Xbox 360 Look - Yakuza: Dead Souls

Here's another old review that I wrote during my days at The-Nextlevel.com.

Kazuma Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima and one of the most respected and feared men in Tokyo, receives a phone call that his step-daughter Haruka has been kidnapped. This is the sort of story that’s supposed to get your blood boiling, your anger to overwhelm your entire being, and next thing you know you’re one man standing against many. This is how Yakuza: Dead Souls starts off and really if that was the entire plot it’d be a very short game. Because you see, Kamurocho has been a little lifeless as of late.

Shun Akiyama, debt-collector and lay-about, is out making his rounds when he spots the most curious sight. A man falls out of a high-story building and survives. In fact he gets up like nothing happened. Unfortunately he is actually a zombie, and does what they do best. Namely biting everyone nearby and spreading his terrible disease. Sensing the danger, Shun picks up the nearest gun and kills all of the undead. He returns to his office to get some rest. The next day he wakes up to discover that zombies have already gotten to work destroying the city. Seriously just how do these guys move so fast? People with functioning brains couldn’t wreck Kamurocho in such a short amount of time.

Goro Majima, fiercely loyal but with the temperament of a mad dog, is enjoying zombie movies when his underlings burst through his door. When the zombies follow and start munching on them, Majima’s reaction is disturbingly joyful. For Majima, Kamurocho has become the kind of playground only he can appreciate. While the SDF works to contain the undead presence through the usage of high-powered weaponry and barricades, Majima is liable to find himself on both sides of the wall seeking the pleasures of gambling, women, food, and gratuitous violence against the undead.

Ryuji Goda, who was the Dragon of Kansai, now seeks to become the Dragon of takoyaki. Unfortunately he is tied to the events surrounding Kamurocho and must become involved in order to put a stop to them. Goda’s right hand has been modified into a gatling gun, which makes him quite a bit more prepared to deal with the undead than any of our other three heroes. Still, it is up to you the player to take control of all four of these men in order to figure out the reasons behind the zombie outbreak and put a stop to it. Failure means the end of Kamurocho and where would we be without our hostess clubs and massage parlors?

As with the last Yakuza game, Kamurocho and all of its amenities are open to you at almost any time. As the story progresses the SDF will quarantine more and more of the city to combat the growing zombie population. Still that won’t stop businesses from re-opening if you take the time to deal with the fiends that are threatening them. Also like in the previous games you’ll discover sub-stories where the solution tends to be shooting anything that moves, well…as opposed to punching anything that moves I suppose. Gambling, golfing, fishing, bowling, dining, drinking, your options for entertainment are endless.

But you’re not here to read about the similarities this game holds with previous titles. In fact if all you wanted to do was explore Kamurocho and play mini-games you’d likely be perfectly alright sticking to last year’s Yakuza 4. Yakuza: Dead Souls is a very different game because it is a shooter instead of a brawler, where survival is dependent on your weaponry, aim, and zombie-handling skills. Whenever the undead sense the presence of a living person they move quickly and in a swarm. There are ways to break free but you’re better off blowing their heads off before they get close. One of the first skills you can learn allows you to lock onto a zombie’s weak-point as soon as you press the lock-on button, take advantage of it. Still their numbers are countless and sometimes you just have to keep moving if you hope to progress.

Aside from zombies you can also expect to find mutants. These abominations are more freakish in appearance and have maneuvers that extend past “grab’n’chomp”. Their appearances also tend to be very unique like the rollerblading mutants that attack with flying head-butts and slides, or the beefy mutants that use shockwaves and massive fists to take you out. Prototypes serve as the boss-monsters of this game, and their twisted forms offer a full range of tactics and abilities. Still you’ll deal with them like you would anything else, with your growing array of upgradeable weaponry and heat-snipe technique. Yes this is very much unlike past games, where the only reason most players upgraded their weapons was so that they could boost their completion percentage.

