Countdown Vampires.
Released August 21st, 2000
Pro’s: Different approach to survival horror genre at the time. Multiple endings possible, Didn't have to enter menu for changing weapons/reloading, play as a vampire.
Cons: Horrible game controls, Crappy camera angles, half translated, Story is weak, Multiple endings are weak, Vampire gameplay is just pathetic, Voice acting is garbage, who brings a cat to a casino?
Hey gamers, Mando here, and this is State Restored. Today's load State: Countdown Vampires. Grab your toilet paper as we get ready to dive into this turd. Press Y to load! Here we go!
So here’s a quick plot synopsis:
Sea Rim City Police Homicide Detective Keith J. Snyder had a problem which involved his previous partner, Wesley Simmons, so he was assigned, as a disciplinary measure, to be a bodyguard for several VIPs who were key to the inauguration of a new horror-themed casino, the Desert Moon. The problems began when a fire broke out and a mysterious black liquid started to pour out of the fire sprinklers, turning the vast majority of the people into vampires that proceeded to devour the remaining survivors. Now Keith must find his way out of the casino and also try and save as many people as he can.
Countdown Vampires is everything other survival horror games didn't want but BANDAI did packaged with vampires, “white water” and a cat in a casino. Did you see that intro cutscene? Why the fuck is a cat in a casino? Oh and let's not forget shirtless heros with tribal tattoos who sound like they might graduate into puberty and closet lesbians with big boobs. Yeah bro. Way to sell the game!
So we find our hero Keith J. Snyder (Keeeeith) a homicide detective working as a guard for the VIP’s at the hotel casino. The casino actually has a name that is pretty cool (Desert Moon and it is a horror themed casino that I know I would attend) but you wouldn’t know that if you didn’t read the game insert. Let’s not rely on Keith to give us any important info. We’ll just let the players figure that out. Thrown into one of the many cluster-fucks that is this game, a fire starts on a very elevated stripper stage. The two catsuit women gyrating around get doused with black water and then suddenly become vampires, killing people at random.
It is then up to Keith to figure out what is going on at the casino hotel. You are then given three minutes to exit the casino area as a fire protocol has been initiated. GTFO now! Pork-chop sandwiches! I fumbled around this part of the game dying and starting over and over as I could not find the proper exit. Not to mention the shitty camera angles that never seem to point you in the right direction, all while trying to avoid killing (and sometimes killing) the people turned vampire. They sound like drunk hyenas when they take damage.
What the heck is gonna to happen!?
After you escape the casino floor the game starts even though it feels like you’ve survived a horror already just by doing that. Keith then finds the lifeless body of… did they even give that security guard a name?! *Le facepalm* Wait a second. Black officer type guy dies in the beginning of the game locked in a room while helping the protagonist to further his goals? Did they just… did they just steal the same plot element from Resident Evil 2?!
At this point in the game it becomes the memo,key,and gun hunt we are all used too. Sprinkle in some mysterious puzzles and you have the formula for survival horror. But it isn’t good. I can remember a few times where I found an item and actually had no idea what it was used for. Not because I couldn’t figure out where it went or if it was part of a puzzle. It was because that part of the game hadn’t been translated!!!!
I stopped playing here. All my hopes for a kick ass vampire game were extinguished as if someone sprinkled “white water” on them. This game could’ve been pretty damn great. For one thing they used vampires as enemies when so many other survival horror games were focused on zombies. Not to mention the ability to switch weapons AND reload your gun without having to enter the menu screen to do so. I’m looking at you Chris, Claire, Leon, Harry, and Aya.
Also the fact that you use an anesthesia gun to subdue the vampires was innovative. They would wake up and come after you again if you didn't pour the white water on them. The re-release of Resident Evil on the GameCube later introduced this game play element but you had to burn the zombies to keep them dead and find fuel to do this also. The multiple endings were a bonus but not unlike the other survival horror games out at the time.
