My Barracuda speedboat glides effortlessly over the undulating waves, carving a path towards a harbour where enemy sampans lie in ambush. A surge of adrenaline courses through me as I engage the turbo, awakening the exposed pistons at the boat’s rear, their mechanical dance propelling me forward with intense haste. The salty water forms rough wakes around my vessel, a testament to the power beneath me.
Threading the needle between the reef guarding the enemy harbour, the tension in the air is palpable. As I cut through the waves, the four front-mounted chain guns seamlessly lock on, their metallic barrels rotating towards the awaiting enemy. My first target—an enemy dock with a conveniently positioned fuel dump. With a pull of the trigger, my chain guns rattle to life, sending a hail of hot lead across the waves.
An explosion erupts in a symphony of chaos—the dock obliterated, debris and wooden planks propelled in every direction. Embers sizzle in the salty brine. The oceanic mayhem in Bloodwake a fusion of Water World and the chaotic spirit of Twisted Metal.
Bloodwake is full of action, explosions and over the top action. However it’s the waves themselves that are the unsung masterpiece of this game, not only do the look amazing, they realistically move and push the player/boat around. Although Stormfront studios has closed, the founders moved on to create the indie studio Vector Unit where you can see the evolution of Bloodwakes wave technology in games such as Hydro Thunder Hurricane and Riptide GP: Renegade.
Violence within the Waves
I sought to capture the essence of the title in a simple but visually striking manner. Aligning with the metaphorical connotations of the game’s name, which alludes to the violence on the water, I decided to embody the concept quite literally by rendering a wave in a vivid shade of red, reminiscent of blood.
The deliberate choice of a burnt orange backdrop serves a dual purpose in this composition. Firstly, it pays homage to the game’s key art, establishing a seamless connection with the overall visual identity of Bloodwake’s in game menus. Secondly, the warmth of the orange hue acts as a subtle counterbalance to the intensity of the red wave, creating a contrast for the eyes that captures the balance between calm and violence, just like the water and weaponry of the game.
