Blood™ Fresh Supply
- May 9, 2019
- Nightdive Studios
- 24h median play time
Get on Steam"Experience the classic horror-themed FPS, Blood, with Fresh Supply's enhanced features such as updated graphics engine, support for higher resolutions, and customizable controls. This version includes the original game and add-ons, Plasma Pak and Cryptic Passage, with extended modding support and improved netcode for up to 8 players. Arm yourself and prepare to defeat the evil Tchernobog in this atmospheric, horror-filled game."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- gameplay552 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Blood" is widely praised for its fast-paced, challenging mechanics and engaging level design, reminiscent of classic 90s first-person shooters. Players appreciate the variety of unique weapons and the satisfying combat, although some find the difficulty and certain gameplay elements, like key-hunting, to be tedious. Overall, the game is considered a timeless classic that balances nostalgia with solid mechanics, making it a must-play for fans of the genre.
“One of the absolute best FPS games of all time, very good atmosphere, incredible level design, and phenomenal gameplay. If you are at all interested in classic FPS games, this is the best one among the ones from the 90s. A very easy recommendation, pretty much a 10/10 game.”
“The gameplay is very smooth and fast, with plenty of guns that act differently, allowing you to have your fun while traversing the quite large maps.”
“Blood excels at both atmosphere and gameplay mechanics.”
“One of the worst, even might be the worst game I have ever touched; the whole gameplay's boring, the movement is so bad, and the shooting is also trash.”
“The slow-paced gameplay loop didn't click with me.”
“But the default gameplay is an absolute slog, ruined by cultists with pinpoint hitscan accuracy and literally instant reaction times.”
- graphics508 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Blood: Fresh Supply" are a blend of nostalgic 90s pixel art and modern enhancements, maintaining the original's gothic horror aesthetic while offering support for higher resolutions and additional graphical options like anti-aliasing and ambient occlusion. While some players appreciate the remastered visuals and atmospheric design, others note technical issues, particularly with integrated graphics, and find the overall graphical fidelity to be dated compared to contemporary standards. Despite these drawbacks, the game's unique art style and immersive environments continue to resonate with fans of retro shooters.
“The graphics, the way the shells drop, top notch.”
“The art style is gothic and inspired by a lot of horror media.”
“A masterpiece in its own right, a gorgeous display of fire and gore that still holds up so well today, the team at Nightdive have done an excellent job at capturing every graphic detail of this gruesome horror story.”
“The sound effects and animations haven't been touched, and neither have the graphics minus support for modern resolutions.”
“The graphics are dated and it's on the build engine, which kinda gives me a headache sometimes because the graphics are so bad but a bit better looking than Duke Nukem 3D.”
“Game plays fine, everything is at a smooth 60fps but the graphics are busted to the point of being unplayable due to things not being visible, even when changing the settings.”
- atmosphere446 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Blood" is widely praised for its unique blend of gothic horror, dark humor, and immersive level design, creating a haunting yet engaging experience. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke nostalgia while maintaining a thick, eerie ambiance that complements its gameplay and sound design. The levels are noted for their creativity and detail, often referencing classic horror films, making the overall atmosphere one of the standout features of this classic FPS.
“Each level is atmospheric and weaves together with the music to create an unforgettable experience.”
“The atmosphere, music, art direction, and sound come together to make a wonderful gory gothic style.”
“Blood is an amazing game with smooth and addicting gameplay, an interesting and timeless atmosphere, interesting and unique environments, classic and fun references packed into every level, I cannot overstate how great this game is.”
“The atmosphere is intense, the mood is grim and rotten and genuinely scary and disturbing at times.”
“The action, the level design, the atmosphere... it's all deliciously disturbing, to the point where it actually grossed me out at some points.”
“Played the shareware version as a kid, actually a couple of times and every time the atmosphere alone was enough for a scare-quit.”
- music340 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and haunting qualities, effectively enhancing the overall experience with a mix of creepy and memorable tracks. However, there are notable issues with volume inconsistency, where some tracks are excessively loud while others are barely audible, leading to a frustrating listening experience. Despite these drawbacks, the soundtrack is considered a significant aspect of the game's charm, with players appreciating the option to switch between CD and MIDI versions for variety.
“Each level is atmospheric and weaves together with the music to create an unforgettable experience.”
“The music is absolutely fantastic.”
“The atmosphere, music, art direction, and sound come together to make a wonderful gory gothic style.”
“The music of Blood was a bit hit and miss - on some levels I could barely hear the music, and on some levels such as the carnival, it was so deafeningly loud I had to turn the music off.”
“Aside from the minor inaccuracies from the DOS original that you may or may not notice depending on how diehard a fan you are, there are still some minor bugs I notice such as the music volume being wonky; some tracks are stupid loud and I have to turn the music volume down while others are near inaudible at the same setting.”
“In contrast, the CD music is ridiculously loud at 100% and I had to turn it down to 60% so as to not drown out the sound effects.”
- humor310 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Blood: Fresh Supply" is characterized by its dark, twisted, and often absurd comedic elements, blending horror with a playful tone. Players appreciate the witty dialogue from the protagonist, Caleb, and the humorous interactions with various enemies, particularly the cultists, who deliver comical lines amidst the chaos. The game is filled with clever references to horror films and features a variety of funny easter eggs, making it a memorable experience for fans of both the FPS genre and dark humor.
“Even today the game is pure fun with dark humor, a gloomy atmosphere and many references to 80's and 90's horror movies as it contains endless hints to those.”
“There's a twisted sense of humor woven into the game that'll have you chuckling to yourself as you dispatch the forces of darkness.”
“Blood is a classic gem, a great FPS through and through, a funny and dark experience any fan of the retro side of the genre should try.”
- story228 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of *Blood* revolves around Caleb, an undead gunslinger seeking vengeance against the dark god Tchernobog and his cult after being betrayed. While the narrative is often described as simplistic and nonsensical, it effectively sets the stage for the game's dark humor and intense gameplay, with Caleb's character providing depth beyond typical revenge tropes. Overall, the story serves more as a backdrop to the action rather than a focal point, with many players appreciating the atmosphere and character-driven elements despite its limitations.
“The game consists of a simple revenge story where you play as Caleb, the revived angry cultist whose purpose is to avenge your death and the death of your friends.”
“Caleb's nightmarish quest for vengeance takes him through an extensive tour of dark set pieces littered with secrets and hellspawn to blast apart, places ranging from morgues to remote hotels to occult carnivals with demon carousels.”
“And it's really awesome to actually have your protagonist be something else than a caricature or stereotype; Caleb is an actual character with a backstory and understandable motives that lie outside of 'I just wanna kill shit.'”
“No character customization or choices to make that can change the game’s story.”
“The story and setting in Blood barely make any sense.”
“There's also a story, but it's bare-bones and ultimately doesn't matter, and if you complain about Blood's story then you've missed the point entirely.”
- stability156 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been a mixed bag, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches, particularly in multiplayer modes and during quick saves, leading to frustrating experiences. While some users noted improvements following patches, others still encountered issues like freezing, audio problems, and graphical glitches. Overall, while the game can run smoothly for some, many players caution that it remains prone to instability and bugs, especially compared to the original version.
“Now updated with Nightdive's Kex engine, the game looks great, runs great, and somehow feels at home on modern hardware.”
“The modern controls are very welcome and the game runs great on Linux using Steam Play.”
“This version runs great in Windows 10 with minimal tinkering.”
“Buyer beware: multiplayer is packed with game-breaking bugs and glitches, and Atari has no desire to fix them. They stopped the source code from being released so they could task the ever so overrated Nightdive Studios with this half-assed version.”
“There's also the issues with the port like short freezes, game crashing when skipping the cinematic intros, crashing when you quick save, crashing when you quick load, and personally the most annoying one is that somehow, for some ungodly reason, the game suddenly caps at 30fps when you have it uncapped.”
“Mired by a buggy launch, and with some minor issues even now, this isn't going to please the Blood purists.”
- optimization70 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The optimization of "Blood: Fresh Supply" has received mixed feedback; while many players appreciate its smooth performance on modern systems and the enhancements over the original, some report issues like stuttering and slow quicksaving. Overall, the game runs well on a variety of hardware, with some users noting that it outperforms fan-made ports, though occasional bugs and performance quirks remain. Despite these flaws, it is generally regarded as a solid remaster of a classic title.
