Retro gaming is alive and well, as the source code for the classic FPS Blood has leaked online for all to see. Originally released in 1997, Monolith Productions' gothic game shares space with other iconic releases like Doom, Duke Nukem 3D, and Quake. And while the latter are what most think of when it comes to innovative and influential first-person shooters, Blood still has a dedicated following, even if it wasn't as commercially successful as some of the others. In fact, it made a bit of a comeback not that long ago.In 2019, there was a remaster of the two-and-a-half-decade old game called Blood: Fresh Supply by Nightdive Studios which is currently remaking the original System Shock. In any sense, Blood is still considered a significant entry in the FPS genre, and while the industry has moved on over the years and left such retro games behind, there are many fans who have fond memories of its high-octane play style. For those who really want a deep dive into what makes the game tick, it's now possible to access the source code.In a recent Twitter post on the Build Engine Aesthetics profile, a 1996 version of what some would consider one of the hardest FPS games ever made has now leaked. This opens up the possibility for modders and developers to come along and tinker with the original Blood formula, possibly offering up another remaster or perhaps port the game to other systems. However, according to a report from PC Gamer, the leaked code doesn't appear to have "anything actionable" that modders will be able to use; it could simply offer up a nice archive of a classic game from a bygone era. The aforementioned tweet points out some amusing developer comments in the code, so if nothing else, it's a nice window into what 90s game studios thought about their colleagues' coding prowess.
It also appears as though this leak comes from the same people who leaked the Duke Nukem Forever 2001 build from last year, as well as a 1996 early version of the same game. It seems as though this leaker, if indeed it is one person, is interested in unleashing games from the Build period. The Build Engine was a well-known development toolkit back in the day and was used on games like Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior, and Blood.
Although it's a little more obscure than some of its other contemporaries, especially for younger gamers, Blood is still one of the best Doom clones around. It has all the hallmarks of an FPS for that time, and the source code being leaked could lead to a renewed interest in it.
Blood was released in 1997 for PC.
Source: PC Gamer, rentry.org