Bram Stoker's Dracula. (computer game) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
by Zach Meston

Ten years ago, my eyes would bug out if I bought a game and there was actually more than one disk (wow!) inside the box. Nowadays, my eyes bug out if I get a game with (d'oh!) only one disk inside the box. Such is the case with Bram Stoker's Dracula, a mediocre movie tie-in.

Your goal in this arcadish Dracula is to take out the chief bloodsucker by wandering around three locations (a cemetery, Carfax Abbey, and Dracula's castle) and throwing holy wafers into glowing red coffins (huh?). While you're wandering around, the hideous creatures attacking you must be destroyed with your handy pistol or knife. There are also locked doors that need to be unlocked with specific keys, usually near coffins. And that's about it.

The game's first flaw is the lack of an automapping system or compass to help you get your bearings. The manual brags about the game's "three huge levels," but what good are they when you're stuck stumbling around the first level because every location looks the same?

The other flaw is that the gameplay is dull. Walk around, find a key, shoot a zombie, and walk around some more. No neat puzzles, no variety of weapons--just boredome . . . and frustration at how easily Dracula's minions can kill you.

I could put a stake through the heart of Bram Stoker's Dracula, but I'll resist the temptation and simply say that this Dracula isn't much fun. The designers managed to imitate the look of Wolfenstein 3-D, but they forgot to add the gameplay and the excitement.