Recently, my brain decided to think of what would the next Blood game be if someone, anyone would want to make it now, in 2020s, and had a big enough butget for it.
Disclaimer: as I said, I have no game design skills, I'm not saying I'll ever try to make this game, I'm not (Thernobog forbid) trying to assemle a team to actually make this game real. It's just a fantasy about a game that could be, but (sadly or not) never will be.
The core idea:
As we know, long long ago Caleb was a cowboy dude from the Wild West. But we've never seen his adventures in the Wild West setting. So let's think of a prequel to the original Blood that would depict Caleb's more early years in the Cabal... and had a lot of classic western references in addition to classic horror movie references.
Also, let's think of a game that actually lets us play not only as Caleb, but also as his three other Chosen friends, as the Blood team originally wanted.
The gameplay
If Blood was done today, and if it had a big budget, I think it would be a Doom 2016 style FPS - fast-paced, with lots of jumping, with arena-like environments for fighting enemies. (Note: I don't know if the new Doom gameplay formula would work well with hitscan enemies - either make bullets projectiles or add a lot of cover on every arena).
But let's elso drop some new gameplay mechanics - and this idea I stole from Bulletstorm. In addition to Life Essenses scattered around the level, the player would gain health from killing his enemies and gain more health from killing them WITH STYLE - headshotting, gibbing/overkilling them, multi-killing them and so on. (For some reason, I love the idea of the voice of Tchernobog commenting the player's kills, like "HEADSHOT!", "DOUBLE KILL!", "EXTRA CRISPY!"... and maybe also mocking the player if he fails to impress his god). And, of course, it will include Glory Kills from Doom 2016. The black comedy theme was always present in Blood games... but I'm not sure a modern game protagonist would be allowed to tear out enemy hearts and eat them.
Also some levels could include Innocents who would run around screaming in terror, but now the player can brutally kill them to refill his health... if the monsters won't steal his kills before him. (Wait, are we going too far into Postal territory? Is this legal?)
Also, somewhere mid-game the player will unlock his Rage Bar. He gains rage by killing enemies, he gains more by killing them with style, the Rage Bar depletes over time, but when it gets full, the player may enter his Chosen Form - each of the Chosen has his own, described later.
The Chosen
The game would have four playable characters, one for each of the first four episodes. The player then may choose any one of them to play the fifth and final episode.
Let's assume the game has seven ammo types: slugs, shells, bullets, dynamite, gasoline, energy cells and soul energy. Each of the Chosen has his own weapons, one for each ammo type.
Each of the Chosen also has a passive ability, a special ability and a Chosen Form - the passive is always present, the later two must be unlocked during the game.
Caleb
We all know know him, we all love him, our sarcasting psycho gunfighter slash evil cultist. Playstyle: general - he's your average FPS protagonist.
Melee weapon: Bowie knife, 'cause why the hell not.
Slugs weapon (default): since Caleb is a gunfighter, then... Colt Buntline - a serious gun with a serious twelwe-inch barrel for serious people. Secondary fire: iron sights for increased accuracy, but reduced firing speed.
(There's a problem with reloading: the need to reload could break the flow of Doom-like shooter, but lack of need to reload a revolver could break the immersion. Well, let's assume that SOME weapons need to be reloaded, but most don't.)
Shells weapon: your old trusty sawed-off shotgun.
Bullets weapon: okay, we know that there were no assault rifles of SMGs in Wild West, but you can't make a FPS game without one. So, let's introduce you... a Machine Rifle Prototype, invented by the Cabal mad scientists. Secondary fire: ...dunno, maybe give it a scope because mad Cabal scientists are really mad?
Dynamite weapon: dynamite sticks. There's one problem: hand-held lighters weren't invented until XX century (I googled)... but I, for some reason, like the idea of Caleb smoking cigarettes and using them to light dynamite fuses.
Gasoline weapon: Incinerator/napalm launcher
Energy cells weapon: lightning gun. Same as Tesla rifle, but the game takes place somewhere in 1870s, when Nicola Tesla was in his twenties. Tesla wasn't a member of the Cabal, was he?
Soul energy weapon: voodoo doll. Yes, as you've noticed, Caleb uses mostly classic Blood weapons.
Passive ability: gains more health/rage by headshotting enemies.
Special ability: Lasso! To use as grappling hook, to entangle enemies and pull smaller enemies closer. Caleb is a cowboy, so he needs a lasso!
Chosen Form: Hexshooter - Caleb magically creates a copy of his firearm in his left hand for Akimbo shooting. Doesn't work with dynamite sticks and voodoo doll, but the magical copy doesn't use ammo at all and doesn't need to be reloaded.
Ophelia
One thought: what should the Wild West version of Ophelia would look like? In Blood 2 she was a leather-clad punk-like girl, but that would be anachronistic. Should she be a short-haired cowgirl tomboy in man's clothes? Or a saloon singer-type femme fatale in a red dress? Can we somehow have both? Or something else? Playstyle: Ophelia relies on mobility and finesse.
Melee weapon: at first I thought about a pair of knieves with low attack damage but high attack speed. But then... how about a whip? It could be also used as a grappling hook. Secondary fire: ...any ideas? Tripping enemies? Or spinning the whip before her to deflect incoming projectiles?
Bullets weapon (default): how about... a Pepperbox? I know that pepperboxes don't work like that, but I love the idea of a Pepperbox used as a rapid-fire Gatling pistol. Secondary fire: how about unloading all the 6/8 barrels into an enemy?
Slugs weapon: scoped rifle. Because, as we know, sniper rifle is Ophelia's weapon of choice since Blood 2.
Shells weapon: two-barreled shotgun. Longer barrels for less spread.
Dymanite weapon: okay, I stole that idea from Redneck Rampage - a dynamite-firing crossbow. Primary fire: fires a dynamite stick that explodes on impact, secondary fire: fires a dynamite stick with a lit fuse like a grenade launcher.
Gasoline weapon: Molotov cocktail... well, they would need another name, 'cause People's Commissar Vyatcheslav Molotov wasn't even born at that time. Again, speaking of lighters - for some reason, I love the idea of each of the Chosen preferring his own kind of tobacco. Does Gabriella smoke big cigars? Does Ophelia smoke cigarettes with a mouthpiece, or is this too girly for that lady, and she prefers smoking a pipe?
Energy cells weapon: death ray.
Soul energy weapon: the Orb. But it needs something else for secondary fire - it doesn't fit Doom 2016 gameplay formula, and let's be honest, it was never useful anyway. How about launching the Orb with its blades spinnig, damaging everything in its path?
Passive ability: okay, now I really ran out of ideas. I would give Ophelia increased health and rage from headshots, but Caleb already has the same. I couldn't come up with a better idea than giving some of them increased fire rate when their health is low.
Special ability: Raven Wings. Okay, I have the name, but what does it do? I have some ideas: 1) a Dash that lets Ophelia become incorporeal and pass through enemies and some obstacles, 2) double jump and the ability to spread magical wings to glide with reduced falling speed and increased horizontal speed, 3) can we have both?
Chosen Form: aaand again I ran out of ideas. At first, I was thinking about bullet-time, but I don't know how it would work in multiplayer mode. (That game would benefit greatly from cooperative mode!) So... how about a Phantasm Form that makes Ophelia incorporeal and immune to all but spirit damage, but whenever she uses weapons, she becomes vulnerable for a short time?
Gabriella
Okay, why Gabriella, not Gabriel? Well... Gabriella from Blood 2 at least has SOME personality, while Gabriel from Blood has never been given a chance to show any. Also, who wouldn't love a six-foot tall strong black woman? (Fun fact: chronologically Gabriella could be born as a slave and had witnessed - and maybe even participated in - the American Civil War, but... it's a sensitive topic, better not bring those serious matters into our black comedy game). Playstyle: strong - this gal relies on big guns, MORE DAKKA and strong melee attacks.
Melee weapon: axe - slowest attack speed, but able to one-hit kill most weaker enemies.
Shells weapon (default): Winchester lever-action shotgun. Secondary fire: dunno, maybe give it a bayonet?
Slugs weapon: Colt Peacemaker. Secondary fire: "fanning the hammer" for increased firing speead but reduced accuracy.
(Or maybe give Colt Peacemaker to Caleb, and to Gabrielle give a... Le Mat Revolver with a buckshot second barrel?)
Bullets weapon: you already know it, don't you? It's the hand-held Gatling gun!
Dynamite weapon: like Caleb, Gabriella throws dynamite sticks, but let's give her a different secondary attack - she throws a case of dynamite onto the grond, then she may shoot it for a big boom.
Gasoline weapon: a flamethrower, plain and simple.
Energy cells weapon: as a substitute for a rocket launcher - let's give her a plasma gun that shoots exploding balls of plasma as primary fire, and charges the blasma ball over time for more damage and blast radius as secondary fire.
Soul energy weapon: I think that Flayer from The Nightmare Levels would suit her. Primary fire - shoots a hook on a chain that pulls enemies closer (GET OVER HERE!) and can be used as grappling hook (without spending mana), secondary fire... well, how about immobilising enemies with magical chains?
