Buffy the Vampire Slayer (video game)



A video game for the XBOX was released in 2002, featuring all the Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast save Sarah Michelle Gellar, taking place between the third season episodes "Revelations" and "Lover's Walk" (the gang knows Angel's back, but Xander and Cordelia are still together). It centers on yet another bid to revive The Master, with Spike being forced to help because Dru is held hostage. It was followed by a sequel, Chaos Bleeds, which has slain foes Back from the Dead as Ethan Rayne challenges The First Evil to a contest, using The Scoobies as his champions in a bid to become a chaotic god.

Between the two games we find the following tropes.
""A sparkly thingy, to add to my collection of sparkly thingies"."
 * A Date with Rosie Palms: When playing as Faith in Chaos Bleeds she might allude to using stakes she finds as dildos.
 * Alternate Universe: The First sends the heroes to one.
 * Back from the Dead: The main plot of the first game is to do this with The Master, and the second game has numerous antagonists pull this.
 * Borrowed Catchphrase: In the alternate dimension Buffy has to find the other playable characters. Turns out Faith is chilling in a bank vault waiting to be rescued, and will use Willow's "Bored now" as Buffy does so. In this instance there no ominous foreshadowing, fight or Flaying Alive, Faith just wants out.
 * Breakable Weapons: Most weapons have limited durability. Wooden weapons can be broken down into stakes, and stakes will eventually break as well.
 * Buffy-Speak: Naturally, in regards to crystals.

""Hello!""
 * Badass Normal: Xander is easily as capable fighter as Buffy, Faith or Spike.
 * Call Back\Call Forward: Loads and loads of them, from Spike flipping the V at Angel to Xander's love spell to Buffy freaking at the idea her mother will be raised from the dead to Faith borrowing Willow's bored now Catch Phrase. When Cordelia goes on about Angel being evil Angel will address this, commenting on shouldering the crimes he had committed and trying to work towards redemption. This would be shown in greater detail when the two characters become the leads in Angel's show. Part of Spike's Heel Face Turn is also due to him being as against the game's Big Bad's plans as he was against Angelus unleashing Acathla to destroy the world.
 * Continuity Nod: Xander makes fun of Drusilla having the hots for him. Spike angrily replies it was due to the love spell he created when he wanted to get back at Cordelia.
 * When Angel becomes involved all the Scoobies question whether he might go evil again. When The Master possesses him they discuss trying to restore Angel, or the possibility Buffy might have to kill him.
 * When Spike makes his appearance Buffy is furious he went back on the deal they had in Becoming..
 * Creator Cameo: Joss Whedon is an unlockable multiplayer character in the second game.
 * Demonic Possession: The demons Spike works for does this to Dru to force his cooperation, and The Master takes control of Angel as a host. The Wangst over the idea that Buffy might kill him is surprisingly toned down.
 * Eldritch Abomination: Laibach of the Abyss
 * Elite Mooks: Common garden variety vampires are surprisingly dangerous when compared to demons.
 * Enemy Chatter: And thanks to the limited voice samples it can get real old real fast. A quick application of pine to a vampire's chest however will mean you only have to hear Buffy yap.
 * Enemy Mine: Spike finally gets fed up with working for the vamps trying to bring back The Master and turns to the Scoobies to offer aid in exchange for releasing Dru.
 * Evil Twin: Buffy has to fight one in the first game, and Anya, Tara and Ripper become this in the second.
 * Final Death: At both ends of the spectrum. Some enemies (vampires for example) have to be staked or burned to be disposed on. Likewise, Buffy can survive with no energy, she dies from being bitten (vampires, spiders), slashed, some special death move, or long falls.
 * Gargle Blaster: The mother of them all: Faith finds hellfire vials (think Molotov cocktails) and muses about drinking it like beer.
 * Giant Mook: Giant vampires who hit like a truck. Forget about going into the inventory during their killing move, after knocking Buffy down they can crush her under their boot in a second.
 * Giant Spider: Come in two sizes. The small ones are bigger than the ones in Australia, the larger ones are as big as Buffy.
 * Guide Dang It: Finding your way through Chaos Bleeds is hell.
 * The first level of the docks requires holy water. Unless you think to smash open the large crates to find a font you're kind of stuck. Buffy even lampshades being able to find it.

"In a time when the world was young and demons ran unfettered across the face of the earth. The powers that be chose a young woman, one girl in all the world to combat the forces of darkness. Upon her death, the power passed to another and another. Down over the millennia with each inheriting the power of her predecessor. The power of the Slayer."
 * He Knows About Timed Hits: The beginning of the game has Giles put Buffy through basic training. Chaos Bleeds has the characters fend off an attack on The Magic Shop, with Giles, Anya, Tara and Buffy explaining the basics to the four main characters (save Faith, who plays the same as Buffy).
 * Improvised Weapon: Most of the weapons you'll find are these.
 * Opening Narration: The first video game expands on the one given above, retaining Giles as a narrator:


 * Poison Mushroom: Spiders like to hide in crates.
 * Precision-Guided Boomerang: The upgraded Reaper Blade can be used in this manner.
 * Put on a Bus: Oz doesn't make an appearance in the game, with the characters commenting that he's on tour wioth the Dingos.
 * Raising the Steaks: Zombie gorillas and penguins in Chaos Bleeds.
 * Rewarding Vandalism: Destroying crates, furniture, headstones and the like will often reveal items, or makeshift stakes.
 * Shout-Out: The game's music during quiet, investigative scenes resembles the library and Sledgwick Hotel music in Ghostbusters.
 * Shown Their Work: The amount of work put into the games is amazing.
 * Sniper Crossbow: Buffy can zoom in on unaware vampires and score a One-Hit Kill from afar if she can listen to their heartbeat and nail them.
 * Standard Status Effects: As you progress through the game vampires will have this ability to stun Buffy, which is kinda like the thrall powerful vampires like The Master and Drusilla have. Some demons have something similar.
 * Super Drowning Skills: Buffy, slayer of vampires, able to take on hordes of demons, clearly cannot swim.
 * Tempting Fate: Buffy does this at The Bronze. Xander doesn't even get to finish lambasting her for it before vampires attack.
 * The Other Darrin: Giselle Loren performs the voice of Buffy (and Anya in Chaos Bleeds), where Kari Wahlgren fills in for Alyson Hannigan in the second game.
 * The Voiceless: Strangely, Drusilla does not have a single line of dialogue. The demon possessing her does though, and he's not about to take any of Spike's lip.
 * Title Sequence: After Giles gives a brief rundown of the plot we get a remade game version of the titles, although they goof in having the traditional Power Walk and shot of Buffy switched around. Averted in Chaos Bleeds, which goes directly to a shot of Sarah Michelle Gellar.
 * Trick Arrow: Buffy can trick out her crossbow bolts with Hellfire or Holy Water.
 * Who Writes This Crap?: Spike begins reading out an incantation to summon a demon, before turning to the vampires he's working for and asks who writes this dross.