Download - Defunct Games

Review by Racewing
Publisher : Tecmo
Genre(s) : Sports/Simulation
Developer : Team Ninja Category : Pixellated Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy
Release Date : 11/13/2006 # of players : 1 (2-4 online)
Rating : Mature (Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Simulated Gambling)
When Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball was released, it
blew my mind.
Never before had a mainstream developer so brazenly sacrificed
basic concepts of video game structure and design for the sake of
somewhat tasteful fanservice, skin-shots, thinly-veiled lesbianism
and general fluff. As this magazine’s resident fanservice connoisseur
(trust me, it’s tough work), I was on cloud nine… for about a week,
after which, I went back to playing games with actual substance.
Now, the sequel is here, on next-generation hardware; however,
instead of weeks, I have sadly tired of it in mere hours. DOAX2
somehow feels like a phoned-in sequel, a project that Itagaki
perhaps had second thoughts about mid-production. At every
turn, there are aspects that could and should have been executed
far better.
DOAXVB pushed the Xbox hardware almost to its limit for the sake
of fantasy fulfillment. DOAX2, on the other hand, is surpassed
graphically by this Christmas’s crop of Xbox 360 hits. Gears of War,
Sonic the Hedgehog, Smackdown vs. Raw 2007… all of these contain
far more convincing graphical feats than the game that truly needs
to contain such fidelity. Why is there clipping and flat polygon usage
in an Xbox 360 game? Why do hands and feet look almost like solid
masses on my high-definition TV? Why do the girls move stiffly,
and act like they’re afraid to come within five feet of each other
besides? Finally, for God’s sakes, what is up with the independently
bouncing breasts? They don’t work like that, Itagaki. Seriously.
Gameplay-wise, DOAX2 “fixes” things that weren’t broken. The
functional volleyball from the first game is now an utter mess,
with spotty AI and extra control mechanics that didn’t really need
to be added. Pool Hopping now incorporates the color-coding of
the face buttons, which makes no sense when you think about it.
2.75 of 5
Which would you rather
concentrate on, guys — a
hopping girl, or your controller?
The new minigames don’t
fare much better. Beach Flags
is imprecise, Tug of War and Butt
Bouncing are too simplistic and almost
based on luck. Water-Sliding isn’t
even fun to look at, let alone play.
The best of the bunch is Jet Skiing,
and even that can get frustrating.
This is supposed to be my dream
vacation? This is supposed to be my
stress relief? This is supposed to be
virtual worship and appreciation of
the female form? Consider the ball
totally, completely dropped.
The one good thing about this game is
what it does for your ears. The bouncy
soundtrack makes a return, and the
English voice acting is actually decent.
(Extra props who whoever cast Zack’s voice
this time. Boo-yah.) Sadly, this is the only
place where Xtreme 2 truly excels. Your
mileage may vary, but for me, this game was
a mess of disappointments that could have
been easily avoided with extra development
time. Rent before buying.
Rating: 2.5 of 5
2nd opinion by Wanderer • Alternate Rating : 3 of 5
I’m honestly torn. This is harmless fanservice, and its total lack of pretension or
violence is endearing, but just like the original, it’s not actually much of a game.
66_REVIEW_DEAD OR ALIVE xTREME 2 HARDCORE GAMER MAGAZINE_VOLUME 2_ISSUE 8_FISSION MAILED