DOA2: Hardcore

"The Future of Fighting Games!"

Introduction:
Dead or Alive 2 Hardcore is definitely the best fighting game I’ve played since the good old Power Stone on Dreamcast. So what makes this fighting game good? High replay value, great visuals, outstanding music, and - of course - fun gameplay!

Graphics: 10/10
One of the things that makes Dead or Alive 2 Hardcore stand out so much above most fighting games is its excellent graphics. Every character and background looks almost… real… to the point of feeling like you’re actually in the game! Players will notice the sharp hair, crisp faces, and realistic body movements of the characters and the highly detailed, photo-like goodness of the level backgrounds. One of the things I think looks the best in this game is the water used in several of the level backgrounds. I felt the need to stare at the beauty in front of my eyes before actually fighting my opponent! ^^; Causing me to loose, but for a good cause!

I’d also like to mention how well the characters look. All of them are uniquely designed and wonderfully presented (except maybe… Tengu – lol). The greatest thing about these characters, though, is that 75% of them – both guys and girls - … look great! (Especially when they’re wearing tight, revealing clothing.) This has helped with Dead or Alive 2 Hardcore’s appeal and, most definitely, the sales.

Music & Voice Acting: 10/10
Wow, impressive music AND voice acting? Such is a rare combination in many games these days. In my opinion, the music is easy to listen to and never gets old. Every piece is highly addictive and fits the game perfectly too. What makes it even better is that you can listen to any of these tracks by themselves in the Options section any time you want! I have taken this special feature to my advantage by using it while doing homework and/or projects for school. ^_^

Now for the voice acting! Would you rather have it in English… or Japanese? Surprisingly, it’s your choice! Either way, though, you’ll get excellent voice acting! Most games don’t give you this option, so I was very thrilled to actually have more than one language to choose from.

Story & Characters: 7/10
Okay, okay… the story isn’t the best… but it doesn’t really matter too much in my opinion. A bunch of people have entered into a fighting tournament for their own personal reasons. Kasumi is looking for her long lost twin bother, Tina is trying to be herself and escape from her father’s ways of life, Helena is trying to revenge her mother’s death, Ein is trying to find who he really is… and so on and so on. Most of the character’s stories co-interact with one another, but still don’t turn out too well. ^^; In fact, all of them are pretty cheesy! But it’s all right, lol, I still like the majority of them anyway.

Gameplay: 9/10
Here’s where it gets controversial – people who love fighting games will find plenty to do to entertain themselves, while people who just buy Dead or Alive 2 Hardcore randomly may find themselves bored after a couple of hours due to the slightly redundant gameplay. Sure you can pick from different types of modes (like Story Mode, Versus Mode, Survival Mode, Team Battle Mode, Tag Battle Mode, etc.), but many people still just don’t like that type of thing...

However! I found myself having tons of fun with each mode and have played Dead or Alive 2 Hardcore through each mode countless numbers of times! So, it’s really whether you like fighting games or not.

Overall: 10/10
Truth is… I love this game - it’s incredibly enjoyable. But maybe people will NOT like this game, so try renting it first to see for your self. ^_^ It may also take a little while getting used to the controls and everything, but to me, it was very worth it!

Average: 9.2/10 (rounds down to 9/10)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/23/03, Updated 02/23/03