Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond

Blood Bath and Beyond is average fun while it lasts. The script and parodies are a reason to keep playing. The low-gravity sections at the end of the game are enjoyable, too.

I cannot give the game the ultimate praise it deserves. It isn’t perfect (and with its satirical humour, it knows that!), and it certainly isn’t Shadow Complex, but what it is, is a nostalgic piss-take of the things we used to love.

You have to have sense of humor and Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond does and helps the player have it. Its humour is well taken, and although it results limited to videogame fans, it helps us pass a good time while playing old formulas.

Beyond a breath of fresh air, it will provide a chuckle for some and a tear for others. Well done, Vicious Cycle. Well done indeed.

At five or so hours, Blood Bath and Beyond is not a long game, but with its stripped-down gameplay and one-note humor, it begins to outstay its welcome some time before the final credits roll. As a $15 download it's certainly a better value than its full-price predecessor.

Blood Bath and Beyond is a fun shooter, perfect for wasting away a boring afternoon. Side-scrolling action and hilarious levels will keep you entertained, and bringing a friend along adds to the fun. Just don't expect depth beyond its core concept.

Matt Hazard: Blood, Bath and Beyond is worth a play through alone for its comical dialogue that give it a B-movie impression and the numerous allusions to other videogames.

Overall Matt Hazard Blood Bath and Beyond is a pretty fun title. Whether you like this game or not will depend on whether you enjoyed similar titles like this back in the day.

A much-improved Hazard, with humorous one-liners to suit.

With Blood Bath and Beyond, Vicious Cycle Software has struck a balance between humor and gameplay that was sorely lacking from Hazard’s previous outing. Sure, the game can be quite frustrating at times (then again, Contra was too) and the co-op support is limited to local play, but if you’re looking for a 2D side-scroller with a sense of humor, look no further than Blood Bath and Beyond on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network.

Blood Bath and Beyond is a humorous action side-scroller with nice elements but an unremarkable proposal.

Matt Hazard: Blood Bath & Beyond is 1200 points ($15) on XBLA, which is admittedly a bit salty for what is ultimately a rather repetitive shooter.

This is a game that doesn't take itself too seriously, and manages to be both fun and funny half the time. However, the other half is always there to remind you that this is a mediocre affair.

This satirical shooter is fun, but it never takes advantage of the potential of its parodies.

If you could rent it, that'd be the best way to experience Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond. Since you can't, only one question remains: are you willing to spend $15 on a very short game you may only want to play through once?

Matt Hazard: Bloodbath and Beyond isn't a terrible game, but it doesn't offer anything new.

Matt Hazard: Blood, Bath, and Beyond is a fun little romp from start to finish. If you like the classic 2-dimensional side scrolling shooters of old, this game will be right up your alley.

It's not a terrible game, just an utterly unoriginal and instantly forgettable one.