"Who can forget those late Saturday nights watching
Kung Fu Theatre? Bruce Lee was more than just a martial arts guru, he quickly
became a legend. Surprisingly, this was the first game based after the legend
himself... let's hope it's the last."
Intro
Bruce Lee really sums up what all fighting game characters should be. Sleek,
quick and a personality that wreaks confidence. If Bruce Lee would have been
translated to Street Fighter, he could easily hang with Ryu, Ken and the gang.
Heck, I'd even place a few bets on him with the crew of Killer Instinct.
With that said, the anticipation of Ronin Entertainments tribute game was
skyrocketing. Seeing previews, and even touching the game before it's release; I
felt like a kid on Christmas morning. After reading more into the game, I felt
my heart sink as I expected a brand spankin' new Red Ryder b-b gun but instead
received a balsa-wood airplane.
A name is just a name
On a good note, I was pleased to see the revamped combat system that seems to be
developing in new action/fighting titles. The fighting system seems to be a
throwback of classic 2D games of old. If games like Final Fight and Streets
of Rage bring a smile to your face; the interface is just a hybrid of the
classic beat-em-up era.
Unfortunately, the transition was about as smooth as a migrating from DOS 6.1 to
Mac OSX. Aside from the unplayable choppiness of the game (will talk more
about that later) the responsiveness was absolutely horrible. Reaction time
was never instantