How would a modern Blood game look?

[Man of Doom]

So as of late, we're currently in the midst of an FPS renaissance to say the least, with the return of FPS's old guard in new forms.

We've got the obvious choices from the Doom and Wolfenstein franchises, Quake is technically still alive and kicking even if we haven't seen a single-player campaign for it in over a decade, we've got Shadow Warrior in the public eye, Rise of the Triad saw some action, System Shock is getting some love, and well... Duke Nukem Forever is certainly a thing that exists. What I'm trying to say here is that most of FPSes' old guard is very much alive, for better and for worse.

 

And that brings me to Blood, an IP that hasn't seen any action in a long time (to the point where even the original game's source code is apparently still in legal contention even with a remaster). And yes, I'm more than well aware that Fresh Supply is a thing (though it's more bringing the original game to modern-day PCs). What I mean is that while Blood is a bonafide cult classic that still gets love and reverence to this day (and for good reason), I've noticed that even with Fresh Supply out now, there still aren't any talks to see about a whole new Blood title. Of course, the reasons range from legal complications involving Atari to Blood 2: The Chosen essentially being the video game equivalent of Highlander 2: The Quickening (the Zeist version).
And barring all of that, would it be a sequel? A remake or "reimagining"? A prequel, even? Where would it exactly fit in currently known canon?

Of course, this is an entirely hypothetical question based on nothing but hypotheticals, but I'm compelled to wonder about the thread's question: how would a modern-day Blood look and play? Other than the possibility of Stephan Weyte reprising his role as Caleb, there's honestly not much that can be imagined to bring Blood into modern-day gaming (at least in a way that can complement its contemporaries).

Other than that, this is pretty much a thread of speculation or "just for funsies".

[Yhe1]

Something similar to Darkwatch or Necrovision?

[Redneckerz]

@Man of Doom like so:

 

 

Bloom

[taufan99]

Maybe it'd look like F.E.A.R. with even more grime.

[Lippeth]

I would be more excited with more of a spiritual successor, and done in the Build Engine, similar to Ion Fury. With 640x480 sprites and lots of cult horror references. I always groan when modern re-imaginings of classic games try to give them more meaning, lore and story than they ever needed. The Doom and the Wolfenstein reboots were done well enough I suppose, but there's always a part of me that yearns for the level design to tell the story rather than a cast of characters. Granted, Blood already started off with a bit of storytelling, but I think a modern re-imagining done in the Build Engine would do that style perfect justice. No upgrades, no collectibles, no cringeworthy cutscenes, just action and atmosphere, as the protagonist adds snarky commentary. Anyway, that's my (biased) take on it.

 

 

[hybridial]

Unless they also make it in the build engine the answer is: much less cooler than the original Blood. 

[qdash]

I don't like Build Engine at all, with higher FOV it all feels like shit. Darkplaces engine must be awesome for this.

[seed]

It wouldn't, because Blood is a dead IP.

 

On a less negative note, it'd probably be similar to Darkwatch combined with the visceral nature of the SW reboots, that's the closest thing I can think of. And it absolutely wouldn't be made in Build or Lithtech or whatever, maybe UE4/5, Unity, that sort of thing.

[hybridial]

4 minutes ago, seed said:

It wouldn't, because Blood is a dead IP.

 

 

I don't entirely see that as a negative in all honesty. 

[seed]

Just now, hybridial said:

I don't entirely see that as a negative in all honesty. 

 

Well, good memories vs potentially making a cash-grab reboot, yeah, that's definitely better.

[Chezza]

I think there is room in the Market for a new Blood. A dark humored horror-ish FPS will be quite interesting.

 

If only id Software had the rights, I think using their engine would work well. Even borrow lots of ideas from Doom 2016 such as gradual upgrades, challenges, modified weapons and powers with some sort of Glory Kill system. Although Glory Kills wouldn't be so common, rather it could be used as a power-up that needs a recharge. The array of ways to kill enemies violently would be more suiting for Blood - setting on fire, flesh melting curses, limb popping ballistics etc.

Edited August 9, 2020 by Chezza

[P41R47]

Not a bad idea at all, @Chezza. I think that Idthesda could do a good modern re-imagination of Blood.
Only problem is that Blood covered a wide range of pop culture backthen... And now there is almost no pop culture, at least in the same sense as it was in the 90's.
For example, when Blood was released, almost everybody on the world know about ''The Shining'', ''Duke Nukem 3D'', ''Evil Dead'', ''Ghost'', ''Demolition Man'', and a lot more of references from Edgar Allan Poe to Stephen king and The Simpsons.
Maybe there was some obscure references, but that was part of the fun, researching and found it!

But now, supposelly, we are at the peak of the pop culture and multireferencial world. But look further than meme magic, and almost no body know anything at all about, for say, Dr. Sleep, Horror movies in general from 2000 onward, horror authors (new wave of horror author like Thomas Ligotti, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Graham Masterton, Jeff Vandermeer, and even Clive barker, are totally unknown for Pop mass cultures)...
So yeah, we got like... 4 or 5 hit pop things on the last 20 years?
-Stranger Things (playing along with the retro minding)

-Black Mirror (National Anthem mostly)

-Avengers (LULZ!!!)

-Dragon Ball Super

-Resident Evil Movies

-Fast & Furious Movies

-K-Pop? Maybe?

-Breaking Bad

-Games of Thrones...

-Deadpool (making retro and geek references just like a more streamlined Caleb)

And a few more that i don't remember, maybe?

But look at this page, and compare the tons of references there, ranging from movies on black & white, to the 90's, to the just a few massive pop hits that i listed.

Today standars calls of something new every day, and that means that no things is POP enough more than a set time, after that, it dissappeard from the social imaginary, maybe forever.

A few years back, Psy's Gangnam Style was a pop hit on all the world, but now almost nobody remember it (I still dance to it as i found it really funny).

There are no more ''the most liked band'' kinda like Metallica, Guns 'n Roses, Nirvana, Oasis, Garbage, The Cramberries, Roxette (maybe?), Marylin Manson.
Even the most beloved band from around the 2000, Radiohead, is still not that massive and well know for all the people out there.

 

So yeah, if there is a sequel someday it needs to be something like BLOOD: Up To Day Meme Edition, to be something that get the liking and appeal, all the charming that Blood had backthen.

[Egg Boy]

2 minutes ago, P41R47 said:

Not a bad idea at all, @Chezza. I think that Idthesda could do a good modern re-imagination of Blood.
Only problem is that Blood covered a wide range of pop culture backthen... And now there is almost no pop culture, at least in the same sense as it was in the 90's.
For example, when Blood was released, almost everybody on the world know about ''The Shining'', ''Duke Nukem 3D'', ''Evil Dead'', ''Ghost'', ''Demolition Man'', and a lot more of references from Edgar Allan Poe to Stephen king and The Simpsons.
Maybe there was some obscure references, but that was part of the fun, researching and found it!

I'm gonna be real, I doubt references to the Simpsons or the Shining or even Edgar Allen Poe would be lost on the modern audience. Unless you've been living under a rock, most people know what this stuff is, I mean, the Shining and Edgar Allen Poe have been around longer than the 90s, their status as a "historical meme" is not exactly going away any time soon, and by this point, simpsons is also at that level of pop culture significance that most everyone has seen it/knows of it.

 

Anyhow, for my piece, I thought Hunt: Showdown, despite not being a singleplayer, linear shooter, had very similar feeling environments to Blood. Haven't played it in a few years, though and that goes for both. I'm not a huge fan of Blood, but I like the theme and setting.

[P41R47]

1 minute ago, Egg Boy said:

I'm gonna be real, I doubt references to the Simpsons or the Shining or even Edgar Allen Poe would be lost on the modern audience. Unless you've been living under a rock, most people know what this stuff is, I mean, the Shining and Edgar Allen Poe have been around longer than the 90s, their status as a "historical meme" is not exactly going away any time soon, and by this point, simpsons is also at that level of pop culture significance that most everyone has seen it/knows of it.

Yeah, those are reference that are really know on the 90's that are far from their own period of time, that why i said from E.A. Poe, Black & White Film, to the 90's.

But i talked with a lot of people on their thirties today... and, most of they didn't know who the heck E.A. Poe is, for example.

Hell, they didn't even know what Moby Dick is!!!

Simpsos references are almost universal for the people around their mid thirties years old demography. We grow with them.

But, again, not much people of that same age knows much of Stephen King. They know that he is a writer, some movie adaptations, maybe, but not much.

 

If someone know about it, is someone that know or is into geek culture. Probably an interesting person, as almost all around here.

But Teenager of around 18 or 20 years old didn't know who Michael Jackson is even.

Its pretty sad that there are no shared cultural icons anymore.

