Death Wish

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Death Wish

Developer: Dustin "Bloatoid" Twilley

Publisher: ModDB

Designer: Dustin "Bloatoid" Twilley

Engine: Build Engine (Blood mod; BloodGDX, NBlood, Raze), Kex Engine (Fresh Supply)

Version: 1.7

Released: October 31, 2011, 2017-2020

Genre: First Person Shooter

Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer

Platforms: MS-DOS (original executable), Java VM (BloodGDX), Microsoft Windows (NBlood, Raze, Fresh Supply), Unix-like (NBlood, Raze)

UPC/A7: N/A

ISBN-10: N/A

Media: Download


"Caleb will need to muster all his strength to take down the mighty Tchernobog, who has managed to free himself from the grip of death. Death Wish is a new campaign for Blood with over 30 new levels, cut scenes, and more. All levels have been modified for Co-op play. The entire project was developed by a single mapper, ensuring consistency and quality." — Official description

Death Wish (sometimes styled as Deathwish) is a fan add-on for Blood developed by Dustin "Bloatoid" Twilley, previous creator of Inherit the Earth (1999) and Hostile Takeover (2001). It adds an additional three episodes and over thirty new levels to the game. The project was started in January of 2010 with the aim of it being completed by the year's end. Development later expanded into 2011, with it finally being released on October 31, 2011.

This was quickly followed up with two minor point releases. A major revision and update, version 1.4, was released on October 31, 2017 after years of anticipation dating back to May 7, 2013. This was further built upon a year later with version 1.5, which focused on improving multiplayer features for both Bloodbath and co-operative play among other tweaks. Another release, version 1.6, was released the next Halloween, intended to improve support for source ports like BloodGDX, NBlood and Fresh Supply. As of June 28, 2020, Bloatoid has announced a new episode of Death Wish that was slated for 2023.

The effort is distributed as a plain Zip archive file that simply holds a folder with all the files, with the user only needing to extract the files into their Blood directory and launching with the command parameter "blood -ini dw.ini". The author wanted it to be as easy as possible, especially since he was not trying to add any new textures or replace any sounds.

Details[edit]

The most notable new feature to be added as part of Death Wish are modified tomes that bring up messages when you collect them. There are several in each level, and they have special messages that reveal secrets, story elements, and sometimes nothing more than offhand Cultist comments. They are not always right in your path, but if a curious player starts searching every corner he should be able to find them all.

The release also comes with a fully developed walkthrough available in a plain text file. The walkthough is separated into two parts, with the first part being a basic walkthrough that does not reveal any secrets or the entrances to secret levels, and the second revealing all. Also included is a commentary text file offering the creator's thoughts about the project.

Story[edit]

Tchernobog's human form is reborn; from the opening cutscene

Death Wish begins with an introductory cutscene depicting a narrated scroll. It explains that while Tchernobog's divine form was sent into the Outer Void and the power of The One That Binds was inherited by Caleb after the god's defeat in the Hall of Epiphany, the heart of his original human form lay hidden under a Stygian tower waiting for when he would need it again. Utilizing this fail-safe, the 16th incarnation of Tchernobog returns to this world and, no longer hindered by his multi-dimensional responsibilities, is able to acquire new power. Tchernobog realizes though that he will only be a shadow of his former self as long as his divine form remains in the Outer Void, so he seeks to reclaim it again, fully aware that Caleb would immediately sense such a disturbance.

The time period is never strictly stated, although it's said to be long after the events of Blood. The presence of computers, space technology, and references to CabalCo seem to hint that it is set either in the late 20th or early 21st century; as well as the statements of continuing dimensional decay, tying it together with the Blood II: The Chosen storyline. Due to the fact that the add-on features no new textures, for the sake of compatibility, some creative choices are used to make the vintage styles work within this theme.

