If I made a list of things I think constitute bad video game controls, almost everything about BloodRayne Betrayal's controls would be on it. Confronted with every option of doing something to make the game flowing and fun, or making it feel numb and clunky, they seem to have opted for the latter.

It doesn't matter starting out. The game is gorgeous and has a modestly budgeted feel that makes it quite easy to forgive and even like initially. More maneuvers are introduced before long, and although it wears thin eventually, you have a decent amount of combat options to mix things up and express yourself with that stuff.

But when they take what is a fairly functional 2D brawler and apply it to platforming sections, it just turns into a miserable experience. Not miserable because it's impossible - it's not - miserable because there's absolutely nothing fun or stimulating about the arbitrary gameplay segments they force on you. They are just a chore. If you simply describe those sections to somebody - that you're asked to bounce on enemies to keep afloat while fighting other enemies - it sounds challenging and fun because you imagine that the controls are suitably responsive, but boy they sure aren't.

Truth is I really wanted to like this. It looks really, really cool and it's a fun and clever use of the license. There are plenty of moments when it's easy enough to gloss over its issues and enjoy, but when you first pick it up, the game immediately feels less snappy and responsive than you want a game like this to feel, and before it's over it asks you to perform precision movement that make its shortcomings impossible to ignore.

If I made a list of things I think constitute bad video game controls, almost everything about BloodRayne Betrayal's controls would be on it. Confronted with every option of doing something to make the game flowing and fun, or making it feel numb and clunky, they seem to have opted for the latter. It doesn't matter starting out. The game is gorgeous and has a modestly budgeted feel that makes it quite easy to forgive and even like initially. More maneuvers are introduced before long, and although it wears thin eventually, you have a decent amount of combat options to mix things up and express yourself with that stuff. But when they take what is a fairly functional 2D brawler and apply it to platforming sections, it just turns into a miserable experience. Not miserable because it's impossible - it's not - miserable because there's absolutely nothing fun or stimulating about the arbitrary gameplay segments they force on you. They are just a chore. If you simply describe those sections to somebody - that you're asked to bounce on enemies to keep afloat while fighting other enemies - it sounds challenging and fun because you imagine that the controls are suitably responsive, but boy they sure aren't. Truth is I really wanted to like this. It looks really, really cool and it's a fun and clever use of the license. There are plenty of moments when it's easy enough to gloss over its issues and enjoy, but when you first pick it up, the game immediately feels less snappy and responsive than you want a game like this to feel, and before it's over it asks you to perform precision movement that make its shortcomings impossible to ignore.