Those were humanity legacy for me, and Blood referencing them was like a good compendium of the best of those years. 

[D4NUK1]

A Blood Sequel just should embreace the horror aspect instead of go guns blazing. Blood don't only was good for the references or aestetics, but how bizzare and creepy can turn the game around, the hospital with sick experiments, the train with live corpes, hell, the furnance was burning corpses. 

Embrace thoses aspects of the game, with the twist of the protagonist don't be afraid, but go along and just enjoy it was also one of the aspects so good.

So if i was doing a Blood Sequel, should play like news Wolfesteins or slower, because im pretty sure im will adding enemies with smg weapons, cause is one of iconics stuff of Blood. I don't remeber playing Blood like im playing Doom, so that will make the difference. Embrace newer engines, make Corpses and levels disgustings and just bloodier.

 

Maybe a more serious lore, instead of Build 3D pop references. 

 

[Egg Boy]

35 minutes ago, P41R47 said:

If someone know about it, is someone that know or is into geek culture. Probably an interesting person, as almost all around here.

But Teenager of around 18 or 20 years old didn't know who Michael Jackson is even.

Its pretty sad that there are no shared cultural icons anymore.

Those were humanity legacy for me, and Blood referencing them was like a good compendium of the best of those years. 

I dunno, where I'm from, Michael Jackson is about as well known as Batman or Mickey Mouse.

[P41R47]

31 minutes ago, Egg Boy said:

I dunno, where I'm from, Michael Jackson is about as well known as Batman or Mickey Mouse.

Well, that nice!

In my country Mickey and Batman are known, along to Adventure Time and others, mostly thanks to being the popular kids shows on Disney Channel, Cartoon Network and other channels like Disney XD and so.

But Michael is a big nono for a kid of 4 to 11 years old.

 

I remember knowing Michael Jackson at 4 years old already, dancing Thriller and laughing, looking to music videos and singing along other well known artists like Madonna, Prince and even Ricky Martin.

In my childhood every chidlren know the names Homer, Marge, Lisa, Maggie, and Bart Simpson and the jokes associated to them. Maybe don't properly understand the jokes, but they laugh along.

For today standars The Simpsons are adults or teens cartoons. And are pretty harmfull to child minds, at least around here. There is an overprotective care for what children consume, but at the same time, they left them alone, and i see this because i work helping children with their homework on my spare time.
Children around ten years old that don't know at all that blue and red makes purple, for example.

 

But well, sorry if i bother you. I get easily offuscated with this kind of things. Don't mind me.

[markanini]

If it happens and by some miracle the IP owners don't mess upp the story and charters by including patronizing appeals to political correctness and virtue signaling. The next crucial part of good modern Blood game would be fast, responsive movement and action physics like the original.

[Dexiaz]

Seriously? NOBODY mentioned the DUSK?

 

The game about cruel gunslinger versus the Elder Evil God with the Cultists and zombies? Seriously? Nobody? Well...I'LL DO THIS

 

 

[Man of Doom]

3 hours ago, Deⓧiaz said:

Seriously? NOBODY mentioned the DUSK?

 

The game about cruel gunslinger versus the Elder Evil God with the Cultists and zombies? Seriously? Nobody? Well...I'LL DO THIS

To be honest, I was actually kind of expecting someone to mention Dusk a lot sooner, though I didn’t post about it in the OP as I kind of made said OP back around 1 AM where I lived (and I was dead tired, of course).

 

Dusk is more of a spiritual successor to Blood, even if its aesthetics and overall gameplay is more similar to Quake than anything.

[Dexiaz]

7 hours ago, Man of Doom said:

Dusk is more of a spiritual successor to Blood, even if its aesthetics and overall gameplay is more similar to Quake than anything.

Agree, but I also see near that Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal. Both of them are "Quakish" games.

 

I mean, we're talking about "modern" version of the game. So Blood nowadays should be also be look like the Dusk. Or, at least, as @Yhe1 said, to be like the Necrovision (which is Painkiller-styled game by obvious reasons)

[FractalBeast]

People keep talking about Doom in this thread, and now I imagine a Doom spinoff where you play as some demon agent doing evil things Caleb style.

 

You know, like an evil side campaign where you fight UAC people, UAC controlled demons, mechs, tanks, to do EVILLLLL.

