Overall 8.7 Graphics 7 Sound 8.5 Addictive 8.5 Story 6 Depth 4.5 Difficulty 7
8.5
kick 'em then bite 'em ender44
I have expressed my love of games that feature a twist. And I have seen many fighting games that have tried to put twists on games, be it mortal kombat's fatalities, or the twists that were intended for Street fighter flashback. But the bloody war series has the most interesting of all twists. This game gives you the option to transform into each character's respective animal. Transforming would raise your attack, allow you to regain some health, and give the ability to do very advanced combos. And personally, this is the most memorable fighting series of my... teen years? I cant remember when it was released and wikipedia tends to fail me.
Gameplay: The controls are one of the key components of any fighting game. They have to be set up well enough to make easy combos easy and difficult combos difficult. They also cant be too sensitive. Bloody war 2 has these things in house, and the controls and gameplay are very smooth, not to mention pleasing.
Graphics: By the standards of the MAME, this game really doesn't look the best. You can cut it some clack for the fact that it was a 3D fighter and those were hard to make. But there were other 3D titles on the MAME that did look a lot better than this game. Overall, the game is passable, though it really isn't aesthetically pleasing. The characters animate well enough, and their animal counterparts barely look any better to me.
Sound: Easily the best part of this game besides the gameplay and the game itself. The music is fantastic,look it up on youtube, it is the best of any fighting game. It sets the mood for battle incredibly well, probably better than any other fighting game. Some to note are Yugo's theme and the theme of Alice.
Addictiveness: Yeah, its there. And not only is it here, but it makes up for the lack of depth in the game. This game keeps you on the hook, it is incredibly fun and you will want to play it over and over again.
Story: There is very much no story, which really is a shame. They could have done quite a bit with this game.
Depth: There are 9 characters, each with their respective animal counterparts. There isn't much to write about the depth, although there isn't much to say, it is addicting enough for you to keep playing it.
Difficulty: well, what do you know? I mean that very literally, as there are tons of combos you can do, and experience will make this game easier as you go along. If you give the game some practice, you will definitely get the hang of it. I am rating this game as I would if I had only played it once before.
Well, that is it for this review. This game has a fantastic twist on what I still consider a dying series. It took a step away from that terrible bottom line that is the fighter series. I think all future fighting games should aspire to have twists like this, I fear the industry might die down if they don't. Though, that is just me.
Graphics 7 Sound 10 Addictive 9 Depth 5 Difficulty 6
Review Rating: 5/5
Submitted: 03-17-13
Updated: 03-28-13
Review Replies: 0
8.2
Bloody Roar 2: Ain't a Bloody Mess tsdZero
Background:
Picture this. You're Sony interactive and you're looking for the next big thing. Street Fighter and Art Of Fighting have already shown that fighting games have their own demographic and culture. And Mortal Kombat showed that people love gore, but sometimes too much is just too much. So what's Sony to do? Enter Eighting/Raizing and Hudson Soft and their take on the 3D fighting Genre: Bloody Roar. A game with a concept so absurd. So Crazy...so downright bats*** insane it just might work. And when it released, people ate it up like pancakes at a breakfast convention. A few years later, Eighting/Raizing though they could create a second act to the growing play that was the world and Lore of Bloody Roar. Released in 1999, Bloody Roar 2 (Also known as Bloody Roar 2: Bringer of the New Age in Japan and Europe and Bloody Roar 2: The New Breed in the USA) is a brawler style arcade game that differs from other fighting games in one specific aspect that drew in fans from all walks of life. Bloody Roar gives each and every single one of it's fighters the "Ability" to change into a Bipedal Animal Hybrid that reflects their style of fighting or their personality. (My favorite and Main being Uriko as she turns into a Bobcat-Half beast and is actually quite speed oriented as well as looks just damn adorable) From Yugo the Wolf to Shin/Jin Long the Tiger to Hans Taubemann the Fox. All the characters have quite the variety that only grew more and more as the games became more popular. But with it's success also came it's decline. Bloody Roar 2 was ultimately overshadowed by more "Mainstream" titles like King of Fighters or Street Fighter Alpha or even the more insane and faster paced Marvel Vs Series. But that's not to say it lost it's spot. Bloody Roar is still very much alive. And it's waiting for it's time once more. Like a predator waiting in the shadows for it's time to strike....