Passive ability: gains more health and gave from killing enemies with melee weapons.
Special ability: kick! (Probably should be unlocked by finding a pair of really stompy boots). Deals some damage to an enemy and pushes him backwards. Could also include slide kicks and stomping enemies by jumping on them (instant death for weaker enemies).
Chosen Form: Beast Form - turns Gabriella into a monster who rips enemies apart with its bare hands. Yes, basically Berserk from Doom 2016.
Ishmael
The smartest of them all, a master of the dark arts. Playstyle: Smart - I like giving him the ability that have to be mastered.
Melee weapon: sacrificial knife. Weak damage, but each hit gives Ishmael some health. Also, does spirit damage instead of physical damage.
Gasoline weapon (default): flame pistol - works like a flare gun, but uses liquid gasoline instead of flares. Secondary fire: charges the gun up for a bigger shot (should include a manometer for showing charge level).
Slugs weapon: double-barreled hunting rifle. Same as double-barreled shotgun, but with a bit weaker damage and no spread.
Shells weapon: Colt Revolving Shotgun. Secondary fire: can you do "fanning the hammer" with that weapon?
Bullets weapon: I ran out of ideas, so let's give him a Pepperbox, like Opelia's.
Dynamite weapon: magic bombs! Radio detonators weren't invented yet, but Ishmael can use magic to make his dynamite sticks stick to enemies (for more damage) and go boom when he snaps his fingers.
Energy cells weapon: I wanter to give Ishmael something "smart"... how about a Ball Lightning Gun? Primary fire: shoots a slow-moving ball lightning that zaps nearby enemies (like a BFG blast from since Quake 2, but for less damage), secondary fire: makes that lightning ball stick to wall for a few seconds, zapping enemies nearby.
Soul energy weapon: Life Leech. Still drains enemy health and uses player's health when no mana is available, but now has a different secondary attack: it creates a magical copy of the Life Leech that acts as a turret. It doesn't make the player drop the weapon, like in Blood, but the "turret" can be attacked and destroyed by enemies.
Passive ability: each kill gives Ishmael some soul energy, Glory Kills give more.
Special ability: at first I wanted to give Ishmael a fire whip that would set enemies on fire and give him health as the burning enemy loses health. But then I got a more complicated idea... the Soul Whip - Ishmael latches a magical whip at an enemy, dealing weak damage over time. If the Soul Whip kills an enemy, Ishmael rips his soul out of his body, gaining some soul energy and also creating a phantom of that enemy that will fight on his side.
Chosen Form: Bloodfire - Ishmael sets himself on magical fire, so his attacks set enemies on fire that deals them damage over time and restores some health to Ishmael as his enemies lose health.
The plot:
The four newly initiated Chosen are summoned by the Tchernobog who gives them a mission: He says that five of His lieutenants have betrayed Him, wanting to use their dark powers to make themselves the rulers of Earth, and Tchernobog orders His servants to kill the traitors and everyone who stands in their way.
Caleb's episode
In the first episode, the player takes the role of Caleb who hunts the Great Sand Wyrm. This episode takes place in the classic Wild West setting amd should include at least one train level and at least one bank heist. (And maybe a horse riding level? Does Caleb have a horse?) Then Caleb comes across a Cabal temple where Caleb unlocks his Chosen Form... after wiping out the temple priests who insist that he "must prove himself worthy" before they help him. Then Caleb travels into the desert to fight the Great Sand Wyrm. (It would be cool if before killing it he would ride him, wreaking havoc among his enemies).
But there's a question: how should the Chosen unlock their Chosen Forms in-game? I see some options:
1) The lazy one: the player must defeat a Chosen-in-training (one of those guys who turn into Beasts after you kill them) in combat. It's the lazy one because it would make the player fight ONE boss FOUR times.
2) The difficult one: to unlock his Chosen Form, a Chosen must defeat one of Tchernobog's lieutenants: Ophelia fights Cheogh, Gabriella fights Shial, Ishmael fights Cerberus, and Caleb fights some unnamed Chosen-in-training. It's the difficult one because it requires the devs to program four unique bosses... and I also think that it's very unlike Cabal - to defeat an enemy, but do not kill him.
3) Something in between: to unlock their Chosen Forms our (anti)heroes need some kind of an artifact. And... what if this artifact summons a copy of Chosen whom they must defeat?
4) The bloody one: the player is locked on an area where enemies spawn endlessly until the player fills his Rage Bar and uses his Chosen Form for the first time. There's one problem: if the player is low on health and/or ammo, and enemies won't stop spawning until he fills his Rage Bar, that could fall into a "spiral of death". But... that sounds very Cabal, doesn't it?
