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Buy on sale

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: September 17, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I am a HUGE buffy fan and bought the game the day it came out. i was surprised that it was nothing like the first game. very jerky. There were puzzles to solve, but none that were that challenging. This game was definitely released before the bugs were worked out. The camera movement is so frustrating i almost couldn't play the game. Can't see through walls and can't move out or see what you are doing if you get cornered. Very glitchy. freezes & codes for spells don't work. There is also a huge delay between when you press the button and what the character actually does. And just try changing directions during a fight!!
The voice of Willow is horrible, and the sexual inuendo is a bit pathetic. The quality of the graphics is not as good as the previous Buffy game. I wish they would have waited to release this game and hadn't rushed to get it out. I want my money back!!!

Good....but not great

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: November 23, 2003
Author: Amazon User

First, let me say that my four star rating only applies if you are a Buffy fan! For everyone else it's about 2.75. So if you aren't a Buffy fan than I will save you the time of reading this article, DONT BUY THIS GAME!!!. If you are a Buffy fan than I strongly reccomend that you get this game.
Many people were terribly dissapointed with this game, but that is because they were comparing it with the first one. The game is much better when played as a stand-alone Buffy adventure, not as a sequel to the game.
There are times in the game where the graphics are amazing and completely worthy to be called an Xbox game. There are other times however when they are below the quality of even a standard PS2 game! I don't know how this happenend but it is very weird! The quality varies greatly from level to level. Anyway, enough about the graphics.
The gameplay is pretty good. You still get the good 'ol ass kicking fun that made the first buffy game great! The camera is kind of frustrating but not nearly as terrible as everyone makes it out to be.
The voice acting is great except for Willow who is absolutely atrocious! It sounds nothing like her! The character models are all great except for Spike who doesn't look quite right some how.
The score is good in the few parts where it is used but there are many action cutscenes where there is no music at all or the music doesn't match the action. This game would have been much better if had been better scored.
The story is great! It was originally planned as a two-part episode for season five but was cancelled because of time and budget constraints. The game greatly benefits from the involvement of series creator Joss Whedon. The dialogue is spot-on with the actual characters, at least in the cutscenes. The actual game, however is full of chessey one-liners which are endlessly repeated, along with some un-funny sexual innuendos which seem very out of place.
Through all of its faults this game is still very entertaining! The story and the voice-acting really shine! If you are a Buffy fan and have an Xbox then you should strongly consider buying this game! Ecspecially now that the price has been slashed to 19.99! If you are Buffy fan then the good aspects of this game will make it worth it for you, but for everyone else there are probably better fighting games for you. (Try the original Buffy and Hunter: The Reckloning)

Solid Action Title That Captures Much of the Series' Spirit

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: September 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Let's get this right out of the way...there is nothing truly groundbreaking in this game, in terms of graphics, sound, or general gameplay. That said, it's still a solid action/puzzle title that captures much of the postmodern spirit of the fabulous series on which it was based. I'd rate it about an 8.3 out of 10.

I'll get to the gameplay, etc., in a moment, but will first comment on the story. It does have more of a comic-book feel than the series generally does, but by videogame standards, it's well above-average, and really quite entertaining, mostly in the comedic sense (self-referential humour fully intact). Given that the villain is essentially Ethan Rayne, though, don't expect much in the way of emotional resonance...it's BtVS-lite in that regard. Now, onto the gameplay...

The fighting engine is remarkably deep, at least for the Buffy and Faith characters, which you play 65% of the time. The various combos available to you seem endless, though you'll probably do reasonably well with mindless button-mashing, so it's equally suitable for novices and more advanced gamers who like to mix it up. The staking effect is extremely satisfying, especially for fans of the series. Willow's more enjoyable to use later in the game (the Mall stage), with all of her spells firmly intact (though you'll likely fall back on the homing missle most of the time), Xander's relies more on weapons (of which there are an abundance), Spike inflicts the most damage, and Sid (used only in half of the hospital stage) is a riot to behold, with his rapid fists of fury.

