Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball

"Get a little tan and play a little volleyball."

Team Ninja makes a second effort on the Xbox, but this time it is not a fighting game. What could it be this time around? Well Dead or Alive is famous for its gorgeous graphics and the cast of females. So a volleyball game would seem fit. In Xtreme Beach Volleyball none of the male cast are here, only the female cast of Dead or Alive is here. Itagaki the head of Team Ninja has been a supporter of the Xbox since day one. This is due to the fact that the Xbox is the most powerful system out there. So Itagaki like his previous game takes advantage of the Xbox hardware. I have become quite a big fan of Itagaki's work and enjoy all of his games. Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball is no different. Some say this game is all about graphics, but with lacking gameplay. Well I have to say this game is not the deepest volleyball game out there, but it is highly entertaining and provides some volleyball fun along with a nice simulation to it. Well the story takes you back to when Zack wins the DOA tournament and with his winnings he bought an island. He invites all the DOA girls here and tricking them into thinking there is another DOA tournament. The truth is they are only there for some VOLLEYBALL!

What can I say? The graphics like all Team Ninja games are superb. The character models are beautiful and the DOA girls seem life like. The animation is very fluid and looks fabulous. The environments are what will leave you in awe. Especially the course at the beach, which looks insanely gorgeous. What really strikes me is how fluid Team Ninja games run. Like all Team Ninja games, Xtreme Beach Volleyball runs smoothly with no hiccups or slow downs. This is very impressive considering how great these games look and they have absolutely no hiccups. All in all DOA Xtreme Beach Volleyball like all Team Ninja games rank up there as one of the best looking games this generation.

Now the gameplay mechanics of Xtreme Beach Volleyball is very simplistic, but a lot of fun. It is not just a volleyball game, but it's also a simulation. Not only do you play Volleyball, but you collect items, interact with fellow DOA girls, play some games in the casino, shop, send gifts to build relationships and the best part is that the game is the type of game that is very calming. After a hard day of work you can come home and just pick the game up and have a relaxing time. There are simply numerous things you can do and that is what gives the game longevity. I still find myself playing the game here and there.

Now the Volleyball is very simplistic and in fact you probably won't be playing it as much as you want. It is hard for you to find partners at times and you will find yourself going though a good while without a partner to play with. However when you do play it is great fun. You can set up your teammate, you can spike the ball, or you can jump up to block the ball back into an opponents face. Serving allows you a few options such as hitting it hard or softly laying it over the net. You can partner up with different girls by sending them gifts and stuff. The volleyball games require you to have two people playing.

Partnering up with other girls requires you to build relationships with them. You do this by sending them gifts and stuff. If the relationship is mutual she will team up with you and give you gifts also. You can shop and buy items and collect these items also. There are some cool videos to be collected here such as the Ninja Gaiden video. Another cool feature is the addition of the casino. You can play games like blackjack and win money. The game is split up into days, these days are the days that you will spend on the island and during this time you play volleyball and collect items. You buy items by collecting money and you win money by winning volleyball games and winning mini games in the casino. The game overall is a very fun game and allows different options.

The game has some good value. The game will keep you occupied for a while. Building relationships and collecting items will take a long time. I have put in about 20 hours into this game and till this day I still play it here and there. You can also play some exhibition matches if you want some quick volleyball fix. The game is very satisfying and relaxing and the content in the game is fairly good.

I would say the music in the game is good and not so good. Some of the music is very good and fits the mood. While others are not so good. The music consists of soundtracks like Christina Aguilera and Bob Marley. The voice acting is fairly good. The voice acting is in Japanese and for the most part they only have a few lines to say, but it is definitely well done.

There's a lot of things to do. The game presents not only a good volleyball gameplay experience, but also a very nice life simulation to it. The graphics are superb and the music is solid. Team Ninja did a nice job off adding a bunch of extras in here to keep the average gamer occupied. The drop dead gorgeous graphics are also a trademake of any Team Ninja game. The atmosphere around the game really gives one a sense of a day at the beach and wanting to play some volleyball.

Overall this game is a good game. The content in this game will keep you occupied for a while. While I wish there were more volleyball to be played during your single player experience, the amount of item collecting, the relaxing atmosphere and the mini games in the casino more then make up for it. I would suggest renting this game first because it is not for everyone, it is a love or hate game and for me I enjoyed it. But if you do decide to get it there are some quality enjoyment from this game and it is very relaxing and at times addicting.

Pros
+ Relaxing atmosphere
+ Mini games like Black Jack
+ Numerous items to collect
+ Gorgeous graphics
+ Solid volleyball action
+ Great voice acting

Cons
- A bit simplistic
- Not enough Volleyball
- The soundtrack had its moments, but some of it were not as good as other soundtracks

Graphics - 10/10
Gameplay - 7.5/10
Sound - 7/10
Value - 8/10
Presentation - 8/10
Overall - 8.4/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/30/04, Updated 03/07/05