Ophelia's episode
In the second episode, Ophelia is the POV character. This episode takes place in a more "gothic" environment that could include a spooky mansion (possibly with a mad scientist lab), a spooky forest with stick human figures hanging from the trees (and a cabin in the woods with a wax cylinder phonograph on the table), a graveyard, a desecreated cathedral... in the latter Ophelia meets Cheogh, the ruler of the gargoyles. She asks him for help, but he refuses, mocking and insulting her, saying that she and her friends will die at this mission, and Tchernobog sent them only to show them humans how weak and unworthy they are. Ophelia gets angry, and... wel... what happens next depends on how the Chosen should unlock their Chosen form, but in the end Ophelia uses her Chosen form for the first time, to Cheogh's unpleasant surprise. She then descends into the dark catacombs where she kills the Vampire Queen.
Gabriella's episode
Third episode... well, I couldn't make it sound less like Even Death May Die from Blood - Gabriella goes to Canada to hunt down the Winter King. It's all snowy there, it could possibly include a lumber mill (feel free to kick enemies into rotating saw blades with your new boots), a mine, an old Native American graveyard and some more Native American territory. Somewhere in the mines Gabriella encounters Shial - she says that she's not going to help Gabriella, because Tchernobog didn't give her an order - Gabriella is not pleased, but Shial helps her unlock her Chosen Form (in a manner of "learn to use it or die - whichever way, Tchernobog will be pleased"). Then Gabriella climbs onto the cold mountains to kill the Winter King.
Ishmael's episode
In the fourth episode Ishmael goes after the Great Deep One into some Innsmouth-like town, probably with some other H. P. Lovecraft references. Somewhere in the dark severs he encounters Cerberus, asks him for help, Cerberus refuses, and after a short conversation, Ishmael figures out, that this all is goig according to the will of Tchernobog. With the "help" of Cerberus he unlocks his Chosen form and (probably after at least a level on board of a ship) goes into a R'lyeh-like underwater city to kill the Great Deep One.
Final Episode
After their successes, the Chosen reunite, and Ishmael figures it out: the five lieutenants never betrayed Tchernobog, they probably think that the Chosen are betrayers - Tchernobog sent the Chosen to kill His loyal servants to test their might and loyalty, and whoever would win, He would be equeally pleased. His friends do not really like it, but proceed with their mission, if such is the will of their master. Player must choose one Chosen whom he will play during the last episode. That Chosen must descend into the realm of the dead (possibly going through another mad scientist lab, a mental asylum and some other places) to kill the Phantasm Lord.
(Note: every character has their own grappling hook equivalent, but one should remember that platforning puzzles were Doom Eternal's worst part - better encourage the player to use the grappling hook for quick movement across the arenas.)
After the Phantasm Lord is dead, the four Chosen are summoned again to the Tchernobog. They expect Him to reward them, but then He says: "You have failed me. I disavow you all," - and orders Cheogh, Shial and Cerberus to kill them, except for the Chosen whom the player chose for the final episode. "Consider my power... in a hollow grave." The end. Credits begin.
...After the credits end, the secret level starts: the Chosen climbs out of his grave and finds himself in an environment resembling E1M1: Cradle to Grave. He kills some Cabal cultists, then finds a piece of newspaper that says the year is 1928 - about half a century passed since his death by Tchernobog's hands. But the Cabal are still at large, and now the Chosen is going to have his revenge on Tchernobog. The end - now for real.
What could be the enemies?
Human enemies:
Cultist: I love the idea of basic Cultist looking like Wild West bandits, with cowboy hats and scarf covering their faces, armed with pistols.
Fanatic: more classic cultists, wearing hooded robes and armed with shotguns or rifles. (Note: we're discussing "if Blood was done today", so by any means, they SHOULD NOT be looking like KKK members!)
Acolyte: "cowboy hat" cultists throwing dynamite sticks and with dynamite bundles strappen to their bodies. When set on fire, they explode. Also, could they charge at the player, blowing themselves up?
Templar: okay, that's the new ones. If Caleb has a Machine Rifle Prototype, is this really an unique prototyre, and only one exists, or the Cabal have made many of them? Meet Templars - cultists wearing metal breastplates over their cultist robes and armed with machine rifles. Should we also give them bulletproof shields?
Assassin: just a thought about nimble female cultists in cowgirl outfits, armed with Pepperboxes.
Zealot: spellcaster cultist like in Blood 2.
