Review
by Rob Chase,InuYasha: Feudal Combat
PS2 / Fighting / Eighting
Review: | ||||||||
Eighting has made a reputation for itself of specializing in anime-video game crossovers. They were responsible for some great games like Naruto: Gekitou Ninja Taisen and Bleach: Heat and Soul 2, but unfortunately for Inu Yasha, this game fails to impress.
While in most games it isn't an issue, a major drawback in Feudal Combat is the sound quality. Rarely does a game lose marks because of sound, but in this case it's just so awful I eventually decided to play the game muted. It really sounds like a microphone was put up to a TV during an Adult Swim session, and recorded to make up the majority of the game's sound clips. At other times, its like listening to the game through one of those can and string telephone sets you might make as a kid. It's grainy, unprofessional, and sticks out like a sore thumb. ![]() ![]() ![]() While no two fighters fight the same, there isn't much more you can do except mash buttons. There isn't much variety to what you can do, and little to no strategy is needed to win a battle. In short, battles are all about who can press buttons faster. Thankfully, some diversity is presented in the interactive battle areas. If your sword hits a boulder, it shatters. If you get knocked hard back into a pillar and it breaks, the structure it was holding up falls on you (and that really does hurt!). Almost any object that seems out of place for a fight ring can come into play when fighting opponents. Whether it's scaffolding or just loose ground on the edge of a cliff, it can usually be used to your advantage and vice-versa. Feudal Combat does come with a story mode, but it's a very shallow one at that. You start by playing as Inu Yasha as he hunts down Naraku. His story is divvied up into five battles that make the five chapters of his story. While the entire sequence may only take 10-15 minutes to complete, you can't save between battles. This means that once you start a chapter, you're stuck in it until you beat the final level. This can get to be extremely aggravating if you need to stop playing for a moment for any reason, since you can only pause a chapter during a battle. Once you do complete a chapter, you unlock another chapter for another character. Sadly, only Inu Yasha, Miroku/Sango, Sesshomoru and Shippo's chapters are playable before you've “beaten the game.” (Why can't you play as a bad guy?!) ![]() Of course, fandom is always a factor when judging a game. It's entirely possible that devout Inu Yasha fans will eat this game up just because its related to the anime. If you're a gamer looking for a fighting game with a story, a lot of gameplay options and a lot of characters to choose from, play Budokai. If you're just an Inu Yasha fan looking for a game to hack and slash your buddies with, this game might just work out in your favor. Still, I recommend renting it and seeing what you think before dishing out any more dough. This is not a game I would recommend to anyone but Inu Yasha fans. |
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Grade: | |||
Overall : F
Animation : C
Music : D
+ Well balanced characters all with unique fighting styles. |
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