Note: the following still needs to be updated for version 1.4 onward

Episode 1: In Cold Blood

Episode 2: Scar Trek

Episode 3: War is Hell


Episode 1: In Cold Blood[edit]

"Caleb defeated the Dreaming God Tchernobog in the Hall of Epiphany, inadvertently claiming the ability to bind dimensions as his own. Tchernobog's body was sent to The Void, but his power was vast - its flame not so easily extinguished. In his ruin Tchernobog revealed as special ability, just as Caleb had when Tchernobog cast him down. He could cheat death. Below a distant stygian tower, the Dreaming God hid his festering heart, the last remnant of his human form. When his body perished in the Hall, the heart began beating - the Demon was reborn! He removed the evil talisman that secured his immortality and placed it once again in the depths of the tower. With the task of binding dimensions lifted, Tchernobog's power grew. Seasons passed. Tchernobog realized he would never taste his full potential without drawing his divine form back from The Void. As the new binder of dimensions, Caleb would surely sense Tchernobog's efforts. The demon arranged a diversion." — Opening cutscene

Nipping this in the bud, Tchernobog sends a horde of zombies to Caleb's out-of-the-way retreat, killing his pet Hell Hound "Cujo" and enraging his former servant once again. As Caleb hunts after nearby Cabal patrols and the elusive skeletal figure of the resurrected ex-god, dodging their traps, he begins to find that various dimensional portals are starting to open. All heralded by shining coloured orbs, he learns from various Tomes that this indicates the binding of the dimensions is decaying. He fights through the mines and newly opened dimensional planes nearby (DWE1M1: Home Sweet Home), until he makes his way through the forest to an old automotive shipping route. Dodging traffic, and making his way through treacherous bridge-ways and dams (DWE1M2: Lost Highway), Caleb finally reaches a region whose cold icy exterior proves to be illusory, and finds himself fighting on all fronts inside a cultist-spectated arena showdown (DWE1M3: Firebelly). Afterwards, stumbling upon a Cabal ran horror themed amusement park, with various attractions (DWE1M9: Spooky World). Only to return to the arena, this time covered in snow, and fight in another spectated showdown (DWE1M10: Ring of Fire). He then precedes to start a descent down winding staircases to the "crimson river" (DWE1M4: The Abyss). Passing through the one safe way, Caleb is back onto higher ground, only to have to go down into the caves again and a hidden dark church (DWE1M5: Jigsaw), finally succeeding through a succession of key puzzles. Exploring a remote arctic outpost, Caleb has to face the horrors found hidden under the ice (DWE1M6: What Lies Beneath), before finally returning to civilization, jumping between rooftops and blasting through tenements and various businesses (DWE1M7: Urban Decay). This time ascending, Caleb makes it up to the very heights of the city, and faces Tchernobog head on, only for the ex-god to spirit himself away through a dimensional disturbance after Caleb defeats his guardian Stone Gargoyle (DWE1M8: Vertigo). The episode's epilogue describes how, holding a cultist at gunpoint, Caleb learns the truth of the ex-god's plans and why he led Caleb up to the far north: to keep him safely out of the way. Now realizing the actual extent of his quest, Caleb seeks out the talisman that brought his former master back to this world.

"Epilogue: Revelation. With the battle concluded, Caleb began to feel a dimensional disturbance. Using his special brand of interrogation, Caleb discovered how Tchernobog returned to the realm of the living, and his plan to begin pulling his divine form back from The Void. The secret of drawing Caleb to the far North was revealed: Tchernobog, beginning his transformation in the place where he had been defeated, was far-and-away. Time was on his side. However, the battle with Tchernobog would have to wait until the talisman which allowed him to escape death was expunged." — Closing cutscene

Episode 2: Scar Trek[edit]

"Caleb journeys to destroy the evil heart that provides Tchernobog with the power of resurrection. Following a band of fleeing Cultists, Caleb travels to the dry wastelands in search of the Black Tower. Tchernobog has anticipated this move by reading the thoughts of his followers, and sends forth the bulk of his army to defend the heart. With the odds against him, Caleb will have to fight his way into the dark citadel where both the heart and an army of death await." — Opening cutscene

