, grunts and screams, together with some (cool) weapon sounds. The MP Blade carries simply rocks. The voices are well done too, but Blade seems to know only the same three punch lines throughout the whole game. During his finishing moves he either says "Ah, how exciting" or "keep your friends close... keep your enemies closer" or "gotta love this gun". There could have been more!
The music on the other hand fits perfectly. A nice techno/rock-style soundtrack kicks in when the actions steps up, otherwise you have your standard gothic ambient sound. Well done all in all.
Gameplay: 6/10
The idea is quite cool. Instead of turning around and mashing buttons you simply point the right analogy stick where you want to kick/punch. Do it slow & rhythmically and Blade performs combos. Sounds nice in theory, but in reality it crumbles - a bit. Since the analogy sticks on the ps2 controllers have quite some way to travel from the center to the rim, the controls feel sluggish. but this is countered by a rather generous amount of block time. Small things help, especially when you're surrounded by a horde of blood thirsty vampires.
Added to your hand-to-hand abilities is a host of goodies from the movie, including the shotgun, the mach pistol, the throwing knife, UV grenades and others, which you unlock by collecting points. It's quite motivating. The downside to this is that at the end of Campaign I you'll have nearly everything that is to unlock. They should have put more stuff into it or spread the points more evenly. But you'll be glad you have the goodies.
The missions are rather unspectacular, usually boiling down to "go in and kill everything that moves", with a few escort missions thrown in for good measure.
It is cool that the levels are rather large, but this adds to the difficulty of the game too, since you usually have to travel the level twice, once to get to your objective and back to the entrance/exit. And the enemies respawn on the way back out... The later levels compensate for that with save points, but its quite hard after all.
Replay: 2/10
I know that you can unlock the "daywalker" difficulty setting, but if you get anything besides that escapes me... So, nearly no replay value except the fun factor :-)
To buy or to rent: rent first, buy later!
I was a fan of the old-school beat em ups like double dragon or final fight. this game reminds me a lot of the good lol' times. So, if you like beating up hordes of bad guys, don't mind the high difficulty at times and don't care about so-so graphics, then this is the game for you. All others should rent it first.
Pro:
Interesting fighting engine
New story
motivation unlock-for-points system
character design
fun factor
gory
Con:
high difficulty
too less speech samples for Blade
gory (too much is simply boring)
Total: 7,5, 7 (rounded) for Gamefaqs
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* 3. The Basics *
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3.a - The Controls
The Manual covers most of the obvious control issues, but here's a quick summary:
D-Pad : Switch Weapons
Left Stick : left/right lets you turn, forwards lets you go forward, double pull back and you do a 180 degree turn. They should have bound this to a button imho, since it takes way to long to pull the stick back twice.
Right Stick : Attacks in a 360 degrees circle. Although I have the feeling that you have just 8 directions to go, it works more or less.
Triangle : You reload your guns with this.
Circle : not used (my favorite would be the 180 turn :-))
Square : Jump. In conjunction with the Left Stick you may jump in the four major directions. You can jump over railings too, as long as they are about waist high.
L1 : Lock on & strafe (lock on with mach pistol only) It centers the cam behind you too, quite helpful
l2 : Blocking. Unlike most fighting games you have approx. 2-3 secs when holding this.
R1 : Activate Rage mode. During play you charge the red bar in your life meter. At certain intervals you receive messages like "sword" or "shield". Pressing the R1 button activates the rage mode and Blade unsheathes his ... blade for some slicin' and dicin' :-)
R2 : Weapon select. Hold this and use the right stick for changing your gadgets. Much too bothersome imho, use the d-pad instead.
One of the nice touches about this game is the ability to fight independent from your view direction. Its no prob to attack enemies to your sides while still looking ahead. Its just bad that your guns usually fire in your view direction...
3.b - Of Rage and War
Every hand-to-hand fight charges Blade's Rage Meter a bit. At certain points you can get several Rage Levels.
- Sword
When tapping R1, Blade will get out his sword and use it in hand to hand combat
- Shield
During his Rage Blade is nearly invulnerable. I don't know if this extends to fire/lightning, but it is likely.
- Strength
Blade becomes faster and knocks his enemies back. Usually one hit kills.
Obviously Rage is a good thing. Use it when you're surrounded. Don't waste it on anything under four enemies. Usually I prefer to charge the Rage Meter until I get Strength and use it then, but circumstances or preference may call for a different way to use Blade's rage.
When you tap R1 to activate the rage, you have about 15 to 20 seconds of rage time, during whick you can humiliate your enemies. But watch out, since Blade will simply pack his sword back when the Rage ends. Not a good thing when surrounded by enemies.
Finishers:
As far as I know, finishers are a rather random thing. There are two borad groups of finishers, those with weapon and those without.
To have Blade perform a finisher, you first need to knock an opponent around a bit, so that he appears "dizzy". That won't obviously work with some "1-hit- kills"-moves like the uppercut. When the opponent is dizzy, your next hit will usually result in a finishing move. (Staking w/o weapon, gut shots with pistol)
3.c - Weapons
I'll just cover each item as you acquire it in the game and give my opinion...
Mach Pistol
A trusty handgun with auto fire. It can destroy the usual vampire punk with two to three bullets, better armored guys need more. You have 30 bullets in a clip and this baby eats 'em like crazy. Very nice for cleaning enemies from long range. Watch the crosshair, when it's green, you can pop the enemy with a single shot.
Glaive
It looks cooler than it is. You can charge this thingie up, lock on to enemies and let fly, hopefully cutting them heads off. The downside is, you are stationary while charging and throwing this sucker. No good.
Shotgun
To quote Duke Nukem: "Suck my boomstick!". This thing packs quite some punch close up, but it suffers from a harsh lack of ammo (8 bangs compared to the mach's 30), it is damn slow and has no lock-on ability. In the earlier levels an item to lug around anyways, but I drop it for the Armor Vest instead.
Silver Knuckle Duster
Looks cool and is a MUST HAVE, especially later on. You can do about twice the melee damage with these.
UV Grenade
Another MUST HAVE. These beauties come in threes (3 bangs for each slot) and you only may carry two slots worth of 'em. They act like a "smart bomb", blasting nearly all vampires out of existence within a given area. And they are the only weapons with which to kill the reapers, who will become a major pain in the sewers and onwards. I usually pack one slot of them.
Armor Vest
It may be bulky, but it will save your hide countless times. With this thing on, damage suffered will be cut in half (I think). But It WILL NOT protect you from fire or lightning, so don't get cocky!
