TERROR T.R.A.X. TRACK OF THE VAMPIRE

Just remember to keep telling yourself, it's only a game... It's only a game...

Trace. Research. Analyze. Exterminate. That's what T.R.A.X. stands for, and that's what you'll do as you lead an elite undercover unit in battle against the forces of evil in this thrill-a-aminute, live-action CD-ROM. You'll be on the graveyard shift, literally, controlling veteran T.R.A.X officers as they tangle with vampires, ghouls and other undead. Your mission: Find them and terminate them... before they find you. There are many ways to play... win... or die tryinf. You'll be assisted by Ether, a ghostly cyberguide, plus the latest in high-tech tools. Packed with scary characters, cool features and lifelife, full-screen video, Terror T.R.A.X. is the most heart-stopping interactive experience this side of the grave.

~ from the back of the box

Sometimes two unconnected genres just fit. The rom-zom-com of Shaun of the Dead, the deck building escape room of Inscryption, vampires, police procedurals and techno-cyberbabble. That's what Terror T.R.A.X. Track of the Vampire is all about. You guide the actions of a couple of TRAX agents (or Trace, Research Analyse and eXterminate) who are the front line of supernatural emergencies. The organisation intercepts 911 calls and dispatches agents to the scene if otherworldly shenanigans are suspected.

There are two interconnected cases, one regarding a vampiric drug bust and another about a woman who got her eyes ripped out. Officer Phil Graves investigates the first. Played by ex-American Gladiator and on-time Motaro from Mortal Kombat Deron McBee, he mutters misogynistic one-liners like he's Duke Nukem while wearing a chest-baring leather jacket. He's not the greatest of thespians but he knows the tone and plays up to it. That's right, we're in full cheese territory here.

The other case has Officer Walken investigate. She's dealing with an undead serial killer that steals different organs from his victims. He also has an electrifying super power. Walken is played by Edie Mirman whose voice is perhaps most recognisable as the computer in Tron Legacy. It's an apt comparison considering the other of her dual roles here is that of a computer A.I.  Codenamed Ether, this disembodied, computer-generated floating head is purly an excuse to give gameplay advice and exposition dumps disguised as futurism. And this monotoned artificial intelligence is only one of the many high-tech gadgets used to assist the TRAX agents.

Ether is your game guide, your personal computer and your story narrator. Her uncanny CGI floating head will pipe in when you've made a grave error or when you've found an interesting clue. It's mostly a whole load of made-up technobabble but it does add something different to the wannabe gothic noir of the main plot. Perhaps jarringly different. More jarring than the gonzo made gore brought to you in highly compressed video form.

I haven't yet touched on the gameplay. This is nothing more than a simple consequence driven adventure. When prompted you press either the A key to select option A or the B key to select option B. It's never more than a binary choice and you can save at any time so you can easily go back if you make the wrong one (in case you forget, it's the S key). If those lengthy cutscenes prove too tiresome on your second, third or fourth viewing, the F key will let you skip through video sequences until you get to your next prompt.

The choices you make do seem to have lasting consequences. The biggest and most obvious one is death. If one agent dies, you'll continue on with the other until you manage to do the same to them. I would've liked more branching plotlines, but I guess you can only fit so much FMV on a single disc.

Believe it or not, Track of the Vampire isn't the first Terror TRAX game out there. The series got its start as an interactive audio adventure released by TSR of Dungeons & Dragons fame. There were four planned in all, however only two installments came to market in 1995. These were Track of the Werewolf and Track of the Vampire (the latter on which this game was based). Thankfully, both were released as freeware in time for Halloween 2001, a cool 20 years ago. As such, I've compiled them here with the game. Access them from the custom menu.

I find most choice-based FMV games to be dull as dishwater. While new and gimmicky in 1995, the technology just wasn't there to invest in it as a cinematic alternative and the gameplay is just non-existant. Terror T.R.A.X. does do better than most by simply being a trashy, gory B-movie stuffed to the brim with odd choices and oodles of dripping blood-soaked cheese. If that sounds like fun to you than dive in with abandon, you might discover you have a taste for it.

To download the game, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber uses DOSBox running Microsoft Windows 3.1 to get the game working on modern systems. Manual & two Interactive Audio Games (Track of the Werewold & Track of the Vampire) included. Tested on Windows 10.

File Size: 560 Mb.  Install Size: 718 Mb.  Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ

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Terror T.R.A.X. Track of the Vampire is © Ground Zero Productions, Inc
Terror T.R.A.X. Track of the Werewold & Vampire Interactive Audio is © Wizards of the Coast, Inc
Review, Cover Design and Installer created by me

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