Knowing that fighting the ex-god without first destroying the source of his resurrection is pointless, Caleb follows a band of fleeing cultists to the dry wastelands and dark citadels that guard the black Stygian tower. To start off his journey, Caleb rides towards a Cabal caravan and makes his way aboard, using their napalm turrets to his own advantage, before riding to another car for the penultimate blast (DWE2M1: Armada). Extracting himself from the wreckage, Caleb fights through what at first appears to be a shipping lot, but actually conceals a secret CabalCo space program (DWE2M2: Out to Launch). Boarding the rocket, Caleb ascends to the Cabal mothership Monstromo, and, after making his way through the ship's decks and duct work, activates the self-destruct before racing to an escape pod (DWE2M3: Mothership). Following a rough landing, Caleb ascends up into a castle dungeon, wherein the Cabal has been experimenting with genetics, electricity and even teleportation (DWE2M4: Weird Science). Caleb makes his way through a zombie infested underground laboratory, run by rebel Cabal who wish to overthrow Tchernobog, first by boarding a cavern train (DWE2M10: Dread Faction). Returning to the castle, which has now been frozen, Caleb fights past a horde of Cabal and a Cerberus (DWE2M11: Behemoth). Escaping the facility, Caleb meanders through a winery, before finding a catacomb complex hidden nearby (DWE2M5: Grapes of Wrath). After finding five black chests in order to exit, Caleb comes across a ghost ship, whose haunted halls hides the keys he needs to progress further (DWE2M6: Deep-Sixed). Finally, Caleb begins to approach his objective, crossing through underground canals and high peaks (DWE2M7: Paradise Lost). Emerging out of the forest, Caleb ultimately reaches his goal: the Black Tower, but nothing is as simple as it appears (DWE2M8: The Black Tower). Making it into the tower's interior, past all the portals, hideaways and traps, Caleb locates the heart and destroys it as well as Tchernobog's defensive legion. Safe in the knowledge that his old enemy is once again mortal, Caleb begins his trek back to where it all began - the Hall of Epiphany.

"Epilogue: Not Long for This World. The heart was destroyed. Caleb could now eliminate Tchernobog without fear of his return. He will have to travel to the scene of Tchernobog's defeat, The Hall of Epiphany, to face him once more - every passing moment bringing Tchernobog closer to his mighty transformation." — Closing cutscene

Episode 3: War is Hell[edit]

"The final showdown with the Devourer of Souls draws near! Travelling up a lonely mountainside where he feels the warping of dimensions growing strong, Caleb begins a race against the clock to reach Tchernobog, who has gathered his most powerful servants to put a halt to Caleb's progress. There is no telling what power Tchernobog will acquire if he achieves his divine form, able to dedicate what was formerly used to bind the dimensions to the purpose of destruction." — Opening cutscene

Starting his hunt, Caleb begins to ascend up a lonely mountainside, sensing the accelerating decay of the dimensional boundaries as he goes. He knows that if he does not halt Tchernobog quickly, and so prevent him from reacquiring his divine form, the fate of everything will be in jeopardy. Caleb climbs the peaks into a nearby town, and begins making his way through its various buildings, tormented along the way by the spectre of his long dead lover Ophelia Price (DWE3M1: Whisper Peak). Entering into what appears to be a damned alternative version of a bank vault, Caleb finds himself sliding along in a delirium until he finally arrives into what at first appears to be an ordinary looking bedroom (DWE3M2: The Room), only for it to prove to be an inter-dimensional hub, also engulfing a nearby subway station. Passing through a magic door, Caleb reappears on the mountainside, and climbs through a temple up to its roof (DWE3M3: Shadehaven), wherein his further ascent is made more convenient through the acquisition of an aerial vehicle. Making a crash landing, Caleb emerges out onto a beach front, and so seeks out his needed keys through seaside attractions and a dimensionally unstable hotel (DWE3M4: Bogey Beach). Caleb ends up soaring into the night sky, and is once again in another nightmare sequence, revisiting locations from the previous two episodes, albeit dark and hellish (DWE3M9: Nightmare). Awakening back at the docks, Caleb battles a Cerberus, before taking a boat and sailing off (DWE3M10: Morning Gory). Sailing away, Caleb has little time to reflect before, predictably, the boat explodes, which proves to be only the first of many explosions, including an air strike ordered by Caleb himself (DWE3M5: Duck and Cover). Caleb is still not yet out of the heat however, being faced with a lava soaked complex, guarded finally by a sacrifice-hungry Cerberus no less, before having to crawl through the acidic insides of an all too familiar flesh temple (DWE3M6: Inferno). Escaping again on a river boat, Caleb visits more old territory, up into the ruins of the Hall of the Epiphany and faces the Choesn-in-training (DWE3M7: Last Rites). Travelling to a dimensional portal, Caleb finds that he is too late: Tchernobog's divine form has been brought back from the Void. However, this proves to be nothing that a little fire-power can't fix, as he kills both his reincarnation and then travels into the Void itself to expunge his presence once and for all (DWE3M8: Dead End). At peace with the world following his victory, Caleb has it in mind to return to the mountains, rebuilding his home and returning to a quiet life. After killing a few more stray cultists that is...

"Epilogue: Evil Never Sleeps. Tchernobog was sent howling back The Void, dark spirit and all. Caleb returned to the mountains to rebuild his home and his peaceful life, wondering if an evil as potent as Tchernobog's could ever really be wiped from existence. Should he return somehow, Caleb was ready. Still excited from his fight with Tchernobog, Caleb thought it might be fun to put off rebuilding his home while he tracked down a few of the Cultists he may have neglected in his journey. Guns loaded, Caleb set out into the night with a peace of mind he had not felt for many years." — Closing cutscene

Development[edit]

Death Wish logo

"I stopped messing with Blood [after Inherit the Earth] and moved on to editing Unreal maps and making board games for a while, returning to make Death Wish years later. Before I started I played through the entire game a few times so it was fresh in my mind, then dove into the mapedit files of all the original game's maps to reverse engineer all the tricks I liked. Originally I was only going to do the first episode, but I got such positive feedback that I decided to keep going. If you want to read about those levels in-depth you can check out the text file included in the download. I had to use some awful software to get the movies to work, the audio to which I recorded in my car with an iPhone." — Dustin Twilley, January 19, 2016

v1.0 Original Release

v1.1[edit]

  • Actor error from e1m3 that some people are having resolved
  • False keydrop in e2m3 fixed in single-player mode
  • e2m7 door toggle fixed for lower difficulty settings
  • README expanded to include info on running Death Wish on the GOG.com version of Blood
  • README expanded to include info on bMouse for mouselook

v1.2[edit]

  • Cutscene paths changed from C:\blood\ to C:\ in DW.ini
  • Some mission music rearranged
  • Enemy/respawn alterations throughout entire map set
  • Large reduction of Acolytes in favor of other enemy types
  • Some altered respawn arrangement
  • Miscellaneous textures aligned and altered
  • Many areas now favor enemy difficulty over increased numbers
  • Bugs and "traps" in co-op fixed

v1.4[edit]

Death Wish 1.4

"I'm working on releasing a refined final version of the add-on and was wondering if anyone had any comments or ideas about what can be done to improve things, especially if you are aware of an outright error. In the Freeminded site someone posted a "Co-Op compatible" version of Death Wish, although I have no idea what changed since it was co-op compatible to begin with (I've played online with others several times). Any and all nit-picks are welcome :-)" — Dustin Twilley, January 12, 2013

"I currently have an updated version of Death Wish sitting on my hard drive. It has 2 new secret levels (hos-e1m1 & hos-e1m2 from hostile takeover, heavily modified to bring them up to "Death Wish standards") along with transitional maps. Little fixes have been added to all the maps along with rebalanced health drops and new architecture where sector limits allow. I was waiting for a chance to re-record audio with good equipment and redraw the movie art before releasing, but with my indie game schedule it's hard to find time." — Dustin Twilley, January 19, 2016

"Glad you enjoyed the expansion — the latest version (not released yet) has a better health balance along with a few more levels. I've been waiting for a time when I can redo the cinematics to release the update but I've been pretty busy running my own gamedev company lately. It's hard to pin down how long it took to create the maps since I'd do a first draft then revisit each one later on adding details. I think when you complete a map and take some time apart it's easier to see what needs tinkering. Episode 1 levels needed the most work since I started with those after a long absence from mapping for Blood. By the time I got to Episode 3 I wasn't making a lot of mistakes so I guess those went the quickest. I guess each level took about 3–4 weeks minimum depending on how much free time I had after I got out of work. Mapping goes WAY faster after memorizing the soundFX numbers, how to set up common special effects, etc." — Dustin Twilley, March 3, 2016

Announced on May 2, 2017 to be released October 2017, and then further slated for release on Halloween 2017 on October 9th. This objective was met successfully, as noted on by Blood Line on November 11th.

