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XBox (Games)

Review: Dead or Alive 4 188

Posted by Zonk from the shiny-bouncy-fisticuffs dept.
The genre of the fighting game is not a complicated one. The Dead or Alive (DOA) series is a simple creature, known as much for the virtual women in the games as for the combat. In DOA 4, Team Ninja has focused their attention on making the most visually pleasing fighter available on consoles today. They've definitely got a good-looking game on their hands, but in my book you've got to have more than just looks to be a good game. Read on for my thoughts.
  • Title: Dead or Alive 4
  • Developer: Team Ninja
  • Publisher: Tecmo
  • System: Xbox 360
  • Reviewer: Zonk (whoisdialogue)
  • Score: 7/10

Previous ventures in the Dead or Alive series have attracted attention from console gamers, beginning with the original PlayStation title. The 2000 sequel for the Dreamcast was the series' breakout moment, converting thousands of Soul Calibur fans just a year after that title was released. Efforts since then have generally been well accepted, and certainly visually attractive, but never seem to reclaim the spark of originality that marked Dead or Alive 2. The less said about 2003's Xtreme Beach Volleyball, the better.

Despite the cachet of being part of the 360's 'launch window', Dead or Alive 4 doesn't quite live up to the pedigree of its Dreamcast cousin. It does come closer than any game since DOA2, though, with liquid-fast gameplay, stunning visuals, and a great online component.

There's only so much you can do to shake up the formula in a fighting game, but Dead or Alive has always managed to entertain on the gameplay front. People hit each other in the most interesting ways, with reversals, throws, unique fighting styles, and plenty of combos. The nearly two dozen fighters each have their own way of inflicting pain, and with so many options to choose from it's likely you'll find at least one character that fits with your preferred play style. Combat is lighting-fast and extremely smooth, with both PC and NPC fighters slipping into a groove within seconds of the match beginning. DOA 4 plays like real-life fights often pan out: quickly and painfully. Many matches don't last more than 20 seconds or so, ensuring you'll get plenty of gameplay for your time invested.

In fighting games, interesting modes are all-important to ensure continued interest. Regrettably, DOA doesn't show much imagination there. The 'Story' mode pits you against eight opponents, the order of which is set in advance for each character. Most of them are simple one knock-out fights, but some of them attempt to tell a (very confusing) tale by offering up short cutscenes afterwards. The final match-up is with a green-glowing character that just doesn't fight fair. While most of the matches are moderately challenging, the difficulty level with the final boss leaps off the scale. This can be a rude awakening for a player who's happily button-mashed his way through the other opponents. Even on the normal level of difficulty the disconnect between the last character and the one before it can be unnerving, and for some reason there is no easy level. You can continue an unlimited number of times, thankfully, which will be required to defeat boss lady. You are rewarded for your efforts with a meaningless but extremely pretty cut-scene when you do finally defeat her. Fighting game story modes are always fairly thin, but the tissue paper consistency of this title's story was frustrating in light of more sophisticated titles.

The other modes are standard fair. There's a 'vs. mode' for playing human opponents or trying one-off matches with the computer. 'Team Battle' allows for competitions, and the possibility of having tag-team battles. Only one fighter can compete at a time, but tagging allows for a second shot if your first fighter is taken out. 'Survival' pits you against a never-ending lineup of opponents, and is one of the primary sources of unlockables. Because of the speed of matches and the promptness of a new opponent appearing, Survival is probably one of the most replayable modes. 'Time Attack' challenges you to defeat six opponents, each twice in a row. You're racing against the clock, and the tough final opponent from the Story mode ensures this is an extremely challenging way to play. There's also a 'Sparring' mode that teaches you moves and techniques, but fails to inform on some of the more tactical aspects of the game. While Survival mode is entertaining, with a brisk pace that will satisfy a player looking to get out some tension, I was left wanting more. Soul Calibur III is the obvious comparison here, and despite the failure of the 'Chronicles of the Sword' mode Namco at least made the attempt to expand the genre.

Online play is the final mode the game offers, and for some will be where they live and breath for the next few months. Ninja has changed things up a bit by offering more than just a cookie-cutter game lobby. Joining a game actually places you into a small waiting room, which can be decorated in different styles. A little avatar of you (by default a ninja) wanders around the area. It's really just a hang-out before you enter the game, and I'm not really sure what the purpose of the waiting rooms are. Once you're in the game, there are several tweakable settings, allowing for tag-team matches as well as straight-up fights. By default the game type is 'winner stays', giving the game a neighborhood arcade feel of sociality to it. Winning matches increases your grade and earns you 'Zack points'. The grade is a measure of how you stack up to other players (From A to F), and the points can be spent on tweaking your little avatar. As your grade increases you'll be matched with ever-harder opponents, ensuring everyone has a fair fight.

