Still a better vampire story than Twilight.

There are plenty of spooky games to choose from for the Halloween season, including classics like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Demon’s Crest, and a contemporary favorite like Resident Evil: Village. Now, for those up for something that’s got more of the Halloween ambiance and less blood-curdling scream fare, B.A.T.S. is up your alley!

B.A.T.S. is Short for Bloodsucker Anti-Terror Squad. The game focuses on a group of heroic vampires (surprise, they exist!) as they face off against the evil terrorists known as STING, led by the dreaded Scorpion Supreme. Across five different levels, various team members – including one closely resembling Marvel’s Blade to some degree – will have to get their share of blood alongside justice.

It’s a neat idea, and it works to some extent, but there are some problems with the game’s design that keep it from being an instant classic. Still, when it comes to retro platformers, you could certainly do worse.

Starting Off Light

As you begin the game, you have one default group member, the powerful Count Bloodvayne. But as you proceed through it, you’ll unlock new members, including the Blade wannabe, as they venture through the halls, solving puzzles and taking on adversaries big and small with their weapons of choice.
There are some great abilities for each character. If you want swordplay, go with the Blade-ish guy or, if you prefer long-range attacks, go with the hero with the sniper rifle and go to town. They all have excellent personalities, lending to the humorous style that the game possesses. You will grin from some of the dialogue they have with ol’ Scorp.
It is also a decent-looking game. It is not amazing, by any means, but it does possess a bit of retro charm. The level design is okay, but the character animations are excellent and the blood effects certainly don’t let up. The soundtrack is also good fun, sounding like something coming from the old-school generation. You won’t mind this.

Some Things Suck With Gameplay

Where B.A.T.S. goes a little, er, batty is with some gameplay elements. You’ll need to try to keep both health and power-ups balanced, which can be a bit tricky since they are not dropped often. This can put you in a tight spot when it comes to tougher areas within the game, as you’ll have to roam around and see if you can score a precious boost at random. Considering the tough nature of the game, this could’ve used a little bit of tweaking.

Not to mention the level design itself. Some of it is inspired, but other parts are kind of bothersome, like with certain “safety first” areas where you have to time your movement right. The problem is, sometimes your character moves so fast, you get fried anyway. There were later levels in the game in which it entirely crashed as a whole, forcing us to start all over again.

Otherwise, it’s not bad, and has inspired moments of combat and puzzle-solving. It could’ve used a little bit of cleaning up before its release, which I assume the developers timed to go alongside with the Halloween theme. A patch wouldn’t be the worst thing here.

Vamp It Up

Sure, B.A.T.S. has its problems with difficulty and certain level quirks, and it could definitely do without the crashing, but it has some neat design and a story that seems properly fitting for 90’s afternoon television, let alone a series that would probably put lamer vampire fare to shame. It’s got its issues, but, overall, the game doesn’t completely suck. It just needs a little more solidity within its, ahem, bite.

RATING: 6.5/10