"Happy Halloween! What better way to celebrate than to check out one of the biggest expansions for the oldschool, horror-themed FPS Blood?! The update improves level design, gameplay, and overall quality. This update is not only about adding new content, but also polishing the content present in v1.3. Along with 2 new maps (and 2 short transitional maps), v1.4 addresses complaints/concerns that have been brought up over the last several years as well as making changes based on observation of play-throughs on Youtube and Twitch. This version is also more speedrun and co-op friendly, with more opportunities to sequence-break and less unintentional trapping. Other than level architecture, there are many other changes: all cracks are easier to trigger, less respawn spam, water flows in the desired direction so you'll swim faster across long distances, shorter elevator rides, health has been rebalanced, there's less respawn spam, some items not present in v1.3 are now used, mission end-points are more clear, and much more!" — Dustin Twilley, October 31, 2017

v1.5[edit]

Version 1.5

"Death Wish 1.5 for Blood is currently being developed to enhance the multiplayer experience. Co-op mode will go much more smoothly thanks to a few updates... Keys / Items that trigger events will not trigger the event again if that item respawns. Certain collectables that unlock pathways (like the Black Boxes in DWe2m6 are set to never respawn)... Doors that block player backtracking will eventually reopen to allow teammates who were left behind to catch up. Even if the door/wall does not reopen, a teleporter or spare key will be revealed. This also solves the problem of teammates who perish while holding a key that is now unreachable by others... Hate playing catch-up? DW1.5 will have a checkpoint system wherein reaching certain points in a mission will open up a teleporter or teleport-station near the player spawn-point, allowing teammates who are killed to return to the action quickly... No, I didn't add new levels this time. I made a lot of areas look nicer and fixed some technical issues, but the single-player experience is still similar the most recent build of DW1.4. If I saw something I wanted to touch up while adding Co-Op stuff I addressed it, but all the biggest changes in this version are multiplayer-related. That said, if you want the best Death Wish has to offer for single player mode, you'll still want to have DW1.5... I am still gauging the interest in this, but I was considering including some of my deathmatch (aka "Bloodbath") levels in this update, with an eye towards making sure they are up to the production standard of the single player campaign. Let me know if you'd be interested!" — Dustin Twilley, July 28, 2018

"Death Wish 1.5 for Blood will be released at the end of the month, October 31, 2018, just in time for the spookiest day of the year! This update adds a bunch of stuff for multiplayer as well as improvements to the single player campaign and even a small set of Bloodbath (deathmatch) maps... There are no new levels this time around, although I did fix a bunch of bugs and more details were added to existing levels. All of them have also received an update to the monster load-out to cut down on enemy spam that was artificially lengthening gameplay. Likewise, some levels that were longer than they needed to be due to backtracking have been reworked." — Dustin Twilley, October 1, 2018

"It's Halloween again and this year I have a treat for Blood fans! With BloodGDX making Co-Op and Bloodbath in Blood easier than ever, this update adds improvements for singleplayer, Co-Op, and even adds some Bloodbath (deathmatch) levels. All maps can support up to 8 players at once for both Co-Op and Bloodbath." — Dustin Twilley, October 31, 2018

v1.6[edit]