“Nightdive took the original game and made it so the game runs smoothly on modern computers, with modern resolutions.”
“This is probably the best version of Blood available for PC - the game runs smoothly with a minimum of bugs, aside from occasional audio glitches.”
“Blood is a blast and this Fresh Supply release adds some much-needed features and optimizations.”
“While Blood is probably the best 2.5D shooter ever made, Fresh Supply suffers from a lot of stuttering issues that you might as well download some source ports instead, just so you can run the game properly.”
“The game has a few bugs and weird performance issues, such as crashing from alt+tabbing and quicksaving, which I fixed by changing from fullscreen to borderless windowed. Quicksaving randomly takes upwards of 10 seconds while the game remains frozen until the save has been completed.”
“A bit flawed port (for example, the freeze when quick saving), but if you don't tamper with it too much, it's very playable and way better than the original, which was running at terribly stuttering 40fps for me.”
- grinding34 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 82 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and time-consuming, often requiring excessive effort to progress, especially on higher difficulty settings. While the gameplay features enjoyable gunplay and a variety of enemies, many players find the overall experience slow and frustrating, with some levels feeling overly drawn out. Despite these issues, some players appreciate the opportunity to explore and enjoy the game at a more relaxed pace, contrasting it with the grind-heavy mechanics of newer titles.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“This creates a very slow and tedious gameplay which I personally wasn't a fan of at all.”
“It's not hard, it's just tedious; and this made me realize how genius Doom is.”
“This game has all the elements of your classic 90s shooters but the gameplay is much more tedious, so don't come in expecting the same experience.”
- replayability22 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Overall, "Blood" is praised for its significant replayability, attributed to its engaging level design, numerous secrets, and multiple difficulty levels. While some users feel it has limited replay value, many highlight the game's rich content, ease of multiplayer setup, and diverse combat options as factors that enhance its replayability, with ratings often reaching as high as 9/10. Despite its age, the game remains enjoyable and replayable, appealing to both new and returning players.
“Lots of content and replayability for the price.”
“It may be over 2 decades old, but Blood has aged nicely into a gory red wine that remains highly replayable to this day.”
“Despite the fact that Blood has many difficulty levels, it feels as though it has very limited replay value.”
“The level design of Blood is also great - there are plenty of secrets and shortcuts that give the game massive replay value.”
“There are many ways to eliminate a set of enemies with multiple weapons in your arsenal, which adds to replay value.”
- emotional18 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express that the game evokes a profound emotional response, blending dark humor with moments of warmth and vulnerability. The character Caleb, portrayed with depth and humor, navigates themes of loss and resilience, making the gameplay feel like an emotional rollercoaster, especially on higher difficulties. Overall, the game's unique aesthetics and engaging narrative create a sense of safety and connection, reminiscent of cherished childhood experiences.
“Not in years has a game touched me, made me feel safe, warm, loved, present, confident despite vulnerability, validated, protected, and a knot along the net of our universal collective in the same ways blood has.”
“That said, he's deadpan, hilarious, and has a few touching moments as he deals with the loss of former friends and loved ones.”
“On harder difficulties, this game is an emotional rollercoaster; just beating the first act feels like an accomplishment.”
- monetization10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions and loot boxes, offering a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic gameplay focused on action and atmosphere rather than monetization tactics. Players appreciate the absence of cash grabs, highlighting a return to pure, old-school gaming.
“Oh yeah, no microtransactions, no holding your hand while the game basically plays itself, just pure old school gameplay.”
“It's a nostalgic trip that'll have you saying, 'remember when shooters were more about action and atmosphere than microtransactions and cosmetics?'”
“- no lootboxes or microtransactions.”
“Nice cash grab”
“It's a nostalgic trip that'll have you saying, "remember when shooters were more about action and atmosphere than microtransactions and cosmetics?"”
“-no lootboxes or microtransactions.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that the game excels in various elements such as ambiance, sound design, and character design, contributing to a rich and immersive experience. However, there is no specific mention of character development, suggesting that while characters are well-designed, their growth and depth may not be a focal point in the narrative.