Mad Scientist: your typical mad scientist - armed with energy weapons, resistant to energy damage.
Bokor: okay... would it be considered offensive? But I liked the idea of adding a voodoo sorcerer who uses voodoo doll as a weapon - you can't dodge his attacks when you're in his line of sight, but if you break the line of sight before he finishes his attack, he will damage himself. Also may be able to create zombies from dead enemies. Yeah, he would annoy the shit out of the players.
The undead:
Zombie: your basic zombie armed with melee weapons (crowbars, mining picks, lumberjack axes, tomahawks...). Since we're thinking about Doom 2016-like game, better not make them too slow and clumsy.
Ghost Archer: you can't make a western without some Native Americans, can you? They are spirits of Native warriors corrupted by the dark magic. Armed with bows, shoot at the player from distance, when player approaches them, they run away - and when they move, they become incorporeal and immune to non-magical weapons.
Crawling Hand: okay, on one hand, those critters on't fit well into Doom 2016-like game. (And most players HATED them). But on the other hand - one does not simply make a Blood game without one of its most iconic mosters. So... I think they could be made a nuisance monster - a REAL NUISANCE monster. Give them the ability to jump and climb walls, make then jump onto the player, initiating a QTE that disrupts his attacks and disctracts him and don't forget to make them announce their presense with screaming "I'LL SWALLOW YOUW SOUL!"... Yeah, the gamers would still hate them.
Patchwork Monster: Frankenstein-type brutes. Could be attacking the player in melee or be using heavy weapons like flamethrowers, Incinerators and Gatling guns. Probably also give the flamethrowerers fire-resistant armor and a big fuel tank that the player could shoot at for a big boom.
Monsters:
First thing first, the game would NOT include gargoyles, spiders and hell hounds - they are the children of three Tchrnobog lieutenants who were given an order not to interfere and let the Chosen and the other cultists kill each other for Tchernobog's amusement. However, it's supposed to include classic Gill Beasts - their master is going to be killed by Ishmael - and Phantasms - their lord is the final boss. No wonder why in Blood they hate Caleb so much...
Fishers: I just like the idea of half-human, half-Gill Beast enemies. Maybe they could be throwing harpoons at the player, pulling him closer... yeah the players would hate them (except when they play as Gabriella).
Graboid: okay, we all know, that many monsters from Blood were referenses to classic horror monsters. So... why not make a Tremors reference - enemies that attack the player from underground? They are the children of the Great Sand Wyrm, whom Caleb kills first.
????? - I haven't yet decided who should be the children of the second (Ophelia's) episode boss. Maybe Ghouls (D&D-like or Lovecraft-like)? Or let's search American folklore for, like, Jersey Devils - who would not be gargoyles but whould behave like gargoyles? Or vampire-like giant bat-creatures that would, again, behave like gargoyles?
????? - okay, the third episode takes place in the frozen north, so I have two candidates for Winter King children. First, Bigfoot/Sasquatch - ape-like brutes living in remote places, attacking the player with their big fists and throwing heavy objects and him. Second - let's dig the Native American folklore for Wendigo... what should they look like? Skinny ghoul-like cannibalistic creatures with deer antlers? Skinny creatures with bloody stumps for legs, floating in the air and attacking the player with their ice magic? Or bloodthirsty furry giants with horned heads? They should be throwing ice projectiles at the player... if their ice magic slows the player, the players are gonna hate them.
Are we done yet?
Now you may tell me why that idea sucks and no one is going to play it.
Personally, I think it could suck for two reasons: first, it could easily end up in a development hell, some features would be scrapped (like, I wanted to add the ability to play as other Chosen and the Bloodlust mechanic - but what if those machanics were scrapped for a reason?), and others would be executed poorly (sadly, that's what happened to Blood 2). Second, hardcore Blood fans would say that it's not a "real" Blood game (yep, it's different, but times change, and games change with them), and that it retcons many of the Blood lore (yep, it does - WHY DIDN'T WE KNOW CALEB CAN CREATE MAGIC WEAPONS?!), so boo on you, caecux infirmux. So... yeah, maybe it's a good thing that game would never be made.Okay, let's return to the real world: are there any good Blood mods that let you play as other Chosen?
(Sorry for the delay: I've been struggling against depression... and I'm not sure if I'm winning.)
Don't get me wrong, I still play classic FPS games, but that gameplay formula of "find a key at one end of the level to open a door at the other end of the level, then flip a switch that opens a door SOMEWHERE on the level" haven't aged well (unless you're playing Hexen***), and hitscanning human enemies have never been the most fun part of Blood.
