Bloody Roar Extreme

"Not bad, but not perfect."

I've been a fan of the series every since the release of Bloody Roar on the PlayStation. Indeed, the concept of such a fighter taken me in.

So the years have passed, and we've seen Bloody Roar 3 hit the PlayStation 2, Primal Fury hit the GameCube and now Bloody Roar has made it to the Xbox with Extreme.

Anyway, enough rant. Let's proceed to my review.

Graphics
Ok. This is definitely not a weak spot. The graphics are really good, as is the frame rate - running at a super-smooth 60 frames/per second.

Progression through the game's Arcade Mode will unlock an option whereby you can increase the game's speed to something of the Dead Or Alive type. This doesn't cause slowdown's, which is a good thing.

Gameplay
The gameplay suffers due to the incredible ease to complete. The game's AI is poor, but it makes up for this later on when a Maximum Difficulty becomes available.

I've noticed the moves to some of the veteran characters (Yugo, Alice, Uriko, Gado...etc.) have not changed at all. I found them no different to what they were like in Bloddy Roar 2.

There are numerous modes and menu options that can be unlocked by playing through the Arcade Mode with the game's initial characters. In addition, there are three unlockable characters: Kohryu, Uranus and Fang. Sadly not a Mortal Kombat/Tekken array of unlockables.

Story
Another weakness in the game. Unlike some of the previous title, the game lacks a story mode. It fails to give you enough background on the characters. However, it provides CG endings, but they are too short and vague, lack voiceovers, and in most cases are graphically weak for an Xbox game. (I've seen better CG on the PlayStation.)

Cost/Availability
You should find this in many of the big game stores, but it seems kind of rare, in my opinion. If you do find it, it is considerably cheap. £20 tops.

Rent or buy...
I'd consider renting the game before you blow money on something you'll later regret buying. :)

Replay Value
The game's replay value is far higher when playing against friends than against the CPU. Endless battles await. The 1P game is too short and easy. If you're after a better 1P experience, go for any Mortal Kombat title, Tekken Tag Tournament, Soul Calibur II or Dead Or Alive, as Blood Roar Extreme can't quite keep up with the action.

Somehow, the don't make fighting games as good as the used to. Shame...

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 04/01/04