OverBlood#Characters

Part adventure game and part survival horror, Overblood incorporates elements of arcade, fighting and puzzle games. The player is able to toggle the camera between first- and third-person, both of which are required to solve the game's various puzzles.

Overblood takes place at Lystra Laboratories' hidden research center where a team of scientists have been conducting controversial genetic experiments. The game begins when a system malfunction releases the player character, Raz Karcy (Lars in European releasesLoe, Casey sub nom. Takuhi. OverBlood. GameFan. No.47 (Vol.4, Issue 11). Pp.140-141. November 1996.), from a cryogenic container. Cold and confused, he awakens with no memory. Concerns about his identity are soon replaced by an urgent need to escape, as he reveals the scientists' fateful plan and his role in it.

The game features three playable characters. The majority of the game is played as Raz Karcy, the game's protagonist. Other playable characters include Milly Azray, a woman who befriends Raz, and Pipo, a small and very helpful robot.{{cite web|last=Barnes|first=J.C.|title=Overblood Overview.|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=7921&tab=overview|publisher=Allgame|access-date=24 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114230757/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=7921&tab=overview|archive-date=14 November 2014|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine |title=Overblood: Call it the Sci-Fi Resident Evil? |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |issue=94|publisher=Ziff Davis |date=May 1997|page=105}}

{{Video game reviews

| EGM = 7.375/10{{cite magazine |title=Review Crew: Overblood |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|issue=95|publisher=Ziff Davis|date=June 1997 |page=44}}

| GameFan = 220/300

| GSpot = 5.3/10{{cite web |last=Fielder |first=Joe |title=Overblood Review |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/overblood-review/1900-2548843/ |website=GameSpot |access-date=9 October 2018 |date=May 29, 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181009211451/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/overblood-review/1900-2548843/ |archive-date=9 October 2018 |url-status=live }}

| IGN = 6.0/10

| NGen = {{rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine |title=Finals: OverBlood |magazine=Next Generation|issue=31 |publisher=Imagine Media |date=July 1997|page=160}}

| rev1= Joypad

| rev1Score= 80/100 {{cite magazine|magazine=Joypad|date= June 1997|title=PlayStation: Overblood|page=80|language=FR|location=France}}

}}

Reviews for Overblood were mixed, with critics generally commenting that it has enough interesting elements to make it respectable, but is ultimately not worth buying. The most frequent criticism was that the game is too slow-paced and lacking in tension, with too much time spent wandering corridors and opening doors, relatively little time spent on puzzles, and far too little time spent on action sequences.{{cite magazine|author=Bone |title=PlayStation ProReview: OverBlood|magazine=GamePro|issue=105|publisher=IDG|date=June 1997|page=68}} Compounding this problem, many critics found the action sequences too simplistic. Joe Fielder elaborated in GameSpot that "They entail moving at just the right moment and are more timing than skill-based."

The need to switch between three different playable characters in order to solve certain puzzles was often cited as one of OverBlood{{'}}s most interesting aspects. Some also praised the story. The game was reviewed by GameFan Magazine, where the game's previously rumored similarities to Resident Evil were dismissed and strong comparisons drawn instead to Doctor Hauzer for which Overblood (created by the same development team) serves as a spiritual successor. The game was criticized for the appearance of the characters, their unrealistic movements, and the overall plot, and the game received low marks for play mechanics and controls.Halverson, Dave. ed. Viewpoint: OverBlood. GameFan. No.47 (Vol.4, Issue 11). Pg.18. November 1996. IGN stated, "OverBlood attempts to recreate the moodiness and horror of Resident Evil but never quite succeeds."{{cite web |title=Overblood |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/1997/05/20/overblood |website=IGN |access-date=9 October 2018 |date=May 20, 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181009211923/http://www.ign.com/articles/1997/05/20/overblood |archive-date=9 October 2018 |url-status=live }} Crispin Boyer of Electronic Gaming Monthly made the same unfavorable comparison to Resident Evil, but concluded more positively: "That's OK, because Overblood is still an engrossing adventure ... that packs a solid mix of puzzles and exploration." Next Generation, by contradiction, stated that "Despite the excellent graphics, the game just can't hold a player's interest. OverBlood could've used a little more action and a lot less wandering around."

German magazine Maniac gave it a score of 68 out of 100.{{Cite web|url=https://www.maniac.de/tests/overblood-im-klassik-test-ps/|title=OverBlood - im Klassik-Test (PS)|last=Bannert|first=Robert|date=2019-01-11|website=MANIAC.de|language=de-DE|access-date=2019-03-09}}

In 1998, a direct sequel was released entitled Overblood 2.

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Category:1990s horror video games

Category:1996 video games

Category:Adventure games

Category:Electronic Arts games

Category:PlayStation (console) games

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Category:Riverhillsoft games

Category:Science fiction video games

Category:Single-player video games

Category:Video games about cloning

Category:Video games developed in Japan