Reviewed
11.24.1999
Publisher
Red
Orb
Developer
Toka
Format
GD
Origin
Import/Domestic
Available
TBA
(Japan)
Nov
23, 1999 (USA)
Exclusive
Yes
Difficulty
Normal
Dimensions
3D
View
1st/3rd
Person
Genre
Action/Fighter
Players
1
Options
Arcade
Stick
Backup
5
Requires
n/a
Importable
99% |
INTRO:
> Ever since the days of Golden Axe (Genesis), and Three Dirty Dwarves
(Saturn) I've been a fan of action/fighters. The first Uberconsole
title of this genre was Dynamite Cop, which
is the sequel to the Saturn's Die Hard Arcade. Soul Fighter carries
the torch further with fantasy locales, evil beasts, and hack'n slash gameplay.
You must kill or be killed.
GRAPHICS:
> The first thing you'll notice is the beautiful scenery in Soul Fighter.
Toka has done their homework on the Dreamcast as this game's lighting,
transparency, detail, animation, and variety is great. Each level
is huge with multiple paths and animated backgrounds which include waterfalls,
waves, falling leaves, a rotating windmill, flaming bombs, and flying flags.
The characters are large and everything is motion captured for realistic
movements. Bosses await your arrival at the end of various levels
and their attacks include magic and weapons.
> The view... this will be a matter of taste. The dynamic,
3D, third person view, which is almost always used, does a good job of
showing you the closest threat. However, this can be a double edged
sword as the game often surrounds you with enemies which can muddle your
view a bit. After putting some time into this game, I can say that
the view isn't perfect, but it's far from horrible or uncontrollable.
Also in the game is a first person view which can be utilized once you've
collected a weapon so that you can wield it against your foes.
CONTROL:
> It's fairly simple, yet has a learning curve to fully grasp. The
basics are punch, kick, jump, and block. You can also select your
character's standard weapon, use power-up weapons, use magic, reset camera,
select first person view, collect power-ups, and perform various other
combos. After completing a combo, your combo meter goes up.
When its full, you can use magic and/or unleash super-combos. Don't
forget about the treasure chests... they contain power-ups, weapons,
and hints to help you become a successful Soul Fighter.
> The third person view offered in this game has a slight learning curve
too. Once you get used to the idea that it will attempt to give you
the best angle on your nearest foe, then fighting starts to become second
nature. Note: you can not directly change the camera angle as in
Sonic Adventure.
SOUND:
> The music is fast paced and reminiscent of the Conan movies at times.
Mix in a little guitar rock and you have a pretty good soundtrack.
> The sound effects are good, but seem a bit muted during the real-time
generated cut-scenes. During the action you'll hear swords whipping,
beasts roaring and dying, explosions, and various cues.
FUN:
> Before you start, you can select from a male fighter, female fighter,
and male mage. In the Arcade mode you can continue a limited number
of times and switch characters between levels. The Adventure mode
only gives you one life, but you can save your position between levels.
> If you like non-stop fighting with decent AI and long levels, then you'll
have fun with Soul Fighter. It's not an easy game, so don't expect
to breeze to the end. Lastly, a two player mode would have been nice.
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