When you read the publicity relating to a particular game you expect some exaggeration in order for the product to be shown in its best light. It is the job of the marketing department to carefully word a brief outline of the game in order to guide the consumer into making an informed purchase without the burden of wading through critical analysis of such titles that might otherwise steer them in another direction that is not in-keeping with the objectives of the backing company. In other words, dazzle them with crap and hope they buy it. This title has already graced the and the some time ago and has now been ported to the GameCube. So lets go through the features listed for Blood Omen 2 and put a stake through the heart of this bloody vampire game.

"You are the vampire Kain - the most evil figure to grace a video game console."

I'm not familiar with the original games in this series but they were evidently successful enough to warrant a sequel. Coming at this franchise from a fresh perspective then I can verify that this statement is half right. You are indeed the pale-faced vampire called Kain, who has arisen after a snooze of two hundred years. You also perform many morally questionable acts, such as killing innocent people and sucking their blood, which is traditional for vampires. The problem is Kain comes across like he’s in a bad Hammer horror film, with over the top gestures and obtuse dialogue. Unfortunately what we have here is a one-dimensional character in a three dimensional game.

"Move through crowds unseen cloaked in stealth, travel stories above the peasant herds on which you feed leaping from roof-top to roof-top, and use mind-control on hapless fools to help you overcome vampire-proof inventions."

Your path throughout the game is linear so no matter how high above those herds you may be there will always be a barrier that is just a little too tall for you to get past. A linear path is not necessarily bad as games like prove. A linear path presents the opportunity to have interesting scripted sequences, to weave a strong narrative into the levels and to envelop the player in a seamless world. None of that is actually present and instead there are bad platform elements and non-puzzling puzzles. A fair trade I’m sure you’ll agree. The platform aspect is not helped by clumsy character movement that makes simple actions like grabbing onto ladders a chore. Overcoming the vampire proof inventions involves using the same half a dozen elements over and over and over again, all identical having been supplied by the ACME switch company. These barriers that thwart your supposedly super human skills take unoriginal form, like locked doors and bridges, and are presented with the flair and panache of a plate of spam.