Graphics: 7/10
Keep in mind, this was the PS1 to borderline PS2 Era so graphics weren't so standard and realism based as they are now.
Bloody Roar 2 is a 3D fighter. So Naturally instead of sprite work, they favored Polygonal models with texture and detail. And boy did they get it right. From Jenny's almost showing thigh short skirt to Basuzima's....demeanor, details that would normally be seen on a PS2 had no right of being on the PS1, and yet here they were. Granted the stage wrap probably could've used some work but this was what all the rage was in 3D fighting games like Dead or Alive or even Virtua Fighter. Ranging from back alleys to lush filled jungles to an old arena where it's caged in not by metal but by wooden stick fencing that's easily breakable. And in a game where ringing out is a definite possibility, you feel empowered and bad ass when you send your opponent flying ass first through that stage barrier. Even though fights take place in a square arena all the time, it's not exactly so bad. Once again borrowing from other 3D games, Bloody Roar took pages from other books and used them well. Blood felt natural and right, albeit cartoonish and Animeish at some points. But there was a visual cue they took from Marvel's Vs. Series (And I'm glad they did) that just feels perfect. And I'm talking about the "Astral" stage. Whenever a Beast Drive move is attempted, the entirety of the stage blackens and the grid of the arena takes shape. This might not look pleasing to some people's eyes but it takes the focus away from the stage itself and puts emphasis on the characters. Both receiving and giving out the move. The Astral stage feels empty and lifeless, like there's no where to run. Which is exactly how it feels to be hit by such techniques. You can't run and you can't hide. It's going to happen and there's nothing you can do to stop it. ?Did I mention that all of this runs at a glorious beautiful (Miles923 subscribers take an effing shot) 60 frames a second?
Sound: 7/10
Normally I put a lot of thought and a lot of heart into typing things about music. But to say something about Bloody Roar's soundtrack is....well....it's not memorable. That's not to say it isn't good! It's pretty damn good. It's rock and techno hybrid songs almost rival that of Guilty Gear and BlazBlue composer Daisuke Ishiwatari. All the theme's seem to fit and match to person's style and personality just like their beast forms do. But I'm going to be completely honest. I had to go and listen to them again while writing this to even remember what genre of song they used. It's not memorable by any means. Maybe I'll get some flak for that but I speak my mind. It's just so...generic. It's good but it's by no means amazing. They just miss the mark. Other than that, sounds during battle are as they should be. Punches when someone is hit by something solid. And a satisfying as heck "SHLIIICH" when you cut something. Nothing notable but it does sound right, which is a lot better than 60% of games nowadays.
Addictiveness: 8/10
This is the main selling point of the Bloody Roar Franchise. Like Dead or Alive and Virtua Fighter (Again I'm making this comparison. Oy...I need to play more 3D Fighting games) the main ingredient in the addictiveness of Bloody Roar is the combos and improvisation. And that is thanks to the raw and styling movement of the characters that honestly reminds me of Tekken's Fluidity. Not to say Tekken has fluidity, I'm just saying Bloody Roar feels like it. Combos don't just look stylish either. There are combos created specifically for baits and cross ups that just make you feel powerful when you execute them perfectly and when you need to. And that takes skill and time. Which is precisely why it's so addictive. Sometimes, like I did, you'll find a corner combo that absolutely wrecks people up by complete accident. Bloody Roar brings out the wonder and excitement in me. I kinda don't want to look at the move list, I wanna see just what kind of messed up tactics I can do myself ya know? And Bloody Roar has the flexibility to do so with ease. Wanna space someone out and time out win like a troll? We got that. Wanna rush in and cross up like your name is Saberwolf? We got that. Wanna hit combos that almost rival MVC3? We got that in spades. Though that last one takes time to master. Arguably Bloody Roar is as addictive as Tekken and DoA and VF but that is its only point. There isn't much in terms of unlockables, beit stages characters costumes or colors. So while it does have a fun an addicting style of play, it does need to amp up the meat of the game. But I'll get to that later.