As the heat meter fills more and more targets are going to appear. These can include gas cans, fire hydrants, combustible barrels, and anything else that can explode if you shoot it just right. After firing a shot a QTE takes over and whether it succeeds is decided upon your button-press. Think of it like in the Michael Bay movie Bad Boys. Imagine if Martin Lawrence said “You forgot your boarding pass!” Then when he fired the bullet at the explosive barrel near the thug it did absolutely nothing. That is what would happen to you if you failed the QTE. It’s pretty frustrating, especially because the time allowed is quite little. Still it’s an essential ability since with proper use it can knock prototypes out of their attack, destroy multiple zombies at once, and generally make your life much easier and more enjoyable.

The ruins of Kamurocho comprise much of the exploration in Dead Souls. In order to reach your destination you’ll have to survive various quarantined portions of the red light district as well as occasional trips through the sewers and a handful of buildings. Also while this is entirely optional you may want to dive into the subterranean. Apparently zombies originally came from the center of the earth, or at least it’ll feel that way when you’re seemingly miles underground and buried by zombies while your last source of light flickers out. However if you’re the type of person who has to do everything and obtain the most powerful weapons these depths must be explored. They’re pretty entertaining at least, since they focus entirely on blowing away zombies while managing precious limited resources like ammo and healing items.

While for the most part it’s all on you to save Tokyo, there are opportunities to hook up with a partner when completing sub-stories or just killing some undead. These men and women can level up, acquire skills, and as long as they’re standing you’ll be able to perform special heat-snipe abilities. There are a handful of moments where you can team up over the course of the story as well. Good partners are unfortunately few and far between, since some are limited by their choice of weapon. You’re more likely to come across one who is so good that you’ll forget about everyone else. Even the hostesses, who require the most effort to join up with you, probably aren’t worth it. In the interest of completion you’ll still want to take everyone along at some point or another.

The main thing I should point out throughout this adventure is that it can not be approached like any other shooter made in this generation. So forget Gears of War, Uncharted, and hey even Binary Domain. Instead you should be thinking about games like Crimson Sea, Gungrave, and most anything else made last generation. Dead Souls harkens back to a different era, when the third-person shooter wasn’t so clearly defined and every developer had wildly different ideas on how it should work. Everything about this game from its controls to its mechanics gives it an identity of its very own, and if you approach it as part of the genre you’ve become accustomed to you’ll likely dislike it. I think it’s very refreshing, even if more work could have been done to improve it.

While moving around you’ll find that the four heroes are very adept at gunning down zombies, the annoyance sets in however when using the lock-on ability only to discover that you’re aiming at air. Usually it’s just a nuisance but when dealing with certain prototypes or particularly bad situations where health is low you’ll gnash your teeth when you’re shooting the wrong way just because you were ever so slightly off. A skill acquired through training at Gary’s Boot Camp improves the lock-on somewhat but even twenty hours into the game I’d still run into these situations. Also this game features a couple of vehicle-sections that are among the worst that I’ve ever played through. The idea of taking them on in the harder difficulties is not appealing in the slightest. At least through the rest of the game the difficulty can be alleviated by upgrading armor and weapons, what about the vehicles? I can’t merely drape my combat armor over them can I?

Behind it all, Yakuza: Dead Souls is a game dedicated to the fans. They are what made the series one of Sega’s most successful and while shooting zombies isn’t quite the same as punching deadbeats we are all tied together by Kazuma Kiryu, Kamurocho, and everyone that resides in it. While it hurts me to say this, I hope the next game does away with it all and instead follows a new city. Honestly I’ve seen enough of Kamurocho and Kiryu deserves a break so he can focus on his orphanage. Maybe we’ll see the baton passed to a new generation of Yakuza. Until then, while the terribly overused quote “Not for everyone” does apply, Dead Souls is competent enough at what it does to warrant a look.

Xbox 360 Look - Deathsmiles 2 aka II-X

Warning: This is another old review that I wrote back when The-NextLevel.com was active. I've cleaned it up a little bit, but there are probably loads of errors.

