"Once you pick your jaw off the floor and start playing the game you'll see it really doesn't have much to offer."

Read the detailed review or scroll down for a summary.

FULL REVIEW:

Presentation: 8/10 (This includes all the visual aspects of the game including graphics, animation, Videos, cut scenes, character design and stage design).

This game is absolutely stunning to look at. By far it’s the best looking fighting game available on any platform at this time. Although the characters look almost exactly like they did in the previous DOA games the amount of detail put into them is amazing. The Xbox’s Bump mapping feature makes their clothing look extremely realistic. Silk looks like silk, jeans like jeans and leather like leather. The fluidity with which their cloths and hair move is pure eye candy.
However it’s the fighting stages in DOA3 that make this game unique. The game features huge and gorgeous environments. Except for the tag team stages other stages shouldn’t even be referred to as ‘stages’ but as ‘areas’. This time around the fighting ‘areas’ play a crucial role in game-play as you can knock your opponent against trees, toss them over a cliff, blow them through a glass skyscraper and even through walls.
The only weakness in the graphics is the videos. Don’t get me wrong the videos are awesome. It’s the character design I’m referring to. I never thought I would be saying this but some of the characters look better in the in-game graphics as compared to their videos. While the environments are amazing the characters inconsistently stand out. Especially the female characters (Kasumi, Christie and Helene). While their faces are still okay their body structure is out of proportion to a spectacular degree. All these characters have unusually large breasts and surprisingly skinny arms and legs. They almost look like characters from a first-generation Playstation 1 video.

Interface: 7/10 (This includes everything from the menu layout, the game controls and flexibility for player setting).

No complains here. The controls are great! It still retains the features that allow you to customize your control settings. The free button, which allows for reversals along with the interactive fighting environments add great depth to the game-play. Also, the revised tag combo system lets for much more flexibility for advanced players and make is easier for new players at the same time. Another big change is that now your characters can freely move around the environments without having to hold a free step button. Simply press the up or down arrow to get them moving around and just press the free button and down to crouch. This truly makes the game feel 3 dimensional. The game-play, however good it may be is not without flaw. Once you activate the analogue switch over the d-pad the characters go haywire. I don’t know why but the respond to commands totally goes wacko with this feature. You press something and they’ll do something totally different. It would have been great to use the analogue stick since some of the moves are a little difficult to execute with the d-pad. Also, it would have been nice if they didn’t remove the menu options that let you set the difficulty/time etc. for each feature separately like in DOA2.

Replay value and fun factor: 5/10
Unless you have a 2-4-player group for this game the replay value is dud. D.U.D. -- dud!
Since there are only 3 new characters (4 if you include Hayate’s new move list) you won’t spend much time mastering them. The returning characters have the same move list from the previous version with only a couple new moves. To top it all of there is absolutely nothing to unlock except for the theatre mode that allows you to view the ending movies of each character you complete the game with. Only a few characters have a third costume to unlock and that too can be done rather quickly. Furthermore the ending movies are just eye candy. They’re great to watch but they have no real value. There is no real story that connects all the characters in terms of their motives and goals. I know it’s a fighting game but a story would have added much more personality to the characters and overall appeal for the game. The game only has 16 characters. Once you beat the game with each of them and unlock the few extras, there is nothing that would make you want to keep going. Unless you get a couple friends over, then the game really rocks!

Bottom line:
For players who have never played DOA2 before – you’re in for a treat. I would definitely recommend buying this game. For DOA2 veterans – rent the game first and see if it lives up to your expectations.

SUMMARIZED REVIEW:

Presentation:
+ Great graphics
+ Amazing detail and fluidity
+ Awesome fighting environments
+ Spectacular Ending video quality
- Poor character design in videos
- Tag team stages are few and small

Interface:
+ Solid controls
+ Flexibility in set up
+ Improved Tag combo system
+ Great fun with 2-4 players
+ Interactivity with the environment and reversals add great depth to game-play
+ More freedom of movement than previous games in the series
- Some good menu options from the previous games were removed
- Analogue feature needs some tuning

Replay Value and Fun Factor:
+ 3 new characters
+ Several returning characters
+ Most characters retain their move list
+ A few new moves added for returning characters
- Easier then previous games
- Story is almost non-existent or not very apparent
- Too few characters
- Ending movies don’t make any sense
- Characters have no personality
- Nothing beside theatre mode to unlock
- Only one character to unlock
- Characters don’t have more than 2-3 costumes each
-/+ TOO much sex appeal

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 12/06/01, Updated 12/06/01