Character models are good but not exceptional, and the voice work is generally solid (Anya's voice double being the only one totally off-the mark, and Willow's, though well-intentioned, sounding too much like an affectation). The backgrounds capture the series' set design nicely, and the music, though somewhat repetitious (but in a quiet, subtle way), feels entirely appropriate and quite cinematic. Yes, the one-liners (usually about three-to-four for each function, such as commenting on a locked door) grow tiresome, but once you've familiarized yourself with the stages, you'll be able to keep them to a bare minimum.

As per usual with third-person fighting games, the camera is somewhat unwieldly (the only game with a near-perfect camera, IMO, is "Zelda: The Wind Waker"), and the inventory (weapons, health meds) scroll (using the control pad) will be difficult for some players to manage in the heat of battle (there's no perfect way for programmers to deal with this, really). Some puzzles in the game will frustrate upon the initial play-through (you may find yourself wandering around aimlessly on more than a few occasions), but most follow a straightforward logic and usually have precedent earlier in the game (such as in the Zoo reptile area, where you much grab the top of an escalating cage door on TWO occasions). The latter stages of the game are something of a fetch-fest, but a limited number of unlocked doors (hint: in the high school, only the doors with signs beside them and main passageways open) generally give you an indication as to where to proceed...pick up everything in sight before leaving any room.

The Multiplayer mode is well-presented, with 26 characters available (if you can unlock them all, in Story Mode), most notably series creator Joss Whedon himself. There's a definite insane randomness to the pickups in this mode, but it certainly allows for a lot of variety.

And finally, any BtVS fan is gonna love the extras: a series of candid interviews with Joss and cast members, voice-over sessions, and amusing outtakes.

So if you're a huge BtVS fan, buy it. If you're a fan of action/puzzle fighting games, give it a good long rental, and then decide if you'd like to add it to your collection.

Very mixed feelings on this one!

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 01, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Hmm. I must admit I was SO excited when I first read there would be a follow up to the BTVS xbox game. Having played the 1st a 1000 times and loved every minute of it I was psyched. I literally was counting down for the release date, only slightly concerned with the change in developers from Fox Interactive to Vivendi. The game came out and although I do like it, I dont love it and have not touched it since I finished it- I would rather play the 1st game. I know making comparisons may not be completely fair- but in truth we DO have the original game to compare it too. In Chaos Bleeds- the first thing I noticed and hated was the camera- I got stuck a million times because of it. I also did not like the larger resized characters- too cartoonish in appearance in my opinion. The lighting in the game I also didnt not care for- the characters were very iluminated even in dark sequence game play- where in the 1st Buffy game- the characters darkened with the room lighting. Also these characters do NO lip synching while in play as in the 1st game (when in the first game and playing as Buffy when ever she made a comment- when picking up hell fire and says "it must be my birthday" the Buffy model actually moves her lips in sequence to the words- EXCELLENT) which I thought added a strong dose of reality to the characters. My game also froze and locked up a million times especially on the Faith level. I also did not at all like the fighting arena- now instead of the characters being oversized, they are shrunken down and SO small you cant even see the faces clearly. There are NO weapons in multiplayer and it is repetetive in the sense you keep fighting the same group of baddies over and over again. But in the 1st Buffy- use the cheat code and you have free realm of the areas you are in to run, jump and fight as Normal sized Buffy- and add in the other cheat code and a friend can possess the baddies and you have a real- Mortal Kombat fighting arena- especially the first one where you run around this huge arena- now in Chaos Bleeds they lock you into a small area - and shrunk your character down... I am very dissapointed in this and I really HOPE IF there is a 3rd game- Fox interactive will pick it back up- maybe re-throw in Faith as a on again/off again playable and re-release a real kick ass Buffy game like the first one. I doubt there will be anymore after the sales of this game though..One more complaint- when you used your slayer power in the 1st game it REALLY felt like it packed a punch during game play- and in Chaos Bleeds you completely lose the feel of it- there is no OOOMPH in the fight......