Version 1.6

"Happy Halloween! Death Wish updates once again this year. Once again I've gone back through all the levels and made edits and upgrades to improve things, but this year there's something even more exciting: a new level! This is the first one I've made completely from scratch in several years. The new mission, They Mostly Come at Night, is the second secret level in the Scar Trek episode. Now each episode in Death Wish includes two total (not counting transition maps). Good luck finding it! Death Wish 1.6 also includes upgrades, new areas to explore, and improved compatibility with Blood:FS/GDX/NBlood... The walkthoughs for the levels, including the new one, have been updated along with the README file explaining installation for various programs/launchers. I also updated Speedy's Addon MIDI Sountrack so the .ini matches the new one for v1.6.0. That's all for now. Have a happy Halloween with your favorite horror FPS Blood!" — Dustin Twilley, October 31, 2019

https://www.moddb.com/mods/death-wish-for-blood/news/death-wish-16-coming-in-september

https://www.moddb.com/mods/death-wish-for-blood/news/death-wish-16-pushed-to-october

v1.7[edit]

Version 1.7

"It's that time of year! The new episode is still a work in progress and is not included in this version, but in the meantime I thought I'd drop a holiday treat and release the annual upgrades to the existing levels in time for Halloween. This time around I've done some remodeling to the more linear and exhausting maps as well as the usual enhancements." — Dustin Twilley, October 13, 2020

Released on October 13, 2020.

v2.0[edit]

"I started working on a 4th episode for Death Wish. The edits to old levels will probably be minor. The new episode continues where the 3rd left off. I'm taking my time to make sure the level quality stays high, so don't expect this update until 2021 (I don't plan to wait until October to release it like I usually do, though). I'll release some preview images from time to time until then." — Dustin Twilley, June 28, 2020

Announced on June 28, 2020, a pending new version is to feature an entirely new fourth episode alongside the usually expected tweaks and updates.

Soundtrack[edit]

Banner

"This is an audio bundle by Speedy that adds new music for the Death Wish mod version 1.7. Updated on 11-24-20. This is an audio bundle by Speedy that adds new music for the Death Wish mod v1.7. Now works with DOS, Blood:FS, GDX, and NBlood. This is an audio bundle by Speedy that adds new music for the Death Wish mod. The .ini has been updated for Death Wish changes up to v1.7.8. Works with DOS, Blood:FS, GDX, and NBlood." — Description

A custom soundtrack for the add-on has been created by Speedy released on November 24, 2020.

Link: ModDB

Critical Reception[edit]

"Retro Review - Mod Corner - Deathwish Mod for Blood" (Gggmanlives) - YouTube
"BLOOD - Death Wish - Tribute Clip" (Emmanuel EXE) - YouTube
"PRO BLOOD - DEATH WISH" (Civvie11) - YouTube
"Deathwish for Blood is AMAZING (The Real BLOOD II)" (FP) - YouTube

The game was well received in the Blood community, and one of the most anticipated events of 2011. It was in particular praised for its architecture, pacing and plain creativity. Some quibbles were made about its difficulty and pacing, particularly in terms of the author's affection for the usage of Ackolytes, which lead to that enemy variety being made less common in later versions. Still, reception has been almost universally complimentary, offering up a brand new challenge to Blood players thirsty for new content after almost fifteen years since the game's release. The 2017 updated release has also attracted a notable degree of attention, even receiving a write up from Rock, Paper, Shotgun.

"Death Wish is the perfect add-on for a hardened Bloodite, or Build engine fan, with no end of novel architecture, amazing interactivity, in-game cinematics and challenging fire-fights. If however, you are just getting your hands bloody or are a more casual player, I would suggest perhaps waiting on it or giving it a miss, or else face no end of frustrating deaths - most likely at the hands of the eventually quite tiresome Tchernobog heralded traps, poisonous secret areas and endless zombies hoards. If you think you are ready, then give it a go. As Tchernobog says several times within, 'Let the bloodbath begin!'" — Graham "Gideon" Wilson, Blood Wiki

"Death Wish is more of everything that made Blood work. Complex combat encounters, esoteric weaponry (get ready to bounce dynamite around corners again), very deadly enemies, interactive environments and no shortage of classic horror references. There’s a horror fan’s eye for detail visible in just about every map in this lengthy expansion. One level in particular – Whisper Peak – is a clear tribute to Silent Hill; Dense fog, rusted otherworld and all. The level design is consistently impressive, and according to the update notes for the latest build, they’re pushing up hard against the upper limits of the engine itself. This is literally as good as Blood is ever going to get." — Dominic Tarason, Rock, Paper, Shotgun