Story: 6/10
Oof, where do I begin. Continuing where the story of Blood Roar 1 left off, Bloody Roar 2 follows the stories of 11 fighters who's destinies are entwined in the complex weave of fate reality has in store for them. I can't say I've played them all to be honest, but what I HAVE played and seen isn't exactly Hollywood material. ?But if you play a fighting game for it's story (With the exception of Blazblue, Guilty Gear and Persona 4 Arena) You're playing it for the wrong reasons. Stories have never really been a fighting game's strong suit except for the 3 examples I just listed and maybe some others. Even my main, Uriko doesn't really have much of a meaning to be in the game besides being damn cute and trying to become stronger. She's like Sakura that way. (Street Fighter, not Haruno.) Playing Arcade mode shows you cut scenes, Rival Schools Style, and it's not exactly good. It's not bad either but it's nothing noteworthy. Just above average. No offence to other Bloody Roar 2 Fans.
Depth: 4/10
And here we have the main problem of Bloody Roar 2. Depth. This game is bare bones. While it might not be that bad for something of the time, nowadays we expect other things from fighting games. A Story mode, maybe a gallery mode or even a music listener. But it makes sense. Bloody Roar was created to be an arcade game for an arcade cabinet. And that's actually quite apparent. But it also means it hasn't aged well. A Solid fighter it may be, but just like BBQ ribs, once you get the tiny bits of meat off the bones, you're left wanting more. Bloody Roar 3 and 4 (Or Extreme if you played that) remedied this with unlockable characters and stages and even a point system but Bloody Roar 2 got left out to dry.
Difficulty: 8/10
This game is hard. Like just outright hard. If you don't know what you're doing, it's no surprise, but still even after hours and hours of training and comboing it's hard. Depending on what difficulty you're in Bloody Roar can seem either like a walk in the park with you mowing down more people than a lawn Mower to your front yard, or an SNK boss fest where you'll want to rage quit harder than most MVC3 online players. Let's start from the bottom up. When I played Bloody Roar 2, it was on a friend's PSP. And being new to the game I set it on easy to get used to it. It wasn't bad. I still got slightly comboed and the final boss took two tries to win, but it wasn't that bad. Especially for someone new to the game. So I put it on normal. And then the challenge kicked in. I started to notice the different strengths and weaknesses of animal forms. I kinda had to or else I would get my ass handed to me. Combo's into beast drives, health regeneration, being punched and kicked out of the ring. It was madness. Sometimes it felt like I was being cheated out of pokes and the neutral game, but that was just me not being used to how Bloody Roar 2 was suppose to be played. It took me several days to get used to it. And after that it took me another couple of days to beat the final boss. But after that I wanted more. To see just how high I could go. So I obviously set it to hard difficulty. And promptly got my ass beat in like I was going out of style. Every fight seemed like a boss battle. Every punch and kick I couldn't dodge lead into something more complex and mind breaking. It. Was. Glorious. To be fair, I don't know what Difficulty Bloody Roar 2 for the arcade is in. Nor do I know what this emulation on Vizzed will be like. Haven't tried it yet but I will after this review. You can bet on it.
Overall: 8.2/10
All in all Bloody Roar is an under the Radar cult classic. It has it's followers that will follow it to the ends of the earth. I should know. I'm kinda one of them. Like Melty Blood and to an extent Street Fighter X Tekken, games like this will always have it's followers. And for good reason. It has what other games nowadays are taking for granted. Straight out F-U-N. It has an original concept, good but not great sound design, a story that could use some polish, characters that look amazing and probably spawned a furry lover or two just from jenny alone (You know who you are, I don't judge) and an overall difficulty that makes you want to scream in frustration, but keep coming for more. But like the final boss, people are begging for one more shot. For one more game. For one more chance. Who knows. An experience like this isn't easily snuffed out just from 5 games. If Killer instinct can come back with a vengeance, maybe this beast can one day come out of the shadows and truly show everyone how a Bloody Roar sounds.
But don't take my word for it. See it for yourself!
Graphics 7 Sound 7 Addictive 8 Story 6 Depth 4 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 4/5
Submitted: 04-25-14
Updated: 04-25-14
Review Replies: 10
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