BloodRayne, Nintendo GameCube

As the industry becomes more aware of what many mainstream gamers look for in a video game, we find ourselves assuming control of an increasing number of scantily-clad heroines with all manner of outsize weapons. After all, 95 percent of gamers are male. Female characters, particularly those with leading roles in video games, are often tall, lithe, large-breasted women with little to do but hack 'n' slash. And although Agent BloodRayne may be no exception, she's certainly interesting and quite unique in what she does for a living. In the years between the World Wars, Agent BloodRayne works as a killing machine for a top-secret fraternity that hunts down and destroys supernatural threats. Two missions, five years apart, turn out to be connected by one man. For years, this man has been searching the world for powerful occult relics to bring Germany into a new age of domination. Agent BloodRayne must face this man's elite Nazi army to prevent them from releasing creatures of unfathomable terror onto the world in their unwavering quest for the relics. Your average run-of-the-mill slash-em-up? In a manner of speaking, yes. Assuming control of the sexy protagonist, you must use her lethal style and incredible skills in combat to hunt down resident villains and protect yourself from hordes of evil Nazis. It's very much a hack 'n' slash affair. You'll be equipped with arsenal of blades, guns and grenades and you'll even be able to call upon supernatural abilities to improve your speed, agility and vision. The 3D game world looks very nice and is interspersed with several story-driven cut-scenes, driving the game forward at a steady pace. BloodRayne isn't merely an excuse to fill TV screens with excessive quantities of pixelated blood. It is an enjoyable game that tells a compelling story. Definitely worth a look.

Buy BloodRayne for 7.99 GBP

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