True to the show

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 05, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I personally think this game beats the 1st Buffy game because of one simple thing, this game is true to the show, in the first game you could only play with Buffy, in this game, each level has a different character (Willow, Xander, Spike, Faith,and even Sid the Dummy)and you get t play in a lot of Sunnydale locations (Sunnydale High, Magic Box, Initiative, Main St, and more) Plus you get to kill KNOWN creatures (I'll only tell you one so I don't spoil the experience, but you get to fight Anyanka, how cool is that!) Plus in my opinion the graphics are A LOT better than the last game, and the game is very, very, very entertaining! The levels are more challenging, creative, and difficult than the first Buffy game, PLUS the story is very good (Compared to the first game, its a Masterpiece)If you are a Buffy fan you will enjoy this game A LOT, if you're not DON'T even think about buying it, because you will end up disapointed, since you wont understand the game, at all!

Buffy is sizzling!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 29, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game is great. If you are a fan of the show, I highly reccomend this game but if you are not, I think you should rent it before buying it. This game isn't as good as the first, but that is because it is a puzzle game which makes it more educational. It makes you use your brain alot more as in the first one it took you into the end of the game which is better for people that aren't that good in school or at puzzles. This game has only one flaw, the veiw point. It blocks at walls but the flaws aren't the only thing that is making the stars low. The game has voices from the show, you can play as multiple characters such as Buffy, Xander, Willow, Spike, Faith, and even Sid the Dummy! It also has really cool environments that was from the show like Sunnydale Zoo, The Mall, and the Magic Box. It also features extras such as cast interviews, gallery, and the Chaos Bleeds comic book. I would preffer this game for a meddiocre-hard core Xbox player.

Rock Solid.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 25, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game was definitely enjoyable. Being able to explore Sunnydale and royally kick some good ol' vampire ass as six different characters is just a brilliant idea. You get to use so many different fighting styles from Faith's powerful punches to Willow's sunlight spells of bright, sunny doom. The multiplayer arenas are also great. The settings of the game were accurate and very realistic. I think I noticed a few times graffiti on the dumpsters and small cuts in the bricks.

I have a few complaints about the game, however. First, Spike looked like my great aunt Ollie. Many of the other characters looked very inacurate, as well. For instance, Anya almost looked annorexic. Her cheeks were so...mushed in. And Willow...yeah, she looks high. And sounds like it, too. I think Xander was the most accurate of all the characters, in my opinion. The phrases that the characters said, as well, annoyed me. I mean, "Just what every girl needs. A nice, long shaft. Wait, that didn't come out right." How long did it take the producers to come up with that? Three minutes? And Willow's were just plain annoying. There was one time when my friend and I were playing it, and something must have glitched in the game because every time she killed something, she'd say the same line: "Now that was just creepy." Also, Willow's little, "Ooh! A medi-kit! Now I can be Nurse Willow! Tara's gonna love this..." ...No, nein, nicht. Don't think so. Though, I must say that some of the lines were quite amusing. For example, Buffy's little "BUFFY SMASH! GRRR!" just made my cousin and I burst into laughter. And the artificial intelligence was amazing. Though very very frustrating at the time, but eh, I got over it.

So, to sum up: good levels, AI, plot, characters, and multiplayer arenas, bad graphics and lines.

You should definitely play this game, though, despite the characters' flaws that will drive you to the point of pondering your sanity, it is a wonderful game that makes you think hard and will make you laugh, whether you're laughing with the game or at it. Play...this...game.

okay if you're a Buffy fan, otherwise buy the first game

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: February 07, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The camera angles are bad. It's not like in the first game where you had complete control over the camera. No, you can only rotate it 180 degrees this time, and sometimes not even that! Sometimes the camera sticks for no reason!

The controls are bad. Even if you're an experienced gamer, you may have some trouble controlling the character. Sometimes when you're getting attacked, you can't always get she/he to face the proper direction. The inventory sucks. Unlike the first game where you could pause the game to equip a different weapon or heal, you have to fumble through your inventory while being attacked!