If the idea of a Christmas-themed 2D shooter jingles your bells then you’ll be singing “Joy to the World” when Deathsmiles II-X arrives in your stocking, and I seriously don’t think any of this makes sense. The Deathsmiles series has been a bit of a hard-sell, not just because it’s part of such a niche genre, but also because the subject matter is more than a little disconcerting. The original Deathsmiles reached the United States with the tagline “Death smiles at us all. Lolis smile back.” While the definition of what a “Loli” is varies wildly, it still carries a deservedly negative connotation. Aksys -- the publisher of the first game in the United States -- has more or less washed their hands of the 2D shooter genre. Thankfully in keeping with the spirit of mangled proverbs a door might have closed, but a window just recently opened. Deathsmiles II-X is currently available via the Xbox 360 Games on Demand service. While it is at times bizarre and inconsistent, the mechanics are superb, the game-design is inventive and accessible, and altogether it is a great package for STG fans.


Those of you out there who are unfamiliar with the first game probably still won’t understand a thing after I’m through explaining the story, but I have no choice. It seems that when some young girls suffer tragic unexplained fates, they are actually whisked away to an alternate world called Gilverado. It is here that they discover they have incredible powers, and must use them to protect the innocent. Count Dior is the caretaker of these girls. When the forces of darkness threaten their world, he sends the kids out to do their good deed for the day. These girls are known as Angels so this game could also be called “Dior’s Angels”. It’d be just like Charlie’s Angels except really creepy and weird.

In their latest adventure the angels must stop Satan Claws (Uh…huh) from ruining Christmas for everybody. It turns out that St. Nick is only jolly when he’s exacting revenge, and Dior just happened to be the last guy that sent him back to the Netherworld North Pole. To further his evil schemes, Satan Claws makes off with a handful of wish-granting musical notes. The Angels must trek through six or seven levels facing off against the evil and the absurd, so they can get those notes back, save Dior’s life, and discover the true meaning of Christmas. I haven’t quite figured that last part out myself but I think it involves scoring billions of points.


There’s not a whole lot to say about the Angels themselves. Windia is the emotional type, Casper is the repressed one, Follett is always quiet, and Rosa never takes things seriously. This just sums up the regulars since two new Angels join in for this game. Lei and Supe’s story is shockingly similar to “It’s a Wonderful Life”. It involves big brother Lei trying to save Supe, when she falls through thin ice into a frigid pond. Unfortunately for Lei, he doesn’t get away with only going deaf in one ear. Instead he and his sister are dumped in Gilverado, where a homeless man tells Lei to dress like a maid and get a job at Dior’s. As for Supe, it turns out that she has great powers of her own. However, Satan Claws discovers this secret and uses her to infiltrate the Dior home. Look, I don’t know. Is it too late to go back to the “Lone pilot must stop an alien armada” storylines? I really don’t know if I can take anymore of this. Deathsmiles II-X is broken up into three modes. The regular mode allows for whichever Angel you choose to go through multiple stages of horizontal and rarely vertical action.

2D shooter staples are abound as there are bosses to contend with, weak enemies that die in a single shot, and larger foes that pack heavy firepower. Unlike most other shooters, there are very few power-ups, and they tend to be of the life-restoring variety. Each of the six playable Angels has a regular shot that is used by tapping the fire button(there are two of them for both directions), a powerful shot when the button is held down, a homing attack that is done by holding both fire buttons, and finally a handful of bombs for escaping bad situations.


When it comes to 2D shooters, there is always a balance between survival and scoring. Simply put, survival is being able to beat the game without continuing. Scoring is all a matter of how many points you can get in the process. Much of the challenge in Deathsmiles II-X comes from the scoring aspect. There are multiple factors to account for, and situations can become more tougher to handle, because higher scores require riskier play. On the other hand it is very easy to avoid these situations and play purely for survival, but this will get boring before too long. Although this entry retains the selectable difficulty levels for every stage, even on the hardest settings it never becomes quite as challenging as the original Deathsmiles.


