Dracula: Love Kills

The Prince of Darkness is on the side of humanity this time. The queen of the vampires has risen from her ashes, all ready to destroy mankind. Too bad for her Mina is human. An enraged Count strikes back, but he's going to need Van Helsing's help.

Can they work together, or will the desire to destroy one another ruin the attempt to save mankind? What does Mina think of all of this? You'll have to play the game to find out. Thanks to Wild Tangent for the trail download.

Thanks to Big Fish Games for all the screenshots.

As always everything is protected by copyright. If you own the copyright to any used materials and what them removed, please let me know.

Note: This game review contains spoilers.

Type: Hunt for Objects

Level of difficulty selection: Yes

Animation: Excellent

Object: Free Mina, Kill the Vampire Queen

My Rating: Five stars out of four Yes, it's that good!

Platform: Computer

Rating: Unrated: teen to adult for horror violence

Genre: Horror/Adventure

Game Review

This is a massive game! It took me five hours and five minutes to complete it. That was in easy mode! So if you like a challenge, plan for a longer completion time. Even now it is a semi-complete review as I killed all the maidens fair to drink their blood.

But if you love being a vampire this is the game for you. As Count Dracula you must journey the world over. Think France, London, the US, Mayan ruins and more. Collecting shield fragments earns you new powers once a shield is completed, like strength or taking an animal form.

You must also earn the dagger of the Order of the Dragon, and the approval of the knights. You have a choice of whether or not to kill each damsel that challenges you. I drained each one as the blood is the only source of your special powers.

This effects the games end, mine was excellent; that pesky Van Helsing will never bother Count Dracula again. Mina is saved and transformed into your princess of darkness, and Igor gets to kill somebody.

Graphics

Excellent from the movement of Igor, to the flickering flames and smoke of the candles, this game is easy on the eyes. Everything is suited to the taste of a Dark Prince, and the items are correct for the period.

The Count looks a tad young for my taste, but this is hands down the most repulsive Igor I've ever seen. All the crispness made the search scenes much easier, and no a single muddy graphic was to be found.

I especially loved the animations of biting the fair damsels. Some swooned, some just stood there. There are also plenty of explosions, items that move like falling leaves or bobbing barrels, this game is full of tons of details to amuse the player.

this is where I warn parents that there is a fair amount of violence. You bite the damsels if you so choose, drink blood, and wade through the morass of evil (looks like blood-filled veins) as the game goes on.

You use weapons to kill, that sort of thing. Nowhere near as graphic as some of the zombie games out there, but it certainly isn't for anyone under teen years. (Sorry kids, but your parents will kill me if you have nightmares.)

Music and Sound Effects

The music was mind-blowningly awesome. More like a movie soundtrack than in game music.. Yes I'd love a CD of it. It reminds me of a popular group sold around Halloween to non-Goths Midnight Syndicate. So very lush and darkly atmospheric.

The sound effects were very pleasing. The sound of misclicks was just a dull muffled sound, but the sound of found objects was a happy trilling noise. You could hear ocean waves, gators roar, jaguars scream, the explosions, everything. It all sounded realistic too.

Ease Of Play

Excellent on easy at any rate. Igor or Van Helsing, depending on where you are, helps you. When they are clicked a light beam goes from them to the item, complete with sound effects. Best part is that Igor glows an evil red when he is recharged.

The graphics are so crisp and clean the searches are enjoyable, though as the game progresses there are more items to search through. Sometimes one item was hid behind another, pretty sneaky on the designers part.

You have to think like a Victorian though, about what items would have looked like then. A plane doesn't refer to something with wings, and the hats are true to the period.

Best and Worst Feature

Best feature was playing as Count Dracula. I've always hated Van Helsing with a passion, so getting to kill off each woman while he cried and whined about it was fun. It was great when he died at the end too. That's right, Dracula gets his Mina, and Igor gets to kill Van Helsing.

You also get to turn into a bat, have superhuman strength, use telekentic powers to move things, and see what only vampires see. Plus you have a flunky to kill Van Helsing for you. You also might have five or six new brides in the sequel as you turn each one by draining her blood.

Worst feature? Mine had a locket with Harker's picture in it. Really now? That wimp wasn't traveling all over the world fighting off slaves to the vampire queen. You were. Remember of course your game may end differently depending on your personal choices.

Played it and love it? Hated it? Details please!