Serum:
Straight from the Manual:
"Raises Blade's Serum Level which will allow Blade to regenerate his Energy (Life) and also increases the speed with which rage will accumulate." Too bulky to have around imho.
3.d - Pickups
Note: Pickups usually remain in play until you leave the level, so if you find a health kit at the beginning of a level and don't need it, you can go back later and grab it.
Ammo: Depending on your weapon. If you carry the pistol, you'll get Pistol Ammo, if you carry the shotgun you'll get shotgun ammo and if you happen to carry both, sometimes you'll get ammo for both. At least when the designers intended a "drop point". Enemies who will have a pistol only drop handgun ammo, though.
Health: Keep an eye out for these slim packages. They refill your health meter to the max.
Glyphs: The reddish-golden ones give 50 Points, the white Skulls'n'Bones give 200 and the brightly golden ones give 500 Points. Collect 'em all, especially in the earlier levels, since every point gets you closer to the next gadget.
Poison/Bomb Cylinders: In some missions you have to drop big canisters into certain areas.
These things are so heavy that even Blade needs both hands to carry 'em, which makes fighting impossible. But you can set them down, slay the vamps and pick it up again.
3.e - Enemies
Standard Vampires: Looking like "normal" people more or less, these guys are your standard enemies in every mission. They look like punks, bikers, workers, mafiosi or whatnot. Usually they are not such a threat, except that they come in groups. Sometimes (mostly in the later missions, Campaign II and up) they are armed, but still not much of a threat.
Guards: I don't know why, but these guys have me think of the body armor of "Red Faction". These are not vampires, but humans, and they are heavily armed and armored. The biggest problems with these guys are their sub-machine guns. They are accurate and have long range. So try to silence them asap.
Assassins: Found in the last three missions of Campaign I, these ninja-style enemies deal out some serious damage. They look like the vampire assassins from the movies, but are humans, since the UV Grenades only blind them.
Ghouls: Except for their weird looks (deathly pale skin and black leathers) these guys are not a real threat. Found in Campaign II and up.
Stinky-Corpses: I have no clue how the designers call them, but I think their "new" name fits. They produce damaging fumes which can paralyze Blade. Worse still: they come in packs, so drop a grenade into their midst or pick 'em off with your handgun.
Reapers: The major villains from the Blade II movies are reduced to a side- note in this game. They are invulnerable to every weapon you have - save the UV Grenades. So if you plan to battle these suckers (see the sewer missions) have two slots of grenades ready for them.
Electro-Vamps: They come in two variants: Sleek and fast or fat, ugly and damn tough. Both can easily be recognized by their toys, electrified weapons. Take them out first, since these weapons can do some harm.
Arcan Vampires: These guys look more like aliens, but are no more dangerous than your standard vampire punk. Just smash 'em and be done with it.
Exploding Vampires: These meanies have a bomb rigged to their vital functions. Kill them and a beeper will be heard. A good sign for you to put some distance between you and them, since they are about to blow up, causing some damage.
Test subjects: Found in the later missions of Campaign III, these beasties come in small and extra large. The small ones are rather weak, but they are quick as hell and come in large packs. The big ones dish out some big damage and can take it, too. So watch out.
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* 4. F.A.Q. *
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Q: Where's the coat? I want Blade's coat!!!
A: Short answer: No coat in the PS2 version. It's an XBOX exclusive, sadly.
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* 5. Walkthrough *
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I am not a fan of "step-by-step" walkthroughs. Since the objectives are usually quite simple and - hey, they have BRIEFINGS at the start of each mission.
These level strategies are for "Human", but notes on Daywalker will come shortly.
Some general tips:
- Difficulty: The only difference between Daywalker and Human is the number of enemies. In Mission I-1 on "Human" you have bikers and punks, who want some, but in Mission I-1 on "Daywalker" you'll have gunners as well.
- Follow the glyphs. They are not only bonus symbols, but the designers used them to show the way. Usually they are right, but straying from the path has its benefits, too.
- Look for secret areas. Starting with Campaign II some mission goals are hidden behind fake walls. This is especially true with "The Blood Donors" where one of the three switches is hidden behind a wall.
- Blow Things Up!!! Honestly, if you destroy certain amounts of scenery you may get extra pickups. Try for example to destroy all server machines in the last levels of Campaign I. You will get extra glyphs or ammo pickups.
- A word of advice on equipment selection. Even if you take no extra ammo, you will have a clip of ammo in your weapons each. So if you want to take, say, the handgnu, the armor vest, the knuckles and the UV grenades, so do it. You will have one clip of handgun ammo slotted.
Start: Tutorial
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Preferred Equipment: none
Simply do as you're told and it should be a breeze. You'll HAVE to do this but once, so do it and go on.
Campaign I - Karkov Tower
Mission 1: The Exchange
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Preferred Equipment: Handgun w/ammo
This is fairly straight-forward. Simply go in, kill everything that moves, blast the barrels and AVOID THE CARS. Since you have no Armor (yet), one hit will drain about half your health. On the ramps, keep to the walls, let the car(s) pass and get the glyphs AFTERWARDS. Otherwise, just explore each park deck and destroy the red motorcycles as you see them. The last one is hidden in a stairwell at the end of the level. Should be a cake walk.
Oh, by the way, thrashing the white limo at the start of the mission yields some bonus glyphs.
Mission 2: Horror Stories
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Preferred Equipment: Handgun w/ammo
If you were busy in the last level, you should have the Glaive by now, but I'd leave it in the drawer and take more handgun ammo instead. Don't shoot the barrels when you start the level. This will kill the sleeper behind them and cost you big points. And keep avoiding the cars, keep to the walls. When you enter the second parking deck, look for two red cycles parking next to a chain-linked doorway. Behind that is one limo and some pick-ups you don't want to pass up.
Some more straight forward stuff. The Comm Ports you have to destroy shine bright green and are usually easy to spot. If you have trouble finding one, look in the stairwells and adjoining rooms. The Sub-Objectives are the white limos. Simply thrash them with punches, save your ammo for the punks :-)
And after thrashing limos and comm ports you have to get back to the elevators - and there WILL be enemies coming to stop you. You have been warned. Just conserve your ammo and RAGE when you can.
Mission 3: The Blood Club
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Preferred Equipment: Shotgun and Pistol, with 1 ammo each
By now you should be sick of parking lots, right? Don't worry, just a few more minutes and you'll get to see the whole decadence of vampiric luxury. Before you start blasting happily around, just save your ammo and use the punks to build up your rage meter as much as you can. You'll need it shortly. Make your way through the parking space, avoid oncoming cars and look for a blue exit. This is the entrance to the club. Still save your ammo as much as you can and clear out the lounges and toilets. Look in the shithouses as well, since there might be vampire elders around, which you have to eliminate as well.
When you're done, enter the main dance hall and prepare to fight. This will be one of the biggest battles yet, since all the vamps will come to you when you touch one. Don't bother, simply start to rage, use your guns if neccesary and clear out the small separee as well. When you have eliminated the vamps, another wave will drop from the ceiling. Deal with them and clear out the rest of this level. Find your way to the next set of elevators and you're done.
Mission 4: Nth Phase
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Preferred Equipment: Knuckles, Pistol w/ammo
One of my favorite missions. Advance slowly through the corridors, kill everything that moves and destroy the hardware. Don't waste your ammo on the surroundings, use fists and boots instead.
Something to think about: There are Cola machines scattered about the rooms... I wonder what vamps do with coke :-)
After you thrashed their hardware, get back to the lift. Watch out for reincorcements...
Mission 5: Cover up
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Preferred Equipment: same as above
This one will be a bit harder than the last. You not only get shot at on a regular basis, but the level is a lot bigger and more twisted than the one before.
In the first large room be sure to collect all glyphs, since it will yield an extra pack of handgun ammo.
Your main objective in this level is to get a thrice-locked door open. Follow the glyphs and keep an eye open for reddish-glowing tube thingies which act as switches. And be careful, some of the dragon heads lining the walls actually breathe fire!
About halfway through the mission you'll find your first in-game savepoint. Use it. Explore all rooms thoroughly and collect ammo packs, glyphs and health packs. As long as you don't get careless everything will be alright.
After opening the thrice locked door you'll have a cutscene and then need to destroy this reddish glowing machine. Simply aim your gun on the glass tubes sticking out of this thing and let fly. Whey you manage to collect all glyphs in this room, you'll be awarded a health pack - quite handy with this horde of vamps, right?
Mission 6: Acid Rain
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Preferred Equipment: 1 UV Grenade, Knuckles, Handgun/Ammo
The last mission is a slugfest per excellence. You'll have to fight your way into the heart of this level, open the roof access, get the canister and put it into the vent system near the starting point. Lots of walking, I promise you. And it won't even help that you clear out all the vamps, since on your trip back you'll meet resistance en masse. So conserve ammo, rage when you can and use the UV bangs to your advantage.
When you have the roof access opened, you may save your game. I suggest you do so, since it will be no sunday afternnon walk in the park from here on. First, you'll have to walk and fight all the way back to the t-branch, where one way will bring you back to the entrance. Continue onward and move towards the heli sounds. When you reach the roof, head towards the helicopter and grab the ammo and the medkit and then go and take the poison vessel from the brightly colored storage bin.
Go back down and WATCH OUT, since the dragon heads on either side of the corridor will start spewing flames. Head back to the entrance area and go back into the vent system. Follow the glyphs and you're done.
Enjoy the rather morbid cut-scene, because here is the
*** end of campaign I ***
Campaign II - Lairs of the Byron
General: The levels get bigger here, from about as large as "The Cover-Up" to "insanely big" at the later stages. So keep conserving ammo all the way, you'll need every extra bullet you can find.
Mission 7: DeLancey Street Subway
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Preferred Equipment: Mach Pistol, Knuckles, Armor, 1 Slot UV Grenades
One Warning ahead: Listen to the Briefing (especially the part about subway trains *g*). Usually one hit from those rolling coffins can kill you. And this is particularly bad because you have about half of the level behind you. Worse yet, there is no save point. So take care.
Your secondary objective is to "kill the ghouls". They are just like vampires, but they have white skin and an all-leather outfit. One has hidden behind a freshly repaired wall. It's fairly obvious.
The tricky part comes when you reach the platforms. The timing between the trains is rather tight and you MUST NOT be on the rails when one comes. That's particularly interesting when fighting the guards between two rails. Afterwards follow the tunnel, clear out the vamps and you're done.
Mission 8: City Sewers
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Preferred Equipment: Pistol, 2x UV Grendes, Armor
This is one of the trickier ones. You need to stay very close to Whistler. One problem: Whistler DOES call out for help, but it's usually too late when he does. And he has a shotgun, but a lousy aim.
Problem two: You CAN hurt Whistler while fighting. Especially bad when using the sword to keep those vamps off his butt.
Third problem: While you fight, Whistler won't stop moving or help you, no he simply goes on, thereby triggering more enemies who will hurt him. And lastly, you need too much time whacking bad guys. So keep the vamps off Whistlers back, blast 'em with your gun and when they come a-massin', drop a bomb, literally. One nice thing about those Grenades is that Whistler will stand still for a moment rubbing his eyes. Use this time to scout ahead and eliminate any obvious threats. But do not get too far ahead, since Whistler may walk away. But try to restrain yourself with those grenades, since there are about five reapers you'll have to kill.
Lucky for you, they come in pairs, as far as I can remember... BTW, don't try to grab every bonus you see, you'll have a second chance next level. Its more important that Whistler stays alive. In short, this mission is a nightmare!
Mission 9: The Big Bang
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Preferred Equipment: Handgun, Armor, 2x UV Grenades
This one is slightly less hard. You'll need to set off the bombs Whistler planted before. So make your way through the sewers (down the hexagon-shaped hallway) and find the control room. On your way collect all bonusses you'll find (although you should have the serum by now, which concludes the unlocking process, as far as I know) and detonate the bombs.
After pulling the switch, head out the second tunnel (the one with the glyphs) avoid the flame jets while doing so and RUN to the exit. If you have built your rage meter to "strength", you can give yourself an extra speed boost. And did I mention that more reapers are on the list? But this time there are ten of them...
Mission 10: Quarantine
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Preferred Equipment: Handgun, Armor and as much ammo as you can.
First off: You don't have any secondary objectives in this mission, so there is absolutely NO reason to hang around. Follow the small rats, use your rage when appliable and STAY THE HELL AWAY from that big rat-vamp thing. Whenever you see a turning handle, use it. (Hint: have the "Help Text" option turned on!) The flame jets produced started will force the rat-thing to go another way, giving you more time. Sooner or later you arrive at a ramp leading down. Follow it, then turn right twice and look for another ramp, this time going up. Beware, when the ground levels again, you will crash through the floor. TURN LEFT and run like hell. DON't think about heading towards the branching corridor on your right, because shortly after you fall down, the rat-vamp-what-the-hell monster will appear and its game over... so HEAD left and run. Shortly thereafter you should reach the exit.
Mission 11: The Blood Donors
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Equipment: Handgun, Knuckles, Armor, UV Grenade
This one gets a bit more convoluted. To finish the mission (and to get the sub objectives done) you have to shut off the electrical floors scattered throughout the upper level. To do this, you have to look for three switches. Unfortunately they are rather well hidden.
After you cleanse the first few rooms, head into the great hall with the ground fog. Do NOT jump into the hole in the lower portion of the hall, search the small room formed by pillars. To be more exact: Smash the back wall in this small pillar-framed room. Behind it you'll find a secret area leading towards the first switch.
Switch number two is found in the catacombs you arrive in after falling through the hole mentioned earlier. Simply follow the path, blast the stinky-corpses into dust and throw the switch.
Number three is rather obvious. Follow the path until you arrive in the upper floors. Walk through the blue double doors in front of you. You are at an intersection. Just go straight ahead into the room with the iron maidens. The switch is on the back wall.
You'll have most of the electrical floors shut down, save two. But those ones has "downtimes" long enough for you to sprint over 'em. Make your way through the upper floor, releasing the patients as you go. From there on you'll just have to find the room with the really large staircase and "unpress" the buttons on the upper floor. A pedestrial will emerge, use it to open the door on the lower floor and you've done it.
Mission 12: The Jaws Of Doom
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Preferred Equipment: Armor, Handgun, 2x UV Grenade
It's rather simple... go all the way back to the start. On your way back you'll have to kill the "nurses", which wear nice black mini-skirts for your viewing pleasure. So do as you're told and move it.
If you're badly wounded, re-visit the hidden room where the 2nd (in the previous mission) switch was. The room holds a few vamps and glyphs and a health pack.
When you get closer to the exit, you'll be greeted by a horde of reapers. I hope that you didn't waste your UV-bangs yet... When you have reached the room with the three normal doors and the "jaws" door, use the newly opened one (hint: watch for gunfire :-)) and make your way along the corridor and up the stairs. You'll find a BIG winch and can open the jaws - finally...
Take a shortcut through the window on your left (jump down) and head into the jaws and prepare for a kind of "survival match", because when you meet Dr. Grant, she is bound to a chair with some vmaps in it. And since misery loves company, the iron maiden things on the sides of the room will spit out vamps by the dozen... have fun I say. Lucky if you have some UV-Bangs or a high Rage level.
Mission 14: The Escape
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Preferred Equipment: As above...
This one is a VERY long trip. First, you'll have to get the doc safely out of the asylum (one long way, fraught with the same perils as the first escort mission) and then you'll have to go back in and fight the BOSS. Well, you should be used to the difficulty by now, so lets get going. Right at the beginning you can just follow the doc, but you won't get far. AMBUSH! Keep the vamps off the doc and you'll be fine. The doc'll try to open the lock and you may go on. Just follow the glyphs or the doc and eventually you will reach the exit. Make sure you'll visit each room, since you'd miss either health, ammo or hostages.
When you reach the exit, the doc will tell you about the "project" and Blade agrees to shut it down. So, all the way back. At least Whistler left some stuff (a health pack and ammo for the weapons you have with you). Kill the "welcoming party", save your game and check out the right-hand wall. There is a secret room containing a hostage.
Then go back in and make your way back to the first spiral staircase. At the bottom of it there is a 200 points bonus and a newly unlocked door. Go in and follow the path. Try to keep some handgun ammo handy, because you'll meet a bunch of stinky-corpses along the way. Just go along the corridors, kill all who oppose you and when you arrive at an intersection, head first into the right branch to open the door on the left.
Afterwards, when you get close to the door, the game takes over and you're done.
Mission 15: Project Vorpal
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No Equipment, just the ol'Blade
This is another sick nightmare. The first half of this boss fight is easy enough. You just have to slap open the bulging metal pipes in the floor while avoiding the pack of ghouls thats after you. But after that it gets ugly. The "boss" in this case is a vampire monstrosity hooked to a bunch of cables that let him bounce like a yo-yo in semi-randomized places. The pattern is rather simple. First it jumps to the 'cubator in the center of the room, after that it jumps rather close to you and attacks with either a direct lightning or a lightning wave. Either way, try to avoid the attacks and slash it, since the timing is rather tight. Worse still, even if you manage to kill one pack of ghouls, another one will re-spawn, so you never can fully concentrate on the boss. By the way, don't step on the gratings around the incubator, they're on fire. Try to persevere and you'll get another nice cut scene. After that you have reached
*** End of Campaign II ***
Campaign 3 - Arcan Mountain Base
General: These levels are rather huge, bigger still than the last couple of levels in Campaign II, so expect lots of walking. There will also be some insanely difficult mass combats, so take some aspirin beforehand. Well, on we hack, on we slay :-)
Mission 16: Into the Mountain
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Equipment: Handgun, Armor, Knucks, UV Grenade
It's some kind of outdoor level. There isn't much that could go wrong. Simply follow the path to the first intersection and try to stay alive. Watch out for the grey guys with the spiky heads, they detonate when slain. The guys in white with the yellow rubber boots are not such a big threat, except that they can take some punishment and sometimes have guns. Be sure to inspect the huts along the way for some helpful goodies.
Sooner or later you'll arrive in a cavern complex. Beware of the smoking corpses. When you arrive at the intersection, head to the left. At the end of the path you'll be greeted by a motley assortment of vamps. Dispose of them and enter the hut. Get the ammo, flip the switch and get out. Walk back to the intersection and follow the right path instead. Enter the hut found at the end of the path and get onto the roof. Follow the path. When you're inside the tunnels, look out for a huge pile of rocks. These can be smashed to reveal an opening. Go inside
PS2 version
Posted by Urbanshark
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* My Review *
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When I first saw BLADE II the movie in my local cinema, I was not quite sure whether it was meant to be "serious" or not. I thought it will be something like "Interview with the vampire" with more action, but boy, I was wrong...
The movie consisted mostly of hi-speed battles wrapped into a thin storyline. It was obvious that the violence level was WAY to high, but on the other hand the movie was simply "stylish", with its eastern-like high-speed battles and the typical Hollywood line dropping. Not long after the game came out, and - no surprises here - it is a mission-based fighting game.
Story: 4/10
Its Blade versus an army of bloodsuckers, period. The only saving grace is that the story is original, instead of a movie clone. Not the main reason to buy this game :-)
Graphics: 7/10
No "Metal Gear solid" quality, but I didn't really expect anything that grand. But the graphics aren't bad either. The character models are done with nice details (especially the tattoos are nice to look upon), there is good dynamic lighting (especially in the sewers) and blade carries the weapons you select prior to a mission visibly on his back/sides. The frame rate is quite stable, as far as I can tell, and that's about it. Thoroughly solid work with small details (knock vampires into pillars in the asylum and they scatter chunks of rock around)...
Sound: 3/10,
Music: 7/10
The sound effects are nothing to write home about. You hear your basic punches, kicks, grunts and screams, together with some (cool) weapon sounds. The MP Blade carries simply rocks. The voices are well done too, but Blade seems to know only the same three punch lines throughout the whole game. During his finishing moves he either says "Ah, how exciting" or "keep your friends close... keep your enemies closer" or "gotta love this gun". There could have been more!
The music on the other hand fits perfectly. A nice techno/rock-style soundtrack kicks in when the actions steps up, otherwise you have your standard gothic ambient sound. Well done all in all.
Gameplay: 6/10
The idea is quite cool. Instead of turning around and mashing buttons you simply point the right analogy stick where you want to kick/punch. Do it slow & rhythmically and Blade performs combos. Sounds nice in theory, but in reality it crumbles - a bit. Since the analogy sticks on the ps2 controllers have quite some way to travel from the center to the rim, the controls feel sluggish. but this is countered by a rather generous amount of block time. Small things help, especially when you're surrounded by a horde of blood thirsty vampires.
Added to your hand-to-hand abilities is a host of goodies from the movie, including the shotgun, the mach pistol, the throwing knife, UV grenades and others, which you unlock by collecting points. It's quite motivating. The downside to this is that at the end of Campaign I you'll have nearly everything that is to unlock. They should have put more stuff into it or spread the points more evenly. But you'll be glad you have the goodies.
The missions are rather unspectacular, usually boiling down to "go in and kill everything that moves", with a few escort missions thrown in for good measure.
It is cool that the levels are rather large, but this adds to the difficulty of the game too, since you usually have to travel the level twice, once to get to your objective and back to the entrance/exit. And the enemies respawn on the way back out... The later levels compensate for that with save points, but its quite hard after all.
Replay: 2/10
I know that you can unlock the "daywalker" difficulty setting, but if you get anything besides that escapes me... So, nearly no replay value except the fun factor :-)
To buy or to rent: rent first, buy later!
I was a fan of the old-school beat em ups like double dragon or final fight. this game reminds me a lot of the good lol' times. So, if you like beating up hordes of bad guys, don't mind the high difficulty at times and don't care about so-so graphics, then this is the game for you. All others should rent it first.
Pro:
Interesting fighting engine
New story
motivation unlock-for-points system
character design
fun factor
gory
Con:
high difficulty
too less speech samples for Blade
gory (too much is simply boring)
Total: 7,5, 7 (rounded) for Gamefaqs
*****************
* 3. The Basics *
*****************
3.a - The Controls
The Manual covers most of the obvious control issues, but here's a quick summary:
D-Pad : Switch Weapons
Left Stick : left/right lets you turn, forwards lets you go forward, double pull back and you do a 180 degree turn. They should have bound this to a button imho, since it takes way to long to pull the stick back twice.
Right Stick : Attacks in a 360 degrees circle. Although I have the feeling that you have just 8 directions to go, it works more or less.
Triangle : You reload your guns with this.
Circle : not used (my favorite would be the 180 turn :-))
Square : Jump. In conjunction with the Left Stick you may jump in the four major directions. You can jump over railings too, as long as they are about waist high.
L1 : Lock on & strafe (lock on with mach pistol only) It centers the cam behind you too, quite helpful
l2 : Blocking. Unlike most fighting games you have approx. 2-3 secs when holding this.
R1 : Activate Rage mode. During play you charge the red bar in your life meter. At certain intervals you receive messages like "sword" or "shield". Pressing the R1 button activates the rage mode and Blade unsheathes his ... blade for some slicin' and dicin' :-)
R2 : Weapon select. Hold this and use the right stick for changing your gadgets. Much too bothersome imho, use the d-pad instead.
One of the nice touches about this game is the ability to fight independent from your view direction. Its no prob to attack enemies to your sides while still looking ahead. Its just bad that your guns usually fire in your view direction...
3.b - Of Rage and War
Every hand-to-hand fight charges Blade's Rage Meter a bit. At certain points you can get several Rage Levels.
- Sword
When tapping R1, Blade will get out his sword and use it in hand to hand combat
- Shield
During his Rage Blade is nearly invulnerable. I don't know if this extends to fire/lightning, but it is likely.
- Strength
Blade becomes faster and knocks his enemies back. Usually one hit kills.
Obviously Rage is a good thing. Use it when you're surrounded. Don't waste it on anything under four enemies. Usually I prefer to charge the Rage Meter until I get Strength and use it then, but circumstances or preference may call for a different way to use Blade's rage.
When you tap R1 to activate the rage, you have about 15 to 20 seconds of rage time, during whick you can humiliate your enemies. But watch out, since Blade will simply pack his sword back when the Rage ends. Not a good thing when surrounded by enemies.
Finishers:
As far as I know, finishers are a rather random thing. There are two borad groups of finishers, those with weapon and those without.
To have Blade perform a finisher, you first need to knock an opponent around a bit, so that he appears "dizzy". That won't obviously work with some "1-hit- kills"-moves like the uppercut. When the opponent is dizzy, your next hit will usually result in a finishing move. (Staking w/o weapon, gut shots with pistol)
3.c - Weapons
I'll just cover each item as you acquire it in the game and give my opinion...
Mach Pistol
A trusty handgun with auto fire. It can destroy the usual vampire punk with two to three bullets, better armored guys need more. You have 30 bullets in a clip and this baby eats 'em like crazy. Very nice for cleaning enemies from long range. Watch the crosshair, when it's green, you can pop the enemy with a single shot.
Glaive
It looks cooler than it is. You can charge this thingie up, lock on to enemies and let fly, hopefully cutting them heads off. The downside is, you are stationary while charging and throwing this sucker. No good.
Shotgun
To quote Duke Nukem: "Suck my boomstick!". This thing packs quite some punch close up, but it suffers from a harsh lack of ammo (8 bangs compared to the mach's 30), it is damn slow and has no lock-on ability. In the earlier levels an item to lug around anyways, but I drop it for the Armor Vest instead.
Silver Knuckle Duster
Looks cool and is a MUST HAVE, especially later on. You can do about twice the melee damage with these.
UV Grenade
Another MUST HAVE. These beauties come in threes (3 bangs for each slot) and you only may carry two slots worth of 'em. They act like a "smart bomb", blasting nearly all vampires out of existence within a given area. And they are the only weapons with which to kill the reapers, who will become a major pain in the sewers and onwards. I usually pack one slot of them.
Armor Vest
It may be bulky, but it will save your hide countless times. With this thing on, damage suffered will be cut in half (I think). But It WILL NOT protect you from fire or lightning, so don't get cocky!
Serum:
Straight from the Manual:
"Raises Blade's Serum Level which will allow Blade to regenerate his Energy (Life) and also increases the speed with which rage will accumulate." Too bulky to have around imho.
3.d - Pickups
Note: Pickups usually remain in play until you leave the level, so if you find a health kit at the beginning of a level and don't need it, you can go back later and grab it.
Ammo: Depending on your weapon. If you carry the pistol, you'll get Pistol Ammo, if you carry the shotgun you'll get shotgun ammo and if you happen to carry both, sometimes you'll get ammo for both. At least when the designers intended a "drop point". Enemies who will have a pistol only drop handgun ammo, though.
Health: Keep an eye out for these slim packages. They refill your health meter to the max.
Glyphs: The reddish-golden ones give 50 Points, the white Skulls'n'Bones give 200 and the brightly golden ones give 500 Points. Collect 'em all, especially in the earlier levels, since every point gets you closer to the next gadget.
Poison/Bomb Cylinders: In some missions you have to drop big canisters into certain areas.
These things are so heavy that even Blade needs both hands to carry 'em, which makes fighting impossible. But you can set them down, slay the vamps and pick it up again.
3.e - Enemies
Standard Vampires: Looking like "normal" people more or less, these guys are your standard enemies in every mission. They look like punks, bikers, workers, mafiosi or whatnot. Usually they are not such a threat, except that they come in groups. Sometimes (mostly in the later missions, Campaign II and up) they are armed, but still not much of a threat.
Guards: I don't know why, but these guys have me think of the body armor of "Red Faction". These are not vampires, but humans, and they are heavily armed and armored. The biggest problems with these guys are their sub-machine guns. They are accurate and have long range. So try to silence them asap.
Assassins: Found in the last three missions of Campaign I, these ninja-style enemies deal out some serious damage. They look like the vampire assassins from the movies, but are humans, since the UV Grenades only blind them.
Ghouls: Except for their weird looks (deathly pale skin and black leathers) these guys are not a real threat. Found in Campaign II and up.
Stinky-Corpses: I have no clue how the designers call them, but I think their "new" name fits. They produce damaging fumes which can paralyze Blade. Worse still: they come in packs, so drop a grenade into their midst or pick 'em off with your handgun.
Reapers: The major villains from the Blade II movies are reduced to a side- note in this game. They are invulnerable to every weapon you have - save the UV Grenades. So if you plan to battle these suckers (see the sewer missions) have two slots of grenades ready for them.
Electro-Vamps: They come in two variants: Sleek and fast or fat, ugly and damn tough. Both can easily be recognized by their toys, electrified weapons. Take them out first, since these weapons can do some harm.
Arcan Vampires: These guys look more like aliens, but are no more dangerous than your standard vampire punk. Just smash 'em and be done with it.
Exploding Vampires: These meanies have a bomb rigged to their vital functions. Kill them and a beeper will be heard. A good sign for you to put some distance between you and them, since they are about to blow up, causing some damage.
Test subjects: Found in the later missions of Campaign III, these beasties come in small and extra large. The small ones are rather weak, but they are quick as hell and come in large packs. The big ones dish out some big damage and can take it, too. So watch out.
*************
* 4. F.A.Q. *
*************
Q: Where's the coat? I want Blade's coat!!!
A: Short answer: No coat in the PS2 version. It's an XBOX exclusive, sadly.
******************
* 5. Walkthrough *
******************
I am not a fan of "step-by-step" walkthroughs. Since the objectives are usually quite simple and - hey, they have BRIEFINGS at the start of each mission.
These level strategies are for "Human", but notes on Daywalker will come shortly.
Some general tips:
- Difficulty: The only difference between Daywalker and Human is the number of enemies. In Mission I-1 on "Human" you have bikers and punks, who want some, but in Mission I-1 on "Daywalker" you'll have gunners as well.
- Follow the glyphs. They are not only bonus symbols, but the designers used them to show the way. Usually they are right, but straying from the path has its benefits, too.
- Look for secret areas. Starting with Campaign II some mission goals are hidden behind fake walls. This is especially true with "The Blood Donors" where one of the three switches is hidden behind a wall.
- Blow Things Up!!! Honestly, if you destroy certain amounts of scenery you may get extra pickups. Try for example to destroy all server machines in the last levels of Campaign I. You will get extra glyphs or ammo pickups.
- A word of advice on equipment selection. Even if you take no extra ammo, you will have a clip of ammo in your weapons each. So if you want to take, say, the handgnu, the armor vest, the knuckles and the UV grenades, so do it. You will have one clip of handgun ammo slotted.
Start: Tutorial
---------------
Preferred Equipment: none
Simply do as you're told and it should be a breeze. You'll HAVE to do this but once, so do it and go on.
Campaign I - Karkov Tower
Mission 1: The Exchange
-----------------------
Preferred Equipment: Handgun w/ammo
This is fairly straight-forward. Simply go in, kill everything that moves, blast the barrels and AVOID THE CARS. Since you have no Armor (yet), one hit will drain about half your health. On the ramps, keep to the walls, let the car(s) pass and get the glyphs AFTERWARDS. Otherwise, just explore each park deck and destroy the red motorcycles as you see them. The last one is hidden in a stairwell at the end of the level. Should be a cake walk.
Oh, by the way, thrashing the white limo at the start of the mission yields some bonus glyphs.
Mission 2: Horror Stories
-------------------------
Preferred Equipment: Handgun w/ammo
If you were busy in the last level, you should have the Glaive by now, but I'd leave it in the drawer and take more handgun ammo instead. Don't shoot the barrels when you start the level. This will kill the sleeper behind them and cost you big points. And keep avoiding the cars, keep to the walls. When you enter the second parking deck, look for two red cycles parking next to a chain-linked doorway. Behind that is one limo and some pick-ups you don't want to pass up.
Some more straight forward stuff. The Comm Ports you have to destroy shine bright green and are usually easy to spot. If you have trouble finding one, look in the stairwells and adjoining rooms. The Sub-Objectives are the white limos. Simply thrash them with punches, save your ammo for the punks :-)
And after thrashing limos and comm ports you have to get back to the elevators - and there WILL be enemies coming to stop you. You have been warned. Just conserve your ammo and RAGE when you can.
Mission 3: The Blood Club
-------------------------
Preferred Equipment: Shotgun and Pistol, with 1 ammo each
By now you should be sick of parking lots, right? Don't worry, just a few more minutes and you'll get to see the whole decadence of vampiric luxury. Before you start blasting happily around, just save your ammo and use the punks to build up your rage meter as much as you can. You'll need it shortly. Make your way through the parking space, avoid oncoming cars and look for a blue exit. This is the entrance to the club. Still save your ammo as much as you can and clear out the lounges and toilets. Look in the shithouses as well, since there might be vampire elders around, which you have to eliminate as well.
When you're done, enter the main dance hall and prepare to fight. This will be one of the biggest battles yet, since all the vamps will come to you when you touch one. Don't bother, simply start to rage, use your guns if neccesary and clear out the small separee as well. When you have eliminated the vamps, another wave will drop from the ceiling. Deal with them and clear out the rest of this level. Find your way to the next set of elevators and you're done.
Mission 4: Nth Phase
--------------------
Preferred Equipment: Knuckles, Pistol w/ammo
One of my favorite missions. Advance slowly through the corridors, kill everything that moves and destroy the hardware. Don't waste your ammo on the surroundings, use fists and boots instead.
Something to think about: There are Cola machines scattered about the rooms... I wonder what vamps do with coke :-)
After you thrashed their hardware, get back to the lift. Watch out for reincorcements...
Mission 5: Cover up
-------------------
Preferred Equipment: same as above
This one will be a bit harder than the last. You not only get shot at on a regular basis, but the level is a lot bigger and more twisted than the one before.
In the first large room be sure to collect all glyphs, since it will yield an extra pack of handgun ammo.
Your main objective in this level is to get a thrice-locked door open. Follow the glyphs and keep an eye open for reddish-glowing tube thingies which act as switches. And be careful, some of the dragon heads lining the walls actually breathe fire!
About halfway through the mission you'll find your first in-game savepoint. Use it. Explore all rooms thoroughly and collect ammo packs, glyphs and health packs. As long as you don't get careless everything will be alright.
After opening the thrice locked door you'll have a cutscene and then need to destroy this reddish glowing machine. Simply aim your gun on the glass tubes sticking out of this thing and let fly. Whey you manage to collect all glyphs in this room, you'll be awarded a health pack - quite handy with this horde of vamps, right?
Mission 6: Acid Rain
--------------------
Preferred Equipment: 1 UV Grenade, Knuckles, Handgun/Ammo
The last mission is a slugfest per excellence. You'll have to fight your way into the heart of this level, open the roof access, get the canister and put it into the vent system near the starting point. Lots of walking, I promise you. And it won't even help that you clear out all the vamps, since on your trip back you'll meet resistance en masse. So conserve ammo, rage when you can and use the UV bangs to your advantage.
When you have the roof access opened, you may save your game. I suggest you do so, since it will be no sunday afternnon walk in the park from here on. First, you'll have to walk and fight all the way back to the t-branch, where one way will bring you back to the entrance. Continue onward and move towards the heli sounds. When you reach the roof, head towards the helicopter and grab the ammo and the medkit and then go and take the poison vessel from the brightly colored storage bin.
Go back down and WATCH OUT, since the dragon heads on either side of the corridor will start spewing flames. Head back to the entrance area and go back into the vent system. Follow the glyphs and you're done.
Enjoy the rather morbid cut-scene, because here is the
*** end of campaign I ***
Campaign II - Lairs of the Byron
General: The levels get bigger here, from about as large as "The Cover-Up" to "insanely big" at the later stages. So keep conserving ammo all the way, you'll need every extra bullet you can find.
Mission 7: DeLancey Street Subway
---------------------------------
Preferred Equipment: Mach Pistol, Knuckles, Armor, 1 Slot UV Grenades
One Warning ahead: Listen to the Briefing (especially the part about subway trains *g*). Usually one hit from those rolling coffins can kill you. And this is particularly bad because you have about half of the level behind you. Worse yet, there is no save point. So take care.
Your secondary objective is to "kill the ghouls". They are just like vampires, but they have white skin and an all-leather outfit. One has hidden behind a freshly repaired wall. It's fairly obvious.
The tricky part comes when you reach the platforms. The timing between the trains is rather tight and you MUST NOT be on the rails when one comes. That's particularly interesting when fighting the guards between two rails. Afterwards follow the tunnel, clear out the vamps and you're done.
Mission 8: City Sewers
----------------------
Preferred Equipment: Pistol, 2x UV Grendes, Armor
This is one of the trickier ones. You need to stay very close to Whistler. One problem: Whistler DOES call out for help, but it's usually too late when he does. And he has a shotgun, but a lousy aim.
Problem two: You CAN hurt Whistler while fighting. Especially bad when using the sword to keep those vamps off his butt.
Third problem: While you fight, Whistler won't stop moving or help you, no he simply goes on, thereby triggering more enemies who will hurt him. And lastly, you need too much time whacking bad guys. So keep the vamps off Whistlers back, blast 'em with your gun and when they come a-massin', drop a bomb, literally. One nice thing about those Grenades is that Whistler will stand still for a moment rubbing his eyes. Use this time to scout ahead and eliminate any obvious threats. But do not get too far ahead, since Whistler may walk away. But try to restrain yourself with those grenades, since there are about five reapers you'll have to kill.
Lucky for you, they come in pairs, as far as I can remember... BTW, don't try to grab every bonus you see, you'll have a second chance next level. Its more important that Whistler stays alive. In short, this mission is a nightmare!
Mission 9: The Big Bang
-----------------------
Preferred Equipment: Handgun, Armor, 2x UV Grenades
This one is slightly less hard. You'll need to set off the bombs Whistler planted before. So make your way through the sewers (down the hexagon-shaped hallway) and find the control room. On your way collect all bonusses you'll find (although you should have the serum by now, which concludes the unlocking process, as far as I know) and detonate the bombs.
After pulling the switch, head out the second tunnel (the one with the glyphs) avoid the flame jets while doing so and RUN to the exit. If you have built your rage meter to "strength", you can give yourself an extra speed boost. And did I mention that more reapers are on the list? But this time there are ten of them...
Mission 10: Quarantine
----------------------
Preferred Equipment: Handgun, Armor and as much ammo as you can.
First off: You don't have any secondary objectives in this mission, so there is absolutely NO reason to hang around. Follow the small rats, use your rage when appliable and STAY THE HELL AWAY from that big rat-vamp thing. Whenever you see a turning handle, use it. (Hint: have the "Help Text" option turned on!) The flame jets produced started will force the rat-thing to go another way, giving you more time. Sooner or later you arrive at a ramp leading down. Follow it, then turn right twice and look for another ramp, this time going up. Beware, when the ground levels again, you will crash through the floor. TURN LEFT and run like hell. DON't think about heading towards the branching corridor on your right, because shortly after you fall down, the rat-vamp-what-the-hell monster will appear and its game over... so HEAD left and run. Shortly thereafter you should reach the exit.
Mission 11: The Blood Donors
----------------------------
Equipment: Handgun, Knuckles, Armor, UV Grenade
This one gets a bit more convoluted. To finish the mission (and to get the sub objectives done) you have to shut off the electrical floors scattered throughout the upper level. To do this, you have to look for three switches. Unfortunately they are rather well hidden.
After you cleanse the first few rooms, head into the great hall with the ground fog. Do NOT jump into the hole in the lower portion of the hall, search the small room formed by pillars. To be more exact: Smash the back wall in this small pillar-framed room. Behind it you'll find a secret area leading towards the first switch.
Switch number two is found in the catacombs you arrive in after falling through the hole mentioned earlier. Simply follow the path, blast the stinky-corpses into dust and throw the switch.
Number three is rather obvious. Follow the path until you arrive in the upper floors. Walk through the blue double doors in front of you. You are at an intersection. Just go straight ahead into the room with the iron maidens. The switch is on the back wall.
You'll have most of the electrical floors shut down, save two. But those ones has "downtimes" long enough for you to sprint over 'em. Make your way through the upper floor, releasing the patients as you go. From there on you'll just have to find the room with the really large staircase and "unpress" the buttons on the upper floor. A pedestrial will emerge, use it to open the door on the lower floor and you've done it.
Mission 12: The Jaws Of Doom
----------------------------
Preferred Equipment: Armor, Handgun, 2x UV Grenade
It's rather simple... go all the way back to the start. On your way back you'll have to kill the "nurses", which wear nice black mini-skirts for your viewing pleasure. So do as you're told and move it.
If you're badly wounded, re-visit the hidden room where the 2nd (in the previous mission) switch was. The room holds a few vamps and glyphs and a health pack.
When you get closer to the exit, you'll be greeted by a horde of reapers. I hope that you didn't waste your UV-bangs yet... When you have reached the room with the three normal doors and the "jaws" door, use the newly opened one (hint: watch for gunfire :-)) and make your way along the corridor and up the stairs. You'll find a BIG winch and can open the jaws - finally...
Take a shortcut through the window on your left (jump down) and head into the jaws and prepare for a kind of "survival match", because when you meet Dr. Grant, she is bound to a chair with some vmaps in it. And since misery loves company, the iron maiden things on the sides of the room will spit out vamps by the dozen... have fun I say. Lucky if you have some UV-Bangs or a high Rage level.
Mission 14: The Escape
---------------------
Preferred Equipment: As above...
This one is a VERY long trip. First, you'll have to get the doc safely out of the asylum (one long way, fraught with the same perils as the first escort mission) and then you'll have to go back in and fight the BOSS. Well, you should be used to the difficulty by now, so lets get going. Right at the beginning you can just follow the doc, but you won't get far. AMBUSH! Keep the vamps off the doc and you'll be fine. The doc'll try to open the lock and you may go on. Just follow the glyphs or the doc and eventually you will reach the exit. Make sure you'll visit each room, since you'd miss either health, ammo or hostages.
When you reach the exit, the doc will tell you about the "project" and Blade agrees to shut it down. So, all the way back. At least Whistler left some stuff (a health pack and ammo for the weapons you have with you). Kill the "welcoming party", save your game and check out the right-hand wall. There is a secret room containing a hostage.
Then go back in and make your way back to the first spiral staircase. At the bottom of it there is a 200 points bonus and a newly unlocked door. Go in and follow the path. Try to keep some handgun ammo handy, because you'll meet a bunch of stinky-corpses along the way. Just go along the corridors, kill all who oppose you and when you arrive at an intersection, head first into the right branch to open the door on the left.
Afterwards, when you get close to the door, the game takes over and you're done.
Mission 15: Project Vorpal
--------------------------
No Equipment, just the ol'Blade
This is another sick nightmare. The first half of this boss fight is easy enough. You just have to slap open the bulging metal pipes in the floor while avoiding the pack of ghouls thats after you. But after that it gets ugly. The "boss" in this case is a vampire monstrosity hooked to a bunch of cables that let him bounce like a yo-yo in semi-randomized places. The pattern is rather simple. First it jumps to the 'cubator in the center of the room, after that it jumps rather close to you and attacks with either a direct lightning or a lightning wave. Either way, try to avoid the attacks and slash it, since the timing is rather tight. Worse still, even if you manage to kill one pack of ghouls, another one will re-spawn, so you never can fully concentrate on the boss. By the way, don't step on the gratings around the incubator, they're on fire. Try to persevere and you'll get another nice cut scene. After that you have reached
*** End of Campaign II ***
Campaign 3 - Arcan Mountain Base
General: These levels are rather huge, bigger still than the last couple of levels in Campaign II, so expect lots of walking. There will also be some insanely difficult mass combats, so take some aspirin beforehand. Well, on we hack, on we slay :-)
Mission 16: Into the Mountain
-----------------------------
Equipment: Handgun, Armor, Knucks, UV Grenade
It's some kind of outdoor level. There isn't much that could go wrong. Simply follow the path to the first intersection and try to stay alive. Watch out for the grey guys with the spiky heads, they detonate when slain. The guys in white with the yellow rubber boots are not such a big threat, except that they can take some punishment and sometimes have guns. Be sure to inspect the huts along the way for some helpful goodies.
Sooner or later you'll arrive in a cavern complex. Beware of the smoking corpses. When you arrive at the intersection, head to the left. At the end of the path you'll be greeted by a motley assortment of vamps. Dispose of them and enter the hut. Get the ammo, flip the switch and get out. Walk back to the intersection and follow the right path instead. Enter the hut found at the end of the path and get onto the roof. Follow the path. When you're inside the tunnels, look out for a huge pile of rocks. These can be smashed to reveal an opening. Go inside