DESCRIPTION

Illbleed comes courtesy of Crazy Games, formerly known as Climax Graphics and the company responsible for the Dreamcast launch title, Blue Stinger. Eriko Christy, along with three other teenagers who together comprise the Horror Appreciation Society, has been invited to try and navigate famed horror movie producer Michael Reynold's horror theme park. As added motivation, the hefty sum of 100 million dollars is offered to anyone who can survive the ordeal. Fellow members Kevin Kertsman, Randy Fairbanks, and Michel Waters set out to conquer the park, but never return, thus, Eriko takes it upon herself to rescue her friends and survive the nightmarish theme park. Separated into six distinct themed sections, the park hides a bevy of traps, monsters, and heart-attack inducing frights, along with more helpful areas, such as a Hospital, Photo Center, Drug Store, and Visitor's Center. The Visitor's Center allows players to select a different character to control, assuming they've already been rescued, while the Photo Center facilitates game saving.

To avoid the traps littered about the theme park, players must utilize senses, such as sight, smell, and hearing, as well as the fabled sixth sense — all of which are represented by onscreen meters. When your character senses something strange or out of place, a spike in the relevant meter will occur, indicating the possible presence of a trap, or in the case of the sixth sense, an item or monster. Additionally, a Horror Monitor can be acquired in each section of the park, and using it you can mark suspect areas with a glowing orb. Marking an area requires adrenaline however, and when depleted you'll be unable to check for more of the so-called "Shock Events." Successfully marking a trap, however, will award the character with extra adrenaline points for later use. Failing to detect traps or being hurt by monsters will affect your Pulse, Bleeding, or Physical Strength; if any of these reach critical levels your character will die.

Each level houses a single weapon that can be used to defend yourself from the park's abominations. Should you not find this weapon, you can make use of a green "H" that will appear in particular fight sequences. Standing on this mark will alert a rescue helicopter which then comes to your aid by slowly lowering a rope ladder. Upon completion of each level you'll be awarded a small amount of money which can be used to heal your character at the Drug Store or purchase "sense" upgrades (assuming you've found the requisite organ in the park somewhere) that lower the speed of your heart rate and provide more adrenaline, among other operations that can be undertaken at the park hospital. ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide