Tired of the same old hand-held shoot-em-up fare? Why not dig up an old friend? Dracula's back! Just when you thought he was down for the Count, he's badder than ever. This moody, creepy version holds true to the book by Bram Stoker, who makes numerous appearances in this cart.
Here we have another of the many full-motion games for the Sega CD. Dracula Unleashed has a great storyline that will keep you glued to your television. The game starts out slow but as you gather more clues, the game becomes quite intense. The simple interface works well and you don't get bogged down with too many options. To play Sega CD roms, an emulator is required. Popular Sega CD emulators include gens v2.11, xega v0.10 for windows, genecyst vx.xx for DOS. View all Genesis emulators.
It's an extremely well-done adaptation of an extremely over-done theme. Drac AttackDracula is a stripped down role-play game that really, uhh, flows. The cart switches from a first-person RPG perspective to a third-person adventure perspective, depending on the action. You play Jonathan Harker, a young solicitor from London who gets caught in the clutches of the malevolent Count Dracula. You begin the game in your room with nothing but the clothes on your back and the feeling that all is not right in the castle.
To solve the sinister mystery, you must search the castle for clues and objects, such as a notebook, twine, or a crucifix, and talk to its various creepy inhabitants. When the game jumps to a third-person view, there's a lot to explore, and the way you go about it is pretty clever, like climbing the outside castle walls to get into locked rooms. Take NoteIt takes brainpower to outwit Dracula. The Bram-ster sometimes gives you clues at key moments. You'll need to use your objects on other objects for desired effects.
For example, use the tinderbox with the oil and the lantern to get a light. Take copious notes so the proper authorities believe that the Hickey King is really who you say he is. Gimme a Blood LightThe graphics and sounds will make your blood run cold-and in this case, that's good.
The graphics are painted in sepiatoned washes that lend to the game's eerie feeling. Although blocky Lynx graphics are the norm, these are effectively done and the blockiness is barely noticeable. The music is hypnotic and sets a blood-sucking mood.
If these things don't scare you, wait till you hear Jonathan's blood-curdling scream when you lose a life. Down with the CountDracula is, quite simply, the scariest RPG you'll ever play. Atari brings a frightening classic to the Lynx that is sure to send a chill down the spine of the most jaded gamer.
Grab some garlic. You'll want to stake out a claim for Dracula.
Written by
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ETJB (450)
Written on
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Jan 28, 2010
Platform
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SEGA CD
Rating
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
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Summary
A Solid Graphic Adventure Game With FMV
The Good
Dracula Unleashed is one of the better efforts to combine graphic adventure gaming with full motion video (FMV). Everything from the computer version -- i.e. the puzzles, items, moody music, B-minus acting and supernatural elements are here for Sega CD gamers. Well, almost...
The Bad
This is not a perfect translation of the computer game, mainly because of the hardware limitations of the Sega CD. While it was common for personal computers to be able to display 256+ colors on screen, the Sega CD could only display 64 colors on screen. As a result, the video quality is worse then the personal computer, but the video is shown in a large screen. The other faults are the same as the computer version. If you do not enjoy graphic adventure games -- with their emphasis on talking to people, collecting items and solving puzzles -- this game will bore you quickly. The replay value is somewhat limited after you have solved all of the puzzles. You might want to play the game again to see what happens if you fail to solve a puzzle or to impress your friends, but otherwise the game gets old. Last, but not least, the game is not terribly scary and sometimes, as was often the case with FMV video, the B- acting might invoke more humor then suspense or sheer terror.
The Bottom Line
Dracula Unleashed was one of a handful of games to appear during the early days of CD-ROM gaming that sought to combine traditional point and click adventure gaming with full motion video. Given the significant hardware limitations of the Sega CD, this game is a near perfect recreation of the original computer game with the quality of the FMV being the major exception. If you enjoyed the 'Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective' games and want a longer mystery, involving vampires, then you should give this game a try.