The difference is the endings are supposed to add to the characters stories and not leave you asking more questions. For example, “Who the fuck is Claudia?” “Why are you looking for your sister in a casino?” “You have a sister?” "Is she stronger than you?” “Do your female coworkers make you go through a spank machine before allowing you to get your check?” “WHO. THE FUCK. IS CLAUDIA?!”
Also the fact that you use an anesthesia gun to subdue the vampires was innovative. They would wake up and come after you again if you didn't pour the white water on them. The re-release of Resident Evil on the GameCube later introduced this game play element but you had to burn the zombies to keep them dead and find fuel to do this also. The multiple endings were a bonus but not unlike the other survival horror games out at the time.
The difference is the endings are supposed to add to the characters stories and not leave you asking more questions. For example, “Who the fuck is Claudia?” “Why are you looking for your sister in a casino?” “You have a sister?” "Is she stronger than you?” “Do your female coworkers make you go through a spank machine before allowing you to get your check?” “WHO. THE FUCK. IS CLAUDIA?!”
Keith meets a variety of characters on his journey to uncover what is really happening.
- Misato Hayakawa a waitress at the Desert Moon casino is constantly searching for her lost sister and is obsessed with Gells the antagonist.
- The man in black who explains some prophecy about Gells.
- Alicia S. Tiller who is chairman of the Desert Moon casino and is somehow also a scientist? FML on this one.
- Gells the antagonist (and I also believe is the fucking cat in the intro) who is somehow connected to Misato
- Mira Swish another detective from the Plata Losa police but only appears in the special playthrough. (we’ll get into that momentarily) She is also there as a guard for the VIP’s
- Sheck Gardner another pimped out officer from Plata Losa SWAT. He’s there for backup? I know he gives Keith the thumbs up at one point. Well Done!
- Jules Doors who is ALSO from Plata Losa providing backup for Sheck who is providing backup for Mira and Keith. Sigh. (Is it just me or are you also craving some Mexican shrimp dish when you hear that? Plata Losa. Yum)
- Frederico Castero I know I’ve heard his name but i swear I don’t remember seeing him. I think he worked with Keith? I don’t know does it really matter at this point?
The game is two discs (one disc too long in my opinion) and on the second disc you can play as a vampire! Never got around to figuring out how he becomes a vampire because I wanted to experience some type of thrilling gameplay. In the beginning where it asks you to input your name if you enter Prince for the first name and Darkness for the last name (super original guys) you play the game as Keith vampire with a powered up electric glove and punch moves. He does have a really cool health bar. It's his tribal tattoo. At least they got some use out of it other than making him look like a shirtless douche. Apparently this is where the countdown begins as you have twenty minutes to kill humans. WTH. To bad all your enemies have machine guns and do more damage to you than you to them.
Another added bonus is if you beat the game in under 8 hours (Holy fucking shitballs, god why?) you get to play through the special story where you get to meet some of the characters mentioned above. So basically you have to defeat Gells twice to unlock this horseshit. There is also a chance for you to uncover the identity of the man in black. SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!! It’s Keith’s fucking sister. What a twist! I guess he’s been looking for her this whole time? Also Mira finds Claudia who then tell’s Keith that Mira is going to help her “find herself” as they walk off into the night head on shoulder style. Let us know how your first scissoring session is dude.
This game is complete garbage. Its half translated in some areas, the tank controls are not good at all and the story is weak AF. It does offer multiple endings but after watching them still adds nothing to replay value whatsoever. I actually bought this game and was hyped about it but when I sat down to play it I was not remotely interested in beating it.
If you’re into collecting shiny expensive PlayStation jewel cases the game is actually selling as a collectors item for around 119 dollars. Clearly meant to be left in the packaging and stared at. I’m pressing N on this one then deleting this state faster than Keith realizes he missed an opportunity for a threesome.
What are your thoughts? Do you love this game? Do you hate my opinion? Do you wish cats could be in casinos? Leave a comment here or hit me up on twitter or email .
Hang with me next time as we press Y to load another state.
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