Just like any other 2D shooter Deathsmiles II-X has multiple aspects and sub-systems that you’ll have to account for if you wish to get your high-score into the billions. The main focus is on the power-up mode. When enemies are shot at or destroyed they cough up hundreds of rings. One set of rings causes the multiplier to rise while another set raises the item count. The item count must be 1,000 to trigger power-up mode. The multiplier must be at or close to 10,000 in order to get the most out of it. While in power-up mode the Angels can collect ridiculous amounts of rings. Furthermore, they must do everything they can to keep power-up mode going, or be in the best position to recharge it instantly, when it inevitably fades away.

Through magic, time-distortion, or something similarly nonsensical, new-types of bullets will spawn, when the Angels destroy enemies during power-up mode. These blue bullets are just as fatal as the violet and cyan bits of death that flood the screen. They also have tracking properties, so be mindful of that. This can be turned to your advantage since after a few seconds these bullets gain a bit of red coloring to them. In order to trigger a healthy recharge, and consistently enter power-up mode, the timing of the lock-shot has to be very precise. While in power-up mode enemies in the background that are destroyed with the lock-shot release their own form of homing bullets, by lock-shot-canceling these at the right moment you can get even more rings. These are the fundamentals of the scoring system and they’re also useful during boss-fights, since these foes can be “milked” for a ton of points.


The Arranged mode is what one has come to expect from a Cave port. If you can understand the basics of the original game, then you’ll likely figure out this mode without too much trouble. At its core, it involves the Angels throwing their familiars around (little guys that attack and absorb bullets) and going from there. There is also a tension meter that fills when you’re doing great. This rank meter leads enemies firing more bullets, which will result in even more points, if you know what you’re doing. It's a good addition and not much more. I doubt I’ll get nearly as much mileage out of this as the original mode. Maybe it’s the pacing, maybe there are just too many bullets, or maybe I just don’t like the screen slowing down to an absolute crawl for thirty minutes straight. Finally there is the extra mode which is barely worth acknowledging. You take control of a familiar to navigate mazes, jump over obstacles, and generally do whatever you can to collect achievements and stay awake. My advice is to avoid operating heavy machinery after playing this snore-fest of an extra mode, and lie down immediately.


Oh? There’s an arcade mode in this game too? Cave would almost love for everyone to believe otherwise, because the actual arcade port is quite the afterthought. For the unaware, Deathsmiles 2 is a very different beast. The difficulty settings aren’t available, and there are only five stages to play through. For some, this might be the best version of the game, because more of the challenge lies in the survival aspect. The scoring system is a bit easier to work out, as well. It is a shame however that Cave did little more than a barren port for this game. There are leaderboards at least. If you can look past the lousy visuals, then you’ll likely find this mode to be quite entertaining.


Even ignoring the play-for-score aspects, there is quite a bit of replay-value in this package. All six Angels have multiple endings, and there’s even a hidden ending for defeating the True Last Boss. I should warn you however that a number of these endings will have you yelling “WHY?” from the roof-tops. Still, going after all of the endings can make for good practice, since that’s no less than thirteen playthroughs using everybody. The Arranged mode is worth a few playthroughs just for the spectacle of it all and the Extra mode? Well…you can listen to the first Deathsmiles’ fantastic soundtrack.


While it is expected to say that a shmup isn’t for everyone, Deathsmiles II-X is a particularly interesting case. Not only can it turn away fans of the genre, but it can also turn away fans of the first Deathsmiles. Although I think of the first game as more cohesive and better put-together; I still get a lot of enjoyment out of the second game. It might be that I’m more comfortable with part 2’s subsystems. Either way this is a respectable entry in the series. I definitely recommend giving it a chance.

Xbox 360 look - Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2

Note: Here's another old review.

