Deathrow

"An uninspired title that lacks any polish."

Before all the big name titles like Halo 2, Knights of the Old Republic, and Ninja Gaiden there were only a handful of good games on the Xbox. Of course there was an exceptional shooter by the name of Halo. Halo was the game that everyone associated the Xbox with. There were other good games, but certainly the only well known one was Halo. Deathrow was one of these titles that were supposed to be good. While it is a relatively unknown game, the ones that have played it have said many good things about it. Deathrow is a violent and unconventional sports game.

Deathrow sports a solid look. The animation looks very good and the game runs very smooth. From a distance the character models aren't that great, but they are solid and easy on the eyes. Backgrounds are solid, but there are a few spots that are a tad bit blurry. Overall Deathrow has some very solid graphics, with very smooth and fluid frame rate.

When I called Deathrow an unconventional sports game, I truly mean that. One has a Frisbee like object that is served as a ball. One takes this Frisbee like objects and puts it into a goal. It may sound easy, but it is not. One must face another team that is determined to keep one from scoring. And when I mean determine, I literally mean it. They will use attacks that will knock one down and keep them from scoring. This game is quite violent and there are a lot of fighting that will be going on.

Like soccer, one can pass the Frisbee and throw it to score. It is obviously a good idea to keep the Frisbee moving because ball movement is a very useful strategy. One really tough thing is the clunky controls and the horrible camera system. The controls are lacking any polish and for the most part is frustrating. One will try to shoot the Frisbee for a goal, but for the most part it is hard to aim it. With all the action going on, one will find that they will only have a few seconds to get a shot off. Since the controls are so clunky, one can imagine how hard it is to get it into the goal.

The camera system definitely does not help. On several occasions, I would lose track of the Frisbee. This is partly because the game is very fast pace, and partly because the camera does not do a good job of tracking that Frisbee down. Many times the opposing team would score and I wouldn't even know that they had the ball in the first place. The controls are very lackluster, the camera system is rather horrid, and the game has a very steep learning curve.

The game does sport a good amount of modes. One can play a simple single player game or try conquest out. Conquest is a very solid mode. This mode is equivalent to a season mode. The mode is pretty deep, as one can trade players, earn money, and etc. The only downside is the game isn't very fun. If the game had a bit more fine tuning and polishing, then they would have a solid game on their hands, but as it stands, this game felt unfinished and uninspired.

The music is fairly solid, and at times does a good job to portray the mood. In a game like this the sound isn't all that important, but what is there is solid. The game does have a nice sound at times that makes it sound like a sports game. Little details here and there added to that.

The game isn't very fun, so one can expect to put this down after a short while. However this could just be me because I have heard that quite a few people like it. So one might want to give it a try and be pleasantly surprised. As for me I felt the game was lackluster and felt unpolished.

I do applaud the developers for trying something unique. This game is very unique, and it is unlike anything I have ever played, but sometimes innovation does not equal quality. The game just felt rushed because of its clunky controls and horrible camera system. The fighting that goes on could have been deeper also.

I would recommend people to rent this game first. Some may like it and some may not. For me I felt it was a below average game. However if one can find it cheap then one may want to pick it up. There were just too many factors that made me dislike this game. If one can look past these problems, then one might find some enjoyment here.

Pros
+ Solid graphics
+ A fairly deep conquest mode
+ Something new

Cons
-Clunky controls
- Horrid camera system
- A rather shallow fighting system
- Bad A.I
- Unbalanced difficulty
- Frustrating to play
- It felt unpolished
- The game was simply no fun

Graphics - 7/10
Gameplay - 3/10
Sound - 6/10
Value - 5/10
Presentation - 5.5/10
Overall - 5.3/10

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 02/19/05