"So far it's all gushing praise for Deathwish...and that's really all I can offer, because apart from a few levels that aren't quite as interesting as the rest (The spacestation, whilst well executed, I didn't find too compelling) it's just completely solid all the way through and goes from strength to strength, with constant new ideas and challenges to go through. Most importantly, it's clear the amount of love that went into the mod. Nothing feels rushed or lazy and even the full walkthrough provided shows that Bloatoid thought about the players who aren't so hot with finding secrets or navigating the levels. This could of easily been packaged and sold as a retail expansion of Blood, had it been released back in the day. Play this mod - if you're playing the GoG version of Blood it's a bit tricky to set up so check the moddb page's comments for more help, but it is 100% worth the effort to play. All of the above puts Deathwish in my best mods of all time category (and makes me cry when I look at my own horrid levels in comparison to Bloatoid's work)" — Jblade's game/mod reviews

"In terms of length, this is a full game. This is a full 1990s-length game (back when FPS games actually included more than just a few measly hours of gameplay). Although I am only two-thirds of the way through the game, this is the result of playing this game a lot for several days. All in all, “Death Wish” is easily as good as (if not better than) the original “Blood” was. Not only does it include (mostly) excellently-designed levels and cool movie references, but it also includes the kind of amazingly fun and enjoyably challenging/ hilariously unfair gameplay that you only see in 1990s FPS games. This is a mod both by and for classic FPS gamers. And it is awesome! If I had to give what I’d played so far a rating out of five, it would just about get a five." — PekoeBlaze

"DEATHWISH for Blood is probably one of my favourite mods for any of my favourite oldschool shooters. I usually try to give things 9/10 because nothing is really perfect, but DEATHWISH has enough care and interesting extras to push it over into a 10 for BLOOD Fans. It has fantastic level design in plausible locations (which has only got better with updates), it has horror references that inspire entire levels instead of being throwaway jokes, and with the release of BLOOD: Fresh Supply, the nice little features and scripts of the mod are even better if played through that source port. I'd say the author of this mod not only understands what made BLOOD great, but also how to make a fun, well-paced shooter in general. To be honest, I'd be interested to see them join a team developing a modern "retro-shooter" as at least a Level Design Lead." — AschTheConjurer

"I'm really glad I decided to try this mod out. I never really bothered to mod Blood in any way, but I decided now would be good time to try and downloaded Death Wish. I'm glad I did! This is the Blood 2 I always wanted! The quality of these levels are definitely on-par with the classic levels. The layouts are cleverly designed, and the atmosphere generated in some of the areas probably exceed the originals. The levels also **** with you a bit at random moments--in ways I won't spoil here. I may have a few nitpicks here and there, but the overall package more than makes up for any shortcomings. In short, if you've got the ol' Blood itch but want to play something new, get this mod. You won't regret it!" — Graykin

"Amazing mod. Out of the 30 levels I think there maybe only 1 or 2 I didn't like as much. Otherwise it's solid all the way through. There is an amazing variety of environments all with different well executed atmospheres and interesting well thought layouts. Gameplay is always fun and health-ratio is pretty much perfect in every map. There is also some neat effects here and there and tons of secrets to find in each level. A must play for any fan of Build engine games." — NESfag

"Stunning campaign. This is easily the greatest piece of fan-made content for Blood. Three tough-as-nails episodes, filled with fantastic level of thematic variety. Large portion of the maps follow original game's trend of being inspired by well-known pieces of horror fiction. The Thing, Silent Hill, Alien... they all have their own dedicated map. One episode's finale is even based on The Dark Tower. Maps inspired The Thing and Alien's Nostromo manage to be genuinely scary and you'll be on your toes for their entire duration. Every map features great visuals, with some of them containing some of the most impressive architecture and detailing you'll see in a Build engine mod. This is an absolute must play for any bloodite, Death Wish is pretty much an infinitely better Blood sequel than actual Blood 2." — King Random

