As Halloween draws near, Dark Blood, the hit hardcore free-to-play arcade brawler from Outspark, is getting spooky with the release of a wicked Battle Pets system.  Gaming Climax had a chance to chat with the Dark Blood team about the Dark Blood Battle Pets and all the haunted fun being had in game.

1.  Dark Blood, the newest MMO from Outspark had a very exciting launch over the summer for North America and Europe. Can you tell us about Dark Blood and what attracted Outspark as a publisher to this game?

What makes Dark Blood so compelling is that it looks and plays like a AAA console fighting game with all the thrills and chills of the arcade including Joystick and gamepad controls, and yet it’s a free-to-play PC download. We’ve received many rave reviews on gameplay and accessibility. The combat is so intense, players actually break a sweat trying to keep up with the unrelenting attacks, and the animations are just electrifying with ace sound effects. The game offers both side-scrolling dungeon crawling PvE and killer arena PvP fighting along with in-game tournaments.  Half of us on the dev team are die-hard fighters and some have even competed at EVO.  When we saw Dark Blood take off in Korea, we just knew it would be a perfect fit for us to localize for the Western markets and we’ve been having a blast working on it with our developer JCR Soft and licensor GameHi.

2.  Dark Blood updates have been coming rapid fire with fresh content being released monthly, and at times more frequently than that.  Where are you currently in the game?

Right now we’re on Act III which includes a zombie invasion of Quern Castle.  The backstory centers on a battle to defeat a demon master that came to rule the world of humans 500 years ago, and the four heroes who were trained by a mysterious cloaked vigilante known only as Nameless.  These heroes, Hertia the Knight, Peira the Mage, Cavala the Warrior and Telluos the Hunter, tragically met their fate as they were sealing the demon in his lair.  Knowing the end was upon them, they cast their descendants into the Channel of Dimensions with a prophecy of how evil would ultimately be defeated.  The game begins with you, the descendant, needing to relearn the ancient mythic powers to defeat enemy armies, and in the process you’re sent on rich and varied quests that even include an unlock that allows you to play as an enraged polar bear.

3.  Tell us about the Dark Blood Battle Pets system you released today.

We’re extremely excited to be introducing these wild combat companions to the game.  Players can check out the trailer at http://youtu.be/9608e7yYgQI to see these eccentric creatures in action.  We’ve also given Gaming Climax, a sneak peek at the POP Facebook Cover Photos that match the whimsical nature of the pets, but don’t be fooled, once evolved, these party animals cast spells that can cause substantial damage. There are six pets in all, each with their own unique set of attributes, and they are:

A flaming fur ball that sizzles and singes anything that comes close

Best described as a Venus Flytrap with Mick Jagger lips and deadly peashooter range attacks

A writhing, slithery crawler whose sudden swoops sends enemies flying

A swashbuckling buddy with buffs that block damage

Our resident dino reptile that flips, somersaults, and bounces off the baddies

A creeper that decreases skill cool down time

4.  So what’s up for Halloween?

Epic good times are being had with the Halloween Hell Knight quest and players can bring along their pet to help.  Event details can be found at http://darkblood.outspark.com/newsview?id=25291.  Those in a rush for more PET POWER can level up in the Dark Blood Battle Pets Race to Evolve. More details here.

Play DARK BLOOD for free at http://www.playdarkblood.com, and join the DARK BLOOD community at http://darkblood.outspark.com, http://www.facebook.com/outsparkdarkblood, and http://www.twitter.com/darkbloodgame.