OverBlood is a Sci-Fi Survival Horror/Adventure game for the PlayStation. Developed by Riverhillsoft, it was first released in Japan in 1996 and was later localized by Electronic Arts for the west in 1997. While often seen as one of the first Resident Evil clones, it was actually in development around the same time and it's really more of a Spiritual Successor to Riverhillsoft's even lesser known 3DO Interactive Multiplayer game Dr. Hauzer (which in turn drew inspiration from Alone in the Dark, much like Resident Evil did).
The game begins as the protagonist wakes from cryostasis with amnesia. After saving himself from the life-threatening cold of the room by wearing a small vest he calls a jacket, he learns from a computer terminal that his name is Raz (No relation) Karcy and that he was never supposed to wake up. With the aid of the robot Pipo he begins exploring the mysterious complex in which he is trapped, discovering the aftermath of an earthquake and the unfortunate results of a Super Soldier project. Things get complicated when he discovers he is infected with the mutation-causing ARNA Virus and that someone wants to make sure he never escapes...
It is notably more puzzle oriented than other Survival Horror games, having less than ten enemy encounters over the course of the entire game, counting the boss. It was also commended for its use of companions whom you could control at will for puzzles.
While it was at the time considered rather average, it is now incredibly entertaining: the laughably illogical puzzles are just barely passable, the animations for everything from jumping to just standing still are ridiculous, and its otherwise interesting but forgettable plot is chock full of Narm.
A sequel, OverBlood 2, was released in 1998 also for the PlayStation.
If you actually looked up this forgotten game, there's a good chance its because you watched either the Super Replay of it on Gameinformer.com, or the Wrongpurae of it by Retsupurae.
These games have no relation to Blood Over, a 2D Beat 'em Up game.
OverBlood contains examples of:
- Amnesiac Hero: Raz remembers nothing.
- And Then John Was a Zombie: Raz becomes one... but in an unusual fashion, he gets cured in under five minutes.
- Big Word Shout / Skyward Scream: Pipoooooooo!.
- Body Horror: The result of the Viral Transformation entry below.
- Chekhov's Gun: Pipo's chip. Seems extremely pointless to take it? Yes, but Pipo is at the very end uploaded onto Zeus (the giant computer) who lets Milly and Raz out of the base that is about to explode.
- Cute Machines: Pipo.
- Dress-Coded for Your Convenience: The good guys wear vests that are too small for them. The evil guys don't.
- Elaborate Underground Base: The first game took place entirely inside one.
- The Faceless: The mysterious man who helps the heroes along and the scientists in the discovered video.
- Genetic Memory: Milly remembers all of her original's memories because original-Raz wanted her to love him again.
- Good Morning, Crono
- Gosh Darn It to Heck!: It feels like the script was deliberately kept rated G for whatever market appeal they were going for."Oh for Gosh's sake, what is it?!""Move, darn you! Don't leave us trapped like this!"
- Guide Dang It!: There is nothing that indicates what objects can be interacted with. Many items are not even visible in the game, you just have to interact with one of several identical environmental objects to find the item needed. Crouching and interacting with an object has a different effect than interacting with it standing up, to the point where while standing up you will get "There's nothing here" and while crouching you will find a crucial item. Completion requires you either check every single thing, from desks to boxes to walls, twice, or you use a guide.
- It's also entirely possible that, without a guide, you will miss the only item in the game that allows you to save your progress. Which happened in the Game Informer Super Replay.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Dear Pipo.
- Laser Blade: The laser knife.
- Mad Scientist:
- Magic Antidote: Once the Viral Transformation mention below is in full effect, Milly takes Raz to get treated and completely reverses the virus. This essentially wastes the subplot, since there was a decent amount of build up but is never mentioned again after that event.
- Press X to Not Die: Without much warning a tram-like machine activates behind Raz and Milly and advances towards them, with nowhere to go. Don't press the interact button in time and they're run over on the spot with a Gory Discretion Shot. Of course, the game doesn't indicate whatsoever that this is what you have to do.
- Replacement Goldfish: Milly (the one who joins the party) was cloned to replace the original's death and be the wife to the husband, original Raz (the villain).
- Robot Buddy: Pipo. We'll never forget you.
- Say My Name: "Pipoooooooooo!" and later "Milllllllllly!"
- Self-Destruct Mechanism
- Schmuck Bait: A floating statue Raz will note seems heavy has an item called an "Anti-Gravity Device" at its base, and you can opt to take it. Oops, it was holding the statue up, and Raz gets crushed. Hope you didn't save too long ago.
- Super-Soldier: This has been Lystra's original aim, creating clone soldiers who carry the ARNA virus that gives them higher sensory perception. This is why the zombies are very strong. Obviously, it backfires until the original Raz shows how to do it... and then you have to fight him.
- Tap on the Head: Raz gets knocked out in a single punch from Original Raz compared to the other times he's been punched by zombies.
- This Cannot Be!: Raz says this upon learning that he's a clone.
- Time-Limit Boss: The final boss must be beaten in five hundred seconds and still escape.
- Tomato in the Mirror: The main character, Raz Karcy, is actually a clone of the real Raz Karcy, a Mad Scientist whose wife died. Milly, your companion for most of the game, is actually a clone of the original Milly, the original Karcy's wife. The original Raz Karcy wants clone Milly to love him, but she loves clone Raz.
- Unexpected Gameplay Change: At one point Raz and Milly have to ride a hovercraft through a cavern, where the game suddenly turns into avoiding stalactites and stalagmites. Mercifully your health bar works here instead of instant death, but it isn't exactly smooth to control.
- Unskippable Cutscene: Throughout. Particularly frustrating during the aforementioned Time-Limit Boss.
- Viral Transformation: Happens to the clone Raz. That is to say, the main character.
- You All Look Familiar: The zombies all have the exact same model. More obvious than in other games because the only thing they wear is a solid-colored jumpsuit, normally blue but later Palette Swapped to green.
