Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft
A fantasy fighting game set in the Ravenloft D&D setting.
Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft is a 3D fighting game that came out for MS-DOS and PlayStation. Its story takes place within the Ravenloft setting, a part of the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role-playing game.
Players pick a hero or villain to fight as. The character selection screen lists them in a specific order.
Take-Two Interactive developed the game. Producer Rick Hall explained that the market was full of martial arts fighting games, but lacked fantasy ones, and as a D&D fan, he thought that would be a fun idea. The game was first announced as an exclusive for the Panasonic M2 console under the name *Ironblood*. Later, Take-Two said it would launch on PlayStation first, with M2 and PC versions to follow. They stated they had always planned multiplatform releases for the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and M2, and had started work on the PlayStation version first. The M2 exclusivity announcement was because 3DO was the only console maker to have approved the game at that time. The M2 version ran at 640×480 resolution, while the PlayStation version was limited to 512×240 due to hardware constraints. A Sega Saturn version was announced but later canceled when Acclaim stopped supporting the Saturn. The M2 version was canceled by the end of 1996, with Take-Two and 3DO agreeing to drop it. Fighters’ animations were created using motion capture of members from the Society for Creative Anachronism.
Take-Two reported that by the end of October 1996, *Iron & Blood* had sold over 150,000 units, making up 32% of the company’s $12.5 million revenue for that fiscal year, with a net income of $349,074. The game received mostly negative reviews. *Electronic Gaming Monthly* praised the large fighter roster and the innovative ability to earn new magic abilities during fights, but criticized the fighting engine for jerky controls and lack of technique. Jeff Gerstmann of *GameSpot* panned the game, citing jerky controls, poor animation, and confusing camera angles that made directional inputs unreliable. A *Next Generation* critic praised the animation and graphical detail but found the fighting unoriginal, with limited combos, clichéd special moves, and an anachronistic techno soundtrack against medieval visuals. *GamePro* noted there was no strategy, as the game could be beaten with a single button, and complained about fighters turning their backs to opponents and a wa
- developer
- Take-Two Interactive
- platforms
- MS-DOS, PlayStation
- genre
- 3D fighting game
- setting
- Ravenloft (Dungeons & Dragons)
- release
- 1996 (PlayStation and MS-DOS)
Lore & Background
Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft was developed by Take-Two Interactive. Creator/producer Rick Hall stated that the team noticed a lack of fantasy-based fighting games and, as a D&D fan, he thought such a game would be fun. The game was initially announced as an exclusive for the Panasonic M2 console under the title Ironblood, but Take-Two later revealed it was always intended as a multiplatform release for Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and M2, with work starting on the PlayStation version first. The M2 version was cancelled by the end of 1996, and the Sega Saturn version was cancelled as part of Acclaim's withdrawal of support for that console.
Players choose a hero or villain from a selection of characters. The animations for the fighters were created by motion capture filming several members of the Society for Creative Anachronism. The game sold above 150,000 units by the end of October 1996 and accounted for 32.0% of Take-Two's revenue during that fiscal year.
Reader's Guide
Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft is notable as an early attempt to merge the fighting game genre with a fantasy role-playing setting, specifically the Ravenloft campaign of Dungeons & Dragons. Its development history reflects the shifting console landscape of the mid-1990s, with announced versions for the Panasonic M2 and Sega Saturn that were ultimately cancelled. The game received mostly negative reviews, with critics citing jerky controls, poor animation, and a lack of strategic depth, though some praised the large lineup of fighters and the innovative ability to earn new magic abilities during fights. Despite its poor critical reception, the game achieved modest commercial success for Take-Two Interactive. In October 2018, the game's rights were acquired by Liquid Media Group along with other titles originally owned by Acclaim Entertainment, ensuring its place in the historical record of licensed fighting games.
Did You Know?
- The game was originally announced as an exclusive for the Panasonic M2 console under the title Ironblood.
- Animations for the fighters were created by motion capture filming members of the Society for Creative Anachronism.
- The PlayStation version ran at a resolution of 512×240 due to hardware limitations, while the M2 version ran at 640×480.
- The game sold over 150,000 units by the end of October 1996.
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