When I think of cartoon-inspired aesthetics in video games, Studio MDHR’s 1930s rubber hose-inspired Cuphead immediately comes to mind. #BLUD, from Exit 73 Studios, a motion graphics and animation house based in New York, is the natural evolution of pencil meets pixel in that the vampire-hunting romp masterfully captures the spirit of the late 90s and early 2000s cartoon aesthetic.
In fact, booting up #BLUD for the first time gave me a nostalgic hit, reminiscent of playing Flash games on the school computer in middle school, on sites like Cartoon Network and, of course, Newgrounds, and I mean that in the best way possible.
Aesthetics aside, #BLUD can be best described as a classic 2D Zelda-inspired RPG with an emphasis on a story set in a contemporary suburban setting. In other words, #BLUD is what happens when you mix The Legend of Zelda with Nintendo’s other cult favourite, Earthbound, with a healthy dose of vampires thrown in for good measure.
Thankfully, #BLUD is more than a simple clone of the great titles
it pays homage to, thanks to its clever and witty writing and spin on classic Zelda-inspired weapons, replacing swords and shields with hockey sticks and umbrellas. Similarly, vampire-slaying gear forgoes the gothic look in favour of a more juvenile arsenal of razor-sharp pencils and explosive cherry bombs. Other, more traditional tools and upgrades, such as a shovel and hook-shot, complete Rebecca’s loadout, making her a deadly vampire slayer in the same vein as Buffy.
The gameplay in #BLUD is divided into episodes, complete with cartoon-accurate title cards that emulate the look of classic television. Each episode, or level, generally begins with waking up in your bedroom, eventually leading the player into town, gradually opening up other locations both in the city and the outskirts as the story unfolds. Instead of featuring straight-up dungeons, one after the other, #BLUD instead opts to sprinkle in gauntlets of various sizes throughout the game, often requiring the player to return to old areas, only to discover a secret passage leading into a dungeon or boss encounter, something that helps keep the game feeling fresh and not a straight copy of the Zelda-formula.
“#BLUD is what happens when you mix The Legend of Zelda with Earthbound and a healthy dose of vampires.”
Speaking of bosses, each level in #BLUD features a boss, usually with two or more phases, often requiring the use of whatever newly acquired item is at the player’s disposal. These bosses were the highlight of the level for me, often requiring a few extra med packs to get through some of the later sequences of the game.
Outside of dungeon crawling and combat, one of the more unique aspects of #BLUD is its selfie mechanic. Taking place in a contemporary setting, Becky, like any teenager, has access to her smartphone, which in-game acts as your main menu, quest log, map and, of course, a fully functional selfie cam. Players can take a selfie with pretty much anyone in the game, including both NPCs and enemies alike, complete with different gestures you can make to really sell the mood and spirit of a good selfie.
Taking a selfie in #BLUD automatically uploads it to Becky’s in-game social-media feed, which often results in other characters commenting, which can lead to clues, helping the player proceed. The social-media aspect of the game is also contextualized further in the story, as Becky and friends eventually encounter the CEO of a certain evil social media and tech giant organization that may or may not have ties with ancient vampires and other forms of ghastly ghouls.
Side quests, collectable tokens, recipes (literal recipes for dishes that can be made in the real world), extra cash, and heart pieces that add to the player’s health pool all add that extra bit of spice to encourage exploring #BLUD‘s sprawling 2D world, makes for a fun time, for an otherwise relatively short jaunt through most of the episodes present in-game.
If you’re jumping into #BLUD expecting a game that emulates the feel and gravitas of something like Link to the Past, or even the Minish Cap, #BLUD is not that. Instead, Exit 73 Studios has crafted its own niche — a love letter to American cartoons, something that fans of niche Flash games and old-school action RPG players will most appreciate.