[Woolie Wool]

On 8/8/2020 at 1:13 AM, Man of Doom said:

So as of late, we're currently in the midst of an FPS renaissance to say the least, with the return of FPS's old guard in new forms.

We've got the obvious choices from the Doom and Wolfenstein franchises, Quake is technically still alive and kicking even if we haven't seen a single-player campaign for it in over a decade, we've got Shadow Warrior in the public eye, Rise of the Triad saw some action, System Shock is getting some love, and well... Duke Nukem Forever is certainly a thing that exists. What I'm trying to say here is that most of FPSes' old guard is very much alive, for better and for worse.

 

And that brings me to Blood, an IP that hasn't seen any action in a long time (to the point where even the original game's source code is apparently still in legal contention even with a remaster). And yes, I'm more than well aware that Fresh Supply is a thing (though it's more bringing the original game to modern-day PCs). What I mean is that while Blood is a bonafide cult classic that still gets love and reverence to this day (and for good reason), I've noticed that even with Fresh Supply out now, there still aren't any talks to see about a whole new Blood title. Of course, the reasons range from legal complications involving Atari to Blood 2: The Chosen essentially being the video game equivalent of Highlander 2: The Quickening (the Zeist version).
And barring all of that, would it be a sequel? A remake or "reimagining"? A prequel, even? Where would it exactly fit in currently known canon?

Of course, this is an entirely hypothetical question based on nothing but hypotheticals, but I'm compelled to wonder about the thread's question: how would a modern-day Blood look and play? Other than the possibility of Stephan Weyte reprising his role as Caleb, there's honestly not much that can be imagined to bring Blood into modern-day gaming (at least in a way that can complement its contemporaries).

Other than that, this is pretty much a thread of speculation or "just for funsies".

Why do we need another Blood? Blood exists. It did what it set out to do. It doesn't need any "IP" necrophilia.

[seed]

I mean, I'd like a Blood for the 21st century...

[D4NUK1]

Dusk have more their own take in Episode 2 and 3 that call him Blood 2 it's fail short.

The only circuntances where is looks alike is on the beggining in Ep.1. But at least have a little of Caleb in the ending :P

[Archanhell]

It may sound crazy but when I played that demo of the Blood's mod "The Curse Hunter" I was like "Hey you know, I do not know why this would feel like a good "bloodborne-ish" thing" so honestly, if a modern Blood was to happen similar to how DooM 2016 or DooM Eternal is, I would love if it was basically a FPS Bloodborne-ish like game or something, even Caleb looks like a Hunter or something.

 

But eh, I do not know how crazy is that!?

[Woolie Wool]

1 hour ago, seed said:

I mean, I'd like a Blood for the 21st century...

 

But why? What Blood really needs is a 21st century port without the bugs, limitations, and annoyances of the existing options.

[seed]

Just now, Woolie Wool said:

But why? What Blood really needs is a 21st century port without the bugs, limitations, and annoyances of the existing options.

 

We already have that though.

 

Raze, NBlood, GDX.

[hybridial]

2 hours ago, seed said:

I mean, I'd like a Blood for the 21st century...

 

Based on the standard of 21st century games for the most part? I'm fine for passing :P

[DNSKILL5]

I personally don't think the first game can ever be topped. I would be happy if they just made the first game more available with console ports, which would give the game more attention, possibly leading to more usermaps being made for the game that should work on the various PC ports. I think that would give life to the series, which I think the series needs that more than it needs a brand new game. Like I said, I don't think the first game could be topped, but if there was to be a new game there would need to be enough interests in the series, and so far there's barely any. 

 

A new game probably wouldn't be able to meet the expectations of all Bloodites, who would compare every aspect of the new game to the first game. Even casual fans would probably be left unimpressed and the series would die out more than it already has. I feel that trying to copy the success of Doom 2016 or TNO would just leave us with a game that feels like a reskin of Doom 2016/DE with Caleb talking in the mix. To me, that would only be fun for so long, once again killing the series off. 

 

Blood should be its own thing and not try to emulate something else if there was to be a new game. A new game should appeal to longtime fans, which are truly the only ones keeping the game alive, and it will also have to appeal to newcomers. I think it would definitely end up being a reboot at this point, so they could ultimately reuse a lot of the locations and plot from the first game if they went that route. So if they were going to copy anything, it should be the first game, and not the mechanics and designs of Doom 2016. It should take cues on how much action is in the new Dooms, but it should not try to replicate the game for the sake of replicating the game, I don't like the sound or idea of that.