For the longest time, my idea of an enjoyable Fist of the North Star game; was unarmed fighting in the Fallout series. Yes, FotNS games have historically been so bad that I'd rather play something by Bethesda. When Omega Force took over the franchise, I expected great things. After all, they’re known for Dynasty Warriors, a series that I can’t get enough of. Unfortunately, the first game was very poor. It was slow, cumbersome, had snore-inducing level-design, and characters took far too long to become entertaining to play. After spending a long time with the sequel, I can say that a few of these problems have been fixed. However, Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage 2 is a “one step forward, several steps back” affair.

Ken’s Rage 2 is divided into two modes of play. In Legend Mode, players follow the story of Kenshiro. As somebody who has seen almost the entirety of the original Fist of The North Star series, I have to applaud the effort put into this mode’s cut-scenes. They’re very well-acted, and most of my favorite scenes from the show turned out well. A handful of villains and storylines were cut, but they’re entirely filler. This is as exhaustive an account of Kenshiro’s saga, as one could imagine.  Occasionally players will take control of other characters such as Rei, Mamiya, Amiba, and even Bat and Ein. Yes, the Legend Mode also covers Fist of the North Star 2.

The most unfortunate aspect of Legend Mode; is that it rarely strays from the formula. In an episode of the anime, you can expect to see Kenshiro defeating dozens of bandits with ease, before facing off with the villain. This happens far too often in the game; with many chapters consisting of defeating X number of foes. This isn’t like Dynasty Warriors, where there are other objectives to complete. This certainly isn’t comparable to Sengoku Basara, with its stylish and rewarding style of fighting. Kenshiro appears, destroys everyone in less than a minute, and then moves onto the next checkpoint.

Kenshiro’s many adversaries have varying abilities and unique characteristics. These aspects aren’t noticeable in the game however. In fact, the boss-battles are actually a step back from the previous Ken’s Rage. Part of this is due to the new dodge-system. Instead of a jump, Kenshiro will evade attacks. The timing window for this move is so large, that it can be easily abused, making boss-fights a joke. The bosses themselves also perform fewer moves, and don’t offer enough unique traits to make them memorable. A number of fights also have QTEs, which are very easy to perform, and do large amounts of damage. Altogether, the only reason to play Legend Mode is to see the story and unlock characters.

 Dream Mode, is where all of the unlocked characters can be used. While some characters – such as those who follow the art of Nanto-Seiken – have intersecting plots, everyone has their own ending path. Battles in this mode, take place in a manner similar to the average Dynasty Warriors game. There is a map with numerous outposts, and the player must capture five of them, to reach the boss and complete the battle. Unlike Dynasty Warriors, the only objective aside from not dying; is to protect a particular character. There’s no real dynamic to the mission, as it consists entirely of getting to an enemy outpost, and performing the task necessary to get the best possible ranking. A couple enemy generals show up to trouble the player, but that’s the extent of how interesting a battle will get.

This style of mission-design; would have been acceptable if it was as deep as titles such as DW: Empires, or even DW: Gundam 3. At least in those games, the enemy moved to capture bases as well, and could create very difficult situations if they gained the advantage. In Ken’s Rage 2, nobody wants to put up a fight. It’s just a matter of doing everything as quickly as possible, for that high rank. Ultimately, the only thing standing in the player’s way; is that they will need to grind out the level-ups. The bosses have a ton of hit-points.

In the previous Ken’s Rage, attaining strength and new moves was done through a meridian chart. This was cut from the sequel, with the intention that players shouldn’t have to learn everything all over again. Instead, players can find scrolls on the battlefield, or after completing chapters. These scrolls give bonuses to the player’s stats, and they can be linked for serious boosts. The one aspect I like about this system; is that excess scrolls can be given to newer characters, to hurry along their development. Otherwise, the scroll-system is a poor replacement. There simply aren’t enough ways, to further customize characters, or even build them up to a level beyond where they were before. Compare this to Warriors Orochi 3, where late-game weapons can have incredible abilities, for obliterating generals on the hardest difficulties. Ken’s Rage 2 offers a few abilities, but they’re tied to scrolls, which makes for a very arbitrary and random system.

Ultimately, the most crushing aspect of Ken’s Rage 2, is that it feels unfinished. The content is there, the story is told well, but this game is lacking elements that make it whole. For one, nothing changes whether the player is just starting, or when they’re forty hours in. Each playable character has a number of techniques and signature moves, but only two or three of them ever see repeated use. The mission structure is so banal, and the enemy variety is so limited, that I have to believe the game was rushed. The new characters are great, but they’re hamstrung due to the poorly-done scroll system. Graphically, the game looks worse than the original. The frame-rate is all over the place, and everyone looks less-detailed. The level-design is also even worse. Sure, I thought the first Ken’s Rage had some lousy ideas, but at least they tried to do something different. It’s like no effort was put into this game, beyond checking all of the “more content” boxes.

For its 30^th anniversary, Fist of the North Star deserves far better. This series is notable for being a massive influence on videogames (particularly beatemups and fighters). Yet, where are all the good games? The first Ken’s Rage was promising, but not any fun. This game squashes all of that promise, and destroys almost all hope for the franchise. While a number of criticisms can be applied to the Dynasty Warriors franchise; such as their lack of depth. I can’t think of many truly awful games. Ken’s Rage 2 is on a very short and not-at-all prestigious list.

PS1 Look - Zanac X Zanac

Note: This is another old review

One of the boons of owning a Playstation 3 is access to the PSone classics section. Several of the best games ever made – such as Vagrant Story – are readily available at affordable prices. However, I’m always on the lookout for something different. Therefore I made up a JPN account, just so I could access Japan’s PSone library. This requires a few more hoops to be jumped through, but it’s very much worth it. There are a plethora of unique gems such as Vanguard Bandits, The Adventures of Little Ralph, and Harmful Park. GungHo Online Entertainment America is offering a taste of the PS1’s extensive import library, through the recent release of six games. There is one game in particular that stands out. Zanac X Zanac is a title deserving of a place in any 2D shooter fan’s library.

Zanac X Zanac is comprised of two games. One is the original Zanac, which saw release on platforms such as the MSX/MSX2, the Famicom Disk System, and the NES. Zanac Neo, the other game in the set, is a sequel developed exclusively for the Playstation 1. Even for their respective times, neither game is much to look at. Also due to their nature as a 2D shooter, the stories may as well not even exist. The mission is to destroy anything that threatens earth. So get in the prototype ship that explodes from contact with a single bullet or enemy craft, and hope for the best. In a genre as overloaded as the 2D shooter, what does Zanac do that helps it stand apart?

As it turns out, Zanac does things very differently. This game employs a system known as “Auto Level Control” (ALC). Depending on the level of difficulty, the amount of shots the player fires, their sub-weapon, and a handful of other seemingly minor factors, the opposition changes. No two levels are ever really the same, because the enemies adapt to every change of play-style. Lasers are effective against frontal assaults, but the AI will respond by attacking from the sides. Weaker weapons that cover a wider range will be counteracted by enemies that can take more punishment. When the player’s ship is destroyed, the AI will take a step back. This is both good and bad, since while the reprieve is appreciated, it also means missed points. This makes Zanac a fascinating 2D shooter, since unlike most similar titles, memorization isn’t helpful. In Zanac, raw skills, reflexes, and the right amount of recklessness is how players save the Earth, and beat their high-scores.

Zanac Neo is a substantial upgrade in every way. Three playable ships are available, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and sub-weapons. Each ship is also equipped with a charge meter. This meter is filled by grabbing power-ups and destroying enemies. The energy can then be expended in a single shot; or up the ship’s offensive capabilities for a few seconds, via something known as "blast mode". The charged shot is useful for scoring as it builds combos, the blast mode helps with survival since it can eliminate enemy bullets. Zanac Neo also employs a combo system. As long as the player doesn’t allow enemies to fly off-screen the combo will build, awarding more points for each kill.

