Donna: Avenger of Blood

Donna: Avenger of Blood is a traditional adventure game in which you play as Donna, a woman who has been turned into a vampire fairly recently. The game begins with your protagonist looking out the window of her hotel room, a few minutes before dawn, as a group of vampire hunters breaks down the door and shoots her, causing her to break the window and rush into the street. Thanks to her powers, she manages to survive, but her situation is dire.

The gameplay in Donna: Avenger of Blood will be familiar to anyone who has ever played a point and click adventure game, as this game was developed using the popular Adventure Game Studio engine. At the bottom of the interface, there's a list of all the actions you can perform, among which you'll find the usual Look, Talk, and Interact, although there are also actions more specific to your protagonist, such as Biting or Hitting. After all, Donna needs blood to survive. And that will be one of your main concerns throughout this game.

The setting of Donna: Avenger of Blood is dark, oppressive, and dangerous. The game is not overtly inspired by Vampire: The Masquerade or World of Darkness, but your protagonist's surroundings certainly have a very similar mood. Some of Donna's powers, for example, have the same names as similar ones from the Vampire: The Masquerade books. And the general decadence feels very similar to that of World of Darkness, only without the same proper names found in that city and among its inhabitants.

An adventure game lives or dies based on the quality of its story, dialogue, and characters. Donna: Avenger of Blood, paradoxically, lives. At the beginning of the adventure, you might feel a little confused, as the game doesn't include a tutorial to explain the importance of blood or vampire powers. But as soon as the action picks up some speed, you'll discover a gripping story that's much deeper than the supernatural thriller label typically suggests. This is a story worth discovering for yourself. Of course, it also includes some quality puzzles, which are challenging without being absurdly frustrating, which is a nice change of pace for a game of this genre.

Donna: Avenger of Blood is an outstanding point and click adventure game that's sure to please any fan of the genre, although it will particularly appeal to fans of the role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade, as well as fans of supernatural novels. Its visuals, which at first glance may seem a bit rough, are easily forgiven as soon as you take into account that the game was developed by a single person using photographs. In short, this is a must-have title.