While the first "Buffy" game had beautiful graphics, this one looks like a first generation Playstation One game.

Some of the voice acting is terrible, especially Anya and Willow, who were not voiced by Emma Caulfield and Allyson Hannigan.

This game's biggest drawback, though, is the inability to save your progress except at the end of the level. There are continue points throughout each level, so if you die you don't have to start all over; but if you reach a continue point, turn off your Xbox or PS2, then you do have to start the level all over the next time you play the game. Most of the levels are pretty huge -- 45 minutes to 90 minutes in length -- so this gets to be a serious problem, especially in the later levels where the boss fights are A LOT tougher, and you have to keep playing until you beat them, or lose 90 minutes of progress.

But if you're a diehard "Buffy" fan like I am, you'll find the patience to play all the way through this game anyway. Bad camera angles, controls, graphics, and voice acting aside, it's still a video game based on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". After you beat each level, you unlock a video interview with one of the "Buffy" cast members.

If nothing else, the story is better than the first game: Ethan Rayne has escaped from custody, and he has a new ally... The First Evil. Ethan has an arrangement set up with The First where if he can choose six warriors to represent him, and they pass all the tests, then The First will imbue Ethan with godly power. So Ethan forces the Scoobies to be his six warriors, by trapping them in an alternate version of Sunnydale. The only way Buffy and her friends can now get back to their own dimension is to pass all the tests...

Horrible Game! The Programmers Should be Pimp Slapped!

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: December 24, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game has two of the worst flaws any game can possibley have : Horrible controls AND Horrible Camera angles. If the controls suck and the cameras suck then guess what? You cant play the game! Even if you are a diehard Buffy fan you will not enjoy this game. A game can have cool graphics, concepts, etc. but if you don't have fun playing it who cares? To top it off this game doesn't have good graphics, original concepts or even decent voice acting. Half the characters voices are not even provided by the original actors and with the exception of the girl who voices Buffy they are all absolutely horrible!
Another reviewer actually defended this game by saying players should stop comparing it to the previous Buffy game because it is not the same game. That is ridiculous because what people loved about the first game were the super tight controls, responsive fight system and awesome camera control!!! Qualities gamers want in EVERY game! Thats why they are saying the first game is so much better. You will honestly spend half your time getting beat in the back of the head by an enemy who you never saw coming even if you were trying to swing your camera around to check around you while you swing and kick at the empty air in front of you and connect with nothing, even if you are an experienced gamer! Another reason that it is perfectly fair to compare this to the previous Buffy game is because they rely on so many of the conventions from the first game with no innovation. Same vampires, same zombies, same sewers, except instead of improving they have actually taken a step back! The inventory system sucks (it was awesome in the first game) and the blocking button has been moved from the easily accessible shoulder button to the impossible to reach white button! AAARRGGG! Before you could easily grab an enemy and throw them in any direction you wanted. Not anymore! You will probably actually be able to grab your enemy one out of every ten times, the rest you will either grab air (even if your enemy is right in front of you) or do nothing while you are beaten to a pulp. And if on the off chance you do grab you enemy only god knows where he'll go flying, but it probably wont be on the spike your trying to throw him on. This game is an embarrassment and everyone who worked on it should never be allowed to work on another game again. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!!!!!!!!!

Insanly Difficult

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: June 08, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Before you purchase this game, BEWARE OF THE CAMERA ANGLES. Unlike the first masterpiece, the camera angles in Chaos Bleeds are poor and quite difficult to use. Often you are in a tight space and a vampire jumps you, it takes you a long time to turn around and TRY and fight the vampire. This game's graphics are nowhere near as good as the first games. Fighting in this game is hard enough. Some of the vampires are so fast they don't give you a chance to swing and by then you probably would have died, or they block there attacks, and when you stop swinging, they'll kill you. Unlike in the first game, (where you can pause and find a weapon or exilir), you need to scroll through your inventory at the bottom left corner, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIGHT!!! Do yourself a favour and DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!! Buy the first one and charish it, if you buy this one you will most likely destroy it.

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