In keeping with the spirit of the original, the ALC is constantly monitoring every decision. Certain enemy-types become more prevalent, depending on the type and frequency of subweapons that are used. On the harder difficulties, a number of strategies are required to stay alive. Power-ups award precious seconds of invulnerability, the blast mode is great for panic situations. Even though the enemy-type can’t always be accounted for, their movements and attack patterns are roughly the same It's mostly just a matter of destroying everything in sight.

Due to the generous scoring system, skilled-players will be able to accumulate a lot of extra lives. Rather than let them gather cobwebs, one can utilize suicidal tactics to reach mind-boggling high-scores. This method involves crashing into the power-up boxes that appear when the player’s ship respawns. It requires a really high combo counter, and is largely useful at the end of the game. Personally, that style of play is boring to me. Zanac Neo offers more than enough ways to stay challenging. Aside from the three available ships, there is a hidden fourth one that offers a very different style of play. Also there are in-game “achievements”, though figuring out what they are and how to get them will require a guide. There is a cooperative mode as well, though friends with an interest in 2D shooters are almost impossible to come by. The original Zanac is no slouch either.

The philosophy behind Zanac x Zanac is simple, design a game that grows with the player and continually challenges them. While these games don’t offer the depth and complexity of some other 2D shooters, they are also much more approachable in their design. Players of all skill levels can pick up the basics and start having fun. After awhile, they can start learning the more complex aspects, such as scoring. There are a large variety of sub-weapons and enemy variations that will attempt to counter them. The emphasis on reflexes and split-second decisions are also a welcome change from memorizing safe-points in complicated bullet-spreads. All in all I highly recommend checking this collection out.

Xbox 360 look - Anarchy Reigns

Note: This is a review I did ages ago. I'm only posting it here for archival purposes.

In what used to be just a Mad World, Chaos and disorder have taken control of the future. Mutants, robots, and Cyborgs battle over ruined cities, pollution is a constant, and every few minutes a horrific disaster shakes the populace to its very core. This is just another day where Anarchy Reigns. Your role in this nightmare; is to be as ruthless as possible. Honor, respect, and restraint, are just three of the many words that can’t be associated with this brawler by Platinum Games.

As Bayonetta is to Devil May Cry and Vanquish is to Gears of War, Anarchy Reigns compares favorably to Spawn: In the Demon’s Hand. Beat-em-ups are a rare genre these days, especially in 3D, and arena-based competitive brawlers are practically unheard of. Still, despite its rarity the concept is very simplistic. A group of unique and powerful characters are tasked to kill each other by any means necessary. These means can include fists, guns, thrown objects, and the winner is usually the most opportunistic. The reason why almost nobody makes these games is probably because balancing is next to impossible, and theoretically balance is the basis of a competitive game. Hence the title Anarchy Reigns, the idea is that everything or nothing can go the player’s way.

In the campaign mode, you take control of Leo and Jack. They engage in mutant massacre and pick fights with anyone tied to the mysterious Maximilian. Mostly the plot in this game is easily digestible, as it provides motivation for the characters, cool cut-scenes, and moments where the camera zooms in on the attractive female characters. It certainly helps that the voice-acting is well-done, with Robert Pine delivering an exceptional performance as Max himself. When all is said and done however, expect to forget everything that happens over the course of the story.

During the campaign there will be various missions. Those that are story-based usually involve one-on-one fights, while the free ones either involve killing a bunch of freaks, or completing some unique goal. These missions tie together to create some sort of overlong tutorial. Aside from learning the basics, you will also become familiarized with the cast, and gain a basic understanding of their abilities. Furthermore, a training mode is available to practice moves and battle scenarios. The finer details; such as combos and the mechanics surrounding various aspects such as stun are left for the player to figure out. On the bright side, given that Anarchy Reigns has been out for around six months in Japan, everything a player needs to know about the game can be easily found.