While it is immensely fun to play against other people, even the ones who talk too much, there are issues. My net connection is fairly stable, but I experienced varying levels of lag in almost every match. At its smoothest you can hardly tell the difference between an online and offline match. At its worst characters pause in the air, and it can be hard to understand the flow of the fight. Reassuringly, even in laggy matches my actions seemed to be translating into combat reasonably quickly. Half the fun of a DOA fight is the speed, unfortunately, and that lag hurts the feel of the game. I've seen differing levels of complaint with this issue. As always, your mileage may vary. I also would have liked the 'Zack points' to have more meaning within the game. You can buy new costumes for the fighters, and purchase new avatar bodies, but I would have preferred to customize the fighters themselves rather than my dinky little waiting room avatar.

Eye candy is the most apt label you could put on this game. DOA's fighting rings go beyond good looks, and are probably some of the most interactive arenas seen in a fighting game to date. There are many to choose from, happily. Some examples include a downtown, night-time city streets brawl, a plateau on the serengeti, and a plot of dinosaur-infested jungle. What makes the venues special is the level of depth they exhibit. The street fight, for example, features neon glare off of the sidewalks, cheering onlookers, and the occasional speeding car. Other arenas feature multiple levels, such as the gorgeous river-crossing rope bridge arena. You can fight on the bridge, or toss your opponent over the edge and into the water. Parts of the arenas can be destroyed, as well. Getting your opponent to a lower floor in the plush ballroom arena can either be done via a set of painful looking stairs, or an even more painful looking toss through a plate-glass window. The arenas are well done, attractive, and definitely one of the highlights of the game.

The rest of the game looks good, but the moment-to-moment gaming only looks about as good as a high-end Xbox title. This may be because of the squeaky-clean anime style of the characters, but it just didn't look all *that* much better than DOA Ultimate for the original Microsoft console. Despite that, the sheer power of the 360 ensures extremely high framerates, and supports the speed of the title's combat. Additionally, there are occasional moments when it's obvious this is a next-gen console. My fighter of choice is Jann Lee, and there's a nice 'bulging veins' effect when he poses for the camera after a win. Similarly, the clothing and hair simulation is quite impressive on some of the female characters. Where the console really shows off is in the cut-scene rewards for defeating story mode. It's easy to talk about the beauty of cut-scenes, given their pre-rendered nature, but they're still some of the most impressive imagery I've yet seen on the 360. It's disappointing that the 'next-gen flavour' couldn't be maintained throughout the game.

Dead or Alive 4, then, continues the series tradition of offering typical fighting action with good looking and varied characters. Despite the game's late arrival, fighting game fans have no doubt already purchased and poured their heart into what this title has to offer. For more casual players, DOA 4 offers entirely typical gameplay. Button-mashing won't get you as far as it will in the Soul Calibur series, and the level of replayability for the average gamer may be somewhat low. If you're looking for a simple, good-looking fighter Dead or Alive 4 will serve your needs well. Those looking for brains with their beauty may want to look elsewhere.
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Review: Dead or Alive 4 More

Review: Dead or Alive 4

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  • Fighting Simulator (Score:4, Interesting)

    by biocute ( 936687 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2006 @03:09PM (#14448325)
    The reviewer said "There's only so much you can do to shake up the formula in a fighting game". I wonder if there a fighting game out there which is similar to Gran Turismo, i.e. a Fighting Simulator?

    Frankly I'm a bit tired of pure fighting, but if I can play a character, who comes into the scene with nothing but a pair of dirty underwear and eats out of rubbish bins.

    First I'll have to compete with street animals like cats, dogs and the occasional bears, then maybe some thugs and police. As I fight, I grow stronger, faster, meaner, and acquire more fighting skills and styles.

    When I reached a certain level, I will be spotted by this Donkey King, who pays me a little, and train me up to fight with some amateurs, and later pros.

    The money I earned can be spent on further training, personal fighting training that I don't get from DK, or I can use it on drugs to temporarily improve my performance but will hurt me more in the long run -- the choice is mine.

    Then maybe somewhere in the middle, I will be offered some mini-mission-style jobs, like modelling, acting, drinking hot coffee or playing beach volleyball, all with a tradeoff such as missed opportunity for some championship fights and becoming weaker.

    My life and health is not unlimited though, they will decline as the game progresses, and it is up to me to announce my retirement, find a girl to marry, have a couple of children who, when I finally died, can become my playing character again and continue a new journey.

    This should give enough variations so that if you regret something you did in the life, you can play as your children to choose another direction (such as not accepting DK's offer and continue as an Indy Fighter competing against DK).

  • A Brief And Entirely Inappropriate Summary (Score:5, Funny)

    by American AC in Paris ( 230456 ) * on Wednesday January 11, 2006 @03:09PM (#14448328) Homepage
    The Dead or Alive (DOA) series is a simple creature, known as much for the virtual women in the games as for the combat.

    Boobies!

    In DOA 4, Team Ninja has focused their attention on making the most visually pleasing fighter available on consoles today.

    Whooooo, boobies!

    Eye candy is the most apt label you could put on this game.

    Boingiddy-boingiddy-boingiddy-wheeeee!

    Dead or Alive 4, then, continues the series tradition of offering typical fighting action with good looking and varied characters.

    Boobies boobies!

  • Nice verbage (Score:5, Funny)

    by Guppy06 ( 410832 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2006 @03:11PM (#14448342)
    "In DOA 4, Team Ninja has focused their attention on making the most visually pleasing fighter available on consoles today."

    Translation: revamped* jiggle physics!

    *(pun partially intended)

  • Look elsewhere (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Those looking for brains with their beauty may want to look elsewhere.


    I just check the mirror.

  • Bah! (Score:5, Funny)

    by Golias ( 176380 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2006 @03:13PM (#14448361)
    The less said about 2003's Xtreme Beach Volleyball, the better.

    You, sir, are clearly not on my side.

    DOAX was a triumph of the human spirit.

  • But How Bouncy are the Boobs... (Score:4, Funny)

    by nweaver ( 113078 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2006 @03:15PM (#14448381) Homepage
    This IS DOA: How good are the BoobBouncePhysics this time around?

  • loss of save games? (Score:5, Informative)

    by GoNINzo ( 32266 ) <<moc.oohay> <ta> <ozNINoG>> on Wednesday January 11, 2006 @03:16PM (#14448389) Journal
    You'd think he'd at least reference the recent Dead or Alive 4 save game bug [slashdot.org] in the review. I love the fact we're getting more games reviewed in here though. `8r)
    • Not to sound harsh, but this is just one reason why Zonk should be replaced with someone else for the Slashdot games section. We get articles like this(we need a fark Ironic tag for this story) and the excessive tabloid-like hype/speculation articles that go way off the charts.

      I can see it now. Some blogger stubs his toe on an Xbox 360 power supply. 2 minutes later Zonk posts a "Are Xbox 360 power supplies injuring our children?" and suddenly Jack Thompson's chasing it like an ambulance.

      • Re:loss of save games? (Score:5, Funny)

        by Karma Farmer ( 595141 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2006 @04:17PM (#14448950)
        I can see it now. Some blogger stubs his toe on an Xbox 360 power supply. 2 minutes later Zonk posts a "Are Xbox 360 power supplies injuring our children?"

        Three days later, Zonk will post a story about the "Xbox power supply foam padding mod."

        And six hours later, Cmdr Taco will dupe it.

  • The less said, the better? (Score:4, Funny)

    by exley ( 221867 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2006 @03:18PM (#14448403) Homepage
    Who out there has played Xtreme Barbie Doll Dressup? It is what it is -- mindless entertainment. But it is entertaining, and there's really no pretense about what it's there for. One thing you may or may not have noticed about the non-volleyball volleyball extravaganza: it's possible to control your character using only one hand.

    Get over yourself, Zonk.
  • ..or does Tekken 5 for the PS2 look as good as, if not better than, that?

    I'm not trying to provoke a "My fighting game kicks the shit out of your fighting game" argument here, it's just an observation.
    • well, ive looked at some screens (via Google Image Search), and i believe that they are better than DOA3 (not as bright and colorful, though), but not by much, as the PS2 does not support Anti-Aliasing and plays at lower resolutions and aspect ratios.

      (i am not hammering either, i like all my systems equally, i just believe that this should help give your question 'an' answer)
    • Not having played Tekken 5(I don't own a PS2 nor do any of my friends) I can't say for sure, but I do know that screenshots don't do DOA4 justice. It's all the little details, like the hundreds of cherry blossoms floating in the air on one stage, or the water reflections, or as Zonk mentioned, the way Jan Lee's veins bulge when he's doing his posing at the end of the match. Not to mention the jiggly boobies ;) And all of it running at 1280x720p@60FPS with no slowdown. By definition it has to look bette
    • I actually play Tekken 5 pretty comptetively (well, local tournaments), and trust me when I say that DOA4 looks MUCH better. As one of the others said, screenshots don't do its graphics justice.
    • In your current state, I can only think of two solutions :

      _Buy new glasses.

      Or

      _Euthanasia.

      ^^

    • Well.. seeing how most replies have been "the screenshots don't do it justice", I'll take your word for it since that's all I've seen of the game.

  • HD vs non-HD (Score:1, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Not mentioned: you really need to play this on HDTV to get the full experience, on which it looks truly amazing. Otherwise, like several other 360 titles, on a non-HD set the graphics sometimes look a bit 'pinched' and choppy. For example the characters hair, which as the review mentions flows beautifully, on non-HD looks very blocky and striated rather than the correct whispy look on a HD.

  • Most interactive levels? hardly (Score:3, Informative)

    by BitterAndDrunk ( 799378 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2006 @03:28PM (#14448506) Homepage Journal
    You'd be looking for the next PowerStone [avault.com] for that.
    • If they would make another one. Sadly, the last PowerStone was released way back for the Dreamcast. Smash Bros. seems to be the sole remaining avenue for really good three-plus player fighting action... unless Nintendo finds a way to get past the massive rights problems inherent in releasing a localized Jump Superstars in the U.S.
      • Powerstone, other than a few niggling balance issues, was simply a fantastic paradigm shift* in fighting games. Many a night was spent beating the hell out of my friends on this game. So very sweet.

        * of course I shuddered saying something so business-whorey. But it's accurate, damnit.

        • Yes it was so good, one of the best fighting games ever... meanwhile, THE best fighting game was just as well on the dreamcast: Soul Calibur.

          Damm.. WTF happend to the dreamcast? it was soo good.
          • Damm.. WTF happend to the dreamcast? it was soo good.

            The Playstation 2 happened to it. That was it. It sucked away all the developer attention.

            (Yeah, I mourn it as well. It's still a pretty good console for emulation, since you can run CD-R software on it without modding your unit and it can emulate many, many NES games accurately and at full speed. And it's a G-R-E-A-T way to play MULE on an Atari 800 emulator!)
      • For a quick fun fix you could check out Kung Fu Chaos for the xbox. It's a quick and dirty 4 player fighter, and pretty fun, esp if you like the whole quarky 70's kung fu movie thing they have going on. It is very easy to pick up, with just a lil bit of depth to it to be intersesting. It can get old fast, but for it's cost, it's def worth a night of gaming.
      • True, but then the Dreamcast was the last really excellent videogame platform, so I'm content to stay with the best.
        • Well....

          Gamecube actually *does* have some cool games. So does PS2, from sheer volume. And Dreamcast, to be brutally honest, had a number of clunkers as well.

          I will remember the Dreamcast as the system that actually got us to play a fighting game (Soul Calibur). It was the system of the last "traditional" RPG I really got interested in (Grandia II). It gave us an arcade-perfect port of one of the few genuinely novel arcade games to appear in recent years (Crazy Taxi). It also had a multiplayer action g
    • Powerstone was my favorite title on the Dreamcast. There was a very similar game, although more adventurish, that took place on a cruise with a bunch of bad guys, and possibly mutants. In that one, anything laying around was a weapon. And I mean anything. Fish, lamps, tables, chairs... it was pretty good fun.

      Neither of those two titles are really traditional fighting games. Compared to Street Fighter, Soul Calibur (1 and 2, don't know about 3), Mortal Kombat, Tekken... DOA is VERY interactive.
  • The Inquirer is reporting [theinquirer.net] that this game may have been rushed into release because its Save Game feature seems buggy enough to delete entire saved games in some cases. As usual, buyer beware.
  • Correction: The first console release in the Dead or Alive series was for the Sega Saturn. It was released in October of 97 in Japan, and received PLENTY of attention in that incarnation. DOA was first released on the original Playstation the following March (again, in Japan). If you're going to start doing internal game reviews here on Slashdot, expect to get blasted for not getting your gaming history correct. =)
    • Absolutely.

      And at the time, as a Sega Saturn owner, I remember being jealous of the Playstation version because of the new character it introduced to the series : Ayane.
      (Kasumi's lavender haired step sister)

       
  • Having played the solo game extensively(just have to unlock Tengu and his outfits to complete my collection), I may have a couple of tips that will help with that last boss*. Oddly enough punch, punch, punch seems to be the best combo. Any time you try to get fancy on her she just warps, but the constant punching seems to take care of her pretty quickly. Sometimes delaying a bit between each punch helps as well so that you don't knock her down. Close distance with her as soon as possible if she gets awa
    • You've obviously never played Ninja Gaiden, where the only difference in the difficulty modes was how cheap the enemies were, when you related your power to theirs.

  • What XBOX does Zonk have? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by the computer guy nex ( 916959 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2006 @03:46PM (#14448661)
    "The rest of the game looks good, but the moment-to-moment gaming only looks about as good as a high-end Xbox title"

    I hope you were playing this game on a WideScreen HDTV. I have the old DOA3 and have played both on my Sony SXRD and the differences are jaw-dropping. The cut scene and level detail are simply breathtaking.

    Stop reviewing 360 games without the proper hardware. Its like reviewing Half Life 2 with a 13" monitor and playing with a gamepad.

    • Re:What XBOX does Zonk have? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Zonk ( 12082 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2006 @04:20PM (#14448976) Homepage Journal
      I'm playing on a Samsung 27" HDTV. (The official HDTV of the Xbox 360! or something.)

      People don't give the current generation enough credit. All three consoles released games last year that looked as good as DOA4 does during actual play. RE4 on the Gamecube, Shadow of the Colossus (on an HDTV) for the PS2, and about half a dozen games for the Xbox all looked comparable in graphical quality and art direction to DOA4 on the 360.

      Now, the catch there is that there isn't a current-gen system out there that could equal the smooth feel of the combat or run those cinematics. DOA4 looks great, it just didn't have my jaw dropping like some moments in Call of Duty and Kameo did.
    • So they shouldn't review 360 games on the hardware that 90% of 360 owners will be using?

      Yeah, that makes lots of sense.
    • I disagree. The review should be done on the hardware the game was intended.

      Half Life 2, to continue my example, would NOT run on the average computer. Average right now is probably 1ghz 256mb RAM etc.

      The cutscenes are far above that of the actual gameplay graphics. For a game that should concentrate on gameplay and balance, the graphics definately do not take away from the game.

    • Stop reviewing 360 games without the proper hardware. Its like reviewing Half Life 2 with a 13" monitor and playing with a gamepad.

      No, because its assumed the computer you're playing HL2 on came with the proper controller (keyboard and mouse, natch) and a display that's already otherwise comfortable for viewing. So now the $699 Xbox360 is only playable with another $699 widescreen hd display (or, as you explain, a $3,999 Sony SXRD?) How does that impact the value economics the console fanboys trumpet? :P

    • Re:What XBOX does Zonk have? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by RyoShin ( 610051 ) <tukaro@[ ]il.com ['gma' in gap]> on Wednesday January 11, 2006 @04:54PM (#14449304) Homepage Journal
      Reviewing games (or even movies) with the latest and greatest that technology has to offer does allow the reviewer to get the most out of a game, but it eschews the general readership. Comparing to the overall average, Slashdot users and XBox 360 owners probably have a higher percentage of individuals with HDTVs, but it is doubtfully the majority of users/owners.

      So, using the "proper hardware", a reviewer can say how stunning graphics were, only for Joe Gamer to to play the game on their old tube screen and disagree. Granted, the reviewer can (and should) list what equipment they use to review games (for comparison purposes,) but there isn't any requirement that they have all of their equipment up to the specs of what the console can do.

      Those with the "proper hardware" can take heart in knowing that, when they play the game, the graphics will be better because their equipment is superior.
      • How have PC magazines been doing reviews all this time? Surely not everyone is playing games with a TNT2 Ultra and PII-400.

        What about DVD reviews? Surely someone will say something like "the new DTS-ES 6.1 surround sound track sounds amazing!" I'm not going to fault them for testing it on a setup I don't personally have.

        Reviewing a video game on an HDTV, which is equipment commonly available in the $500-$1500 range, doesn't sound outlandish. I would want the reviews to be done on the best equipment possible
    • Gotta love how anti-PC gaming zealots rant about computers being more expensive than consoles, but then whine when people don't play consoles on overly expensive HDTV screens that cost much more than a computer.

      (not that I'm calling you a zealot, just pointing out the obvious to all the zealots reading)

  • I just don't get it. (Score:3, Funny)

    by ettlz ( 639203 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2006 @03:50PM (#14448698) Journal

    Really, what's the big attraction about watching two chicks beat the crap out of each other?

    Ah. Yes, I remember now. Say, does this game feature a secret mudbath mode?

  • when is DOAX2 going to be released?

  • Eye candy is the most apt label you could put on this game. DOA's fighting rings go beyond good looks, and are probably some of the most interactive arenas seen in a fighting game to date.

    That "interactive arena" bit reminded me of this comic [grumpygamer.com], I expect the same interactivity in DOA4 :-P...

  • I used to get on well with these games until the RSI kicked in.. hitting those damn buttons 400 times a second kills anyones wrists :P

    firesuite.com [firesuite.com]
  • I don't like hearing people who are used to their 30 hit combo's in killer instinct/mortal kombat 3 and up.... or the people who are button mashers who hate dead or alive cause they think it has nothing to offer than any other fighting games. DOA when you actually learn to play it offers a lot of strategy when playing against another (equally good) human player. You have to guess what their next move is and counter it (if you wish) or you can be on the offense. It is tailored for adaptation. Which can m

    • Re:DOA gets no respect (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Reapy ( 688651 )
      I disagree with you on the point that most other games are more simple. It is quite the opposite, which is why I love doa.

      Typically I enjoy most fighting games, but often do not have someone to play the game with. Recently I've met a friend who is very into fighing games, so we've had a few nights going back and forth with them.

      The problem here is that the skill level difference is so much that you just can not learn to play against them in vs mode. It started with SC and me getting my ass handed to me unti
    • <marvin>Life? Don't talk to me about life.... <sigh> It's rubbish</marvin>
    • Both the Tekken and Virtua Fighter series has aspects of this.

      I agree w/the daughter poster who talks about the ease of use factor in DOA . . . it really is a basic game and simple to pick up.

      Tekken and VF are both more "rewarding" to the hard core who want to take the time to learn nuance. DOA series is a great party-type series because the learning curve is shallow enough so that every match is relatively reasonable.

      Unless I'm Leon. Then you'll just cry and cry.

  • This is the second damned story on dead or alive 4 today. Hello!
  • How about a fighting game (since it IS a simple genre) where strikes are realistic? The crack of bones, the slap of meat against meat, and if you stick a knife in someone, a bloody gash with blood coming out.

    Now that's what I call entertainment!
    • Came out ~3 years ago. Damned if I can remember the name. Bones broke, bruises formed, it was pretty brutal.

      The gameplay, unfortunately, blew goats.

    • With fighting games that happen on a 2d or psuedo-2d arena, that causes some problems. Normally, damage is determined by what kind of move you made and what kind of blocking move the opponent made. If they added details like that they would have to implement hit detection for different parts of the body, and then you'll have to implement something that allows the player to direct attacts to specific parts of the body other than just "low" and "high" otherwise it's useless. This causes even more problems wit


  • in my book you've got to have more than just looks to be a good game

    And in my book you need to spout more than common platitudes and trite cliches to make a good reviewer.

  • weird slash bug (Score:3, Funny)

    by drew ( 2081 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2006 @05:09PM (#14449411) Homepage
    Something must be busted in Slashcode. Somehow this game was given a score of 7, rather than the usual 8.

  • Soul Calibur (Score:3, Insightful)

    by geniusj ( 140174 ) on Wednesday January 11, 2006 @05:30PM (#14449581) Homepage
    Soul Calibur 1 and 2 are as close to fighting game perfection as I've ever seen. I haven't played Soul Calibur 3 yet, but something tells me that they probably didn't mess with the formula all that much. Never have I seen games that new players can enjoy as much as they can with Soul Calibur, while at the same time providing a ton of things for seasoned players to master (Parrying, for example).
  • The review said: Many matches don't last more than 20 seconds or so, ensuring you'll get plenty of gameplay for your time invested.

    Funny, I always thought of fighting as the "gameplay" of a fighting game. In most fighting game the camera pans around as you're Preparing to Fight!" and after "Maxi wins!" for more than 20 seconds... is the reviewer being sarcastic?
  • The reviewer did not mention one major thing about the game, playing friends in the same room. Long nights of a group of close buds in the same room screaming and playing the game, laughing at each other's smack down. DOA series is the best for this followed only by the S-Cals, which really offer a totally different play experience. I like the VF series, but the play mechanics are not great for group related events. Tekken is to mind-numbingly-long-sequence-mash to fit the bill. The DOA series is not o

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