Kakuto Chojin

"Don't let reviews taint you image of a game"

I picked up Kakuto Chojin on a whim. I had a crisp fifty and my mind set on an Xbox game. My knowledge of the game was limited to a select few previews and some videos. I knew that it looked great, and hoped that the gameplay would match up. I ignored all gamer wisdom and decided to buy Kakuto Chojin before I ever read a review. In retrospect, I'm glad.

Before I broke out the game, I checked the Gamespot review. Crappy. I browse the web and manage to read dozens of horrible reviews. Looks like I had made a bad buy.

So I pop in the game and proceed to mash buttons, ooh and ah at the graphics, nit pick everything I could, and generally agree with the reviews. Every character had a mere 5 moves listed in the booklet. I was ready to toss the game altogether. It wasn't until after extensive screwing around, I managed to see how wrong I and every review out was.

Don't let yourself get BS'ed. This is a deep fighter. Deep in a non-obvious way, but still very deep. Every character feels distinct and combos in their own way. That alone is more than I can say about most fighters. Kakuto is a game that forces you to use every button and use them effectively. The AI on normal is a total breeze. Hard and Very Hard are both tougher, and Extreme is just that. There is plenty done right in this game, but there are just as many flaws.

The sound effects are nothing stellar. Don't get me wrong, they aren't bad... just.... average. The soundtrack on the other hand is flat-out awesome. I would buy the CD in a heartbeat if MS sold one. However, the game does not support custom soundtracks. That's just lazy. First party titles damn well better make full use of the console. The game also lacks any kind of story to tie it together. Yeah, there is this tournament, and you fight 11 other people, the last of which you have a grudge against, then you are in some other world fighting this chick with horns. Whatever. Your prize for winning is the Chojin moveset and a lame-ish text ending. I stopped reading the flavor text to watch the boxed fighting. Again, Lazy. There is also some in-game clipping and animation problems, but considering how great this game looks they can be ignored.

Is the game worth buying? Yes. For fifty bucks, Not quite.
If you see it for 40 or less, snag it and spend some time in practice mode. You will be rewarded with a surprisingly complex fighter with interesting characters, a great soundtrack, spectacular graphics, and a damn fun multi-player experience.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/01/03, Updated 01/01/03