Rather than bore you with explanations of all the moves and how they work, I’ll skip ahead to the important part: how to win. Anarchy Reigns isn’t the deepest game, but the results of the average online match can make it seem like there is a large skill deferential between players. The people, who win at this game, are those you despise the most when playing online. They’re the kill-stealers, the item-abusers, the ones who always hang with the group, and they employ all of the cheap tactics. In most other games they might get exposed for what they are, but here they can revel in their worst attributes because that is what decides matches.

First off you need a character; for the most part Anarchy Reigns is “balanced” in that everyone is broken. There are 100% damage combos, dive-kicks, and all sorts of other nasty moves to make almost everyone a force. Douglas, Bayonetta, or the three Rin sisters are the safest bets. Each character has their own killer weapon (KW) that expends energy to perform brutal attacks; these five have among the best. Douglas for example, his strategy is landing a mid-air light KW. It does close to 50% damage. Let other players do the heavy lifting, and then swoop in with the KW for the kill. It’s always best to target whoever is low on life. Extended battles just wear you down, and next thing you know you’re the target. This applies to anyone you decide to play as.

There are a large variety of competitive modes to partake in. With team-deathmatch, the objective is to simply never separate, since whoever does so will get crushed. Battle Royale is a prime example of the vulture-mentality, as most kills will be stolen from other players. Cage matches are one-on-one; hopefully you know your infinites. Capture the Flag and death-ball both offer their own spin, though the MVPs tend to be those who don’t fight at all. Survival modes are also available which allow players to beat on the computer instead of each other, with the added benefit of some exclusive battles that can’t be found in the campaign mode. Also as you complete matches you’ll rank up, which can lead to the acquisition of new characters and abilities. These abilities are only available in player matches, which are something to be thankful for, because they’re about as bad as the gems from Street Fighter x Tekken. Auto-guard, immunity to grabs, or one of any other ridiculous abilities can be equipped.

Over the course of a match, events can occur such as carpet-bombing, a massive plane-crash, and even a kraken invasion. Along with the occasional interference from various thugs, this can make for many random situations. Randomness is not my idea of fun. It’s especially annoying when I’m in the middle of trying to kill or not get killed and a cut-scene happens. The pacing gets broken up far too often and that’s unbelievable for an online game. This is also apparent in death-ball, where everyone stops what they’re doing when somebody scores. The most fun I ever had with that mode; was when the ball glitched and disappeared from the map, forcing everyone to kill each other until time ran out.

The worst aspect of Anarchy Reigns is that it will cause anger, rage like you’ve never felt capable of. Even if you approach this game in the proper manner, no measure of success is guaranteed. I have had matches where I was completely shut down. There was one in particular where I only died three times but only got one kill. Every time I got close to finishing someone off, a cut-scene happened, I was shot from behind by a mini-gun, I was struck dizzy by a flying sign-post, or I had to get out of the area or risk getting nuked by a bomb. I’ve been dominated in online games before, but at least I had an idea as to how it all went wrong and even then I still managed some kills. When Anarchy Reigns is at its worst, I’m stuck wandering in circles waiting for opportunities.

Furthermore, while this game makes impressive use of its scale, it suffers from a multitude of technical issues. Frame-rate is a chief problem throughout, because it drops into the teens regularly. Sure there aren’t any frame-perfect maneuvers to perform, but being unable to tell what is going on when the action gets hot enough is just awful. Also the net-code is just plain bad, which leads to teleporting around and getting sucked into grabs from far away.

Still, when everything comes together Anarchy Reigns is pretty good. The controls are very solid, the hits are crunchy and satisfying, and the soundtrack is absolutely excellent. It all depends on how you’re willing to approach it. If you’re willing to accept that bad things will happen, and that they’re not always your fault, you’ll be able to enjoy everything that this game does well. If the randomness doesn’t sound appealing, there’s always the campaign, survival modes, and even bot-matches to participate in. For its price, Anarchy Reigns has quite a lot to offer, even if it lives up to its name just a little too well.