"I usually don't post here, but I made an account just to write to you. I've played many mods for blood, such as Bloody Pulp Fiction, The Lost Episodes, Chronicles vol 1, and Sect wars, but your mod defeats these mods with no effort at all. Truly amazing level design, amazing level concepts, and above all your mod captures the feel and atmosphere of Blood perfectly (which others fail to do). I am addicted for quite some time now, and I always wanted a worthy successor to original blood, and this is it. In fact, I think Death Wish outdoes the original blood in many respects. The creativity you've put into your work, I was left speechless with many things in this mod. I hope you will make more blood mods in the future. Thanks a lot bloatoid for blessing us with your amazing work." — BloodCaleb

"This is probably the best set of levels for Blood ever made. The author has really matured from his previous map packs, both in terms of level design as well as just overall presentation. Some levels really push the boundaries of what the Build engine can do, and the way the mod includes referential levels (you will probably recognize the references when you see them) provides a nice variation when playing, not to mention the second episode really goes into places that Blood hasn't gone before. It's pretty hard overall, but then again Blood has always been hard. If you like Blood or just Build engine games overall, you really owe yourself to play this." — TecMan

"Straight up one of the best things I have ever played. It has plenty of horror references, excellent mapping, fun gameplay, and an excellent style that easily puts it above most mods. Even the weakest maps are still very, very good and the strong ones are simply amazing. Bloatoid should be hired, given a couple million, an engine, and a memo telling him to go nuts. Easily mod of the year, perhaps even mod of the decade. Sure we have nine more years, but it will be very hard to top this one." — doccarnby

"Superb custom Blood mapping, right up there with the retail levels and in many cases surpassing them. Super fun, creative, well-thought-out and balanced levels. You can't possibly miss this out if you enjoy Blood (and who that's played it doesn't?)" — Waffnuffly

"Incredibly varied level design and challenging use of enemy types. Death wish throws a lot of enemies at the player at a time, which is fantastic. Installation is simple, too. If you own and enjoy Blood, you absolutely need to play through these levels." — Vdaxzter

"This mod easily brings the quality of the original game. The maps are smartly designed, and it's just a pleasure to get through of them. I'd recommend that mod to everyone who wants to play again with Blood but already bored of the original maps." — JonC83

"Absolutely brilliant. Astonishing level design, lots of scripted events, and cleverly hidden secrets. I specially like the thoughtful use of original textures to create objects like e.g. computers." — finnischeruhu

"Level design is superb and the effects is just mind-blowing. I'm a huge fan of Blood and Duke Nukem 3D, you can feel the passion that was put into this mod. Those particle structures are simply gorgeous! You are my hero." — [1]

"2 days ago I finished Death Wish and I want to share my experience. I tried it like a year and a half ago for the first time, but didn't play past the first episode for reason I can't recall. I'm pretty sure the mod has already been analyzed to death, so I'll try to be short - fucking play it, seriously! It's not just that you will have a fun time as somebody who likes FPS or Blood, it's one of the best things you can experience in gaming in general. The variety, the level design itself and the gameplay it offers are 11/10, it doesn't take it's time to really get going, instead it starts strong and engaging and just keeps delivering till the very end. Not to discredit original game, but I found Death Wish to be straight up better at everything, especially at presenting the main villain and creating atmosphere. Unlike in original campaign you will be constantly encountering Tchernobog during the entire playthrough, he will be laying out traps, summoning monsters, trying to kill you by casting explosions or napalm into your face or just jumpscaring you. Remember the feeling of darkness and slaughter in Blood? Death Wish takes it on another level, not only there's just plain more carnage around, but you will also be swimming in rivers of blood, seeing heretical ceremonies and sacrifices, hearing and seeing paranormal beings more often, and in general level appearence is dirtier and gorier, in one of them you literally swim in shit. Death Wish also tries to go for horror feeling much more often than original game, especially towards the end. The gameplay is good and fun, for more details see the spoiler below ( it has always been a problematic topic for me)." — Sjukob

External links[edit]

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