"This is just...meh"

Introduction -
A while back, there was a really really really bad fighting game released for the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn. It was called Criticom. Man, was it a stinker. Vic Tokai touched up the engine in some areas and re-named it Dark Rift and launched it on the Nintendo 64 against the likes of Killer Instinct Gold and Mortal Kombat Trilogy.

Gameplay -
The game is just really sluggish. The fighters move so slow, and your button presses don't always register. For me, that just pretty much ruins it right there. I like my fighting games to be fast, and this just isn't.

Story -
There is a plot to this game. it is just soo cheesy that I didn't bother to follow it though. Its like mixing a bad sci-fi movie with a mediocre fighting game engine. And a lot of these fighters are just lame. And thier back stories are even lamer. Its a good thing most players buy fighting games for thier gameplay, and not thier story lines.

Graphics/Sound -
For a first-generation Nintendo 64 game, these were some good looking graphics. However, compared to some of the fighting games released these days, this game pales in comparison. The music isn't that bad in my opinion, but the sound effects are just lame. The fighters are a little on the blocky side, even for back then in 1997. And the backgrounds are only semi-good. Overall, I don't think this game has aged that well at all. It only seems to get worse as time goes on.

Play Time/Replayability -
Well this is a fighting game. Most of your time spent will most likely be playing against a friend. Otherwise, the game will get old and boring pretty fast. When playing against the CPU, the computer is either too easy on the Easy setting, or they play really cheap when on the Hard difficulty setting. Each fighter's ending is pretty lame too, you just get to read more text. Yay.

Final Recommendation -
I bought this game about 3 years ago for $6.99 and for that price, I think it was worth it. If for nothing more than to just to help build up my Nintendo 64 games collection. If you can find it cheaper than that, pick it up. It is barely worth anymore than that price, especially if you only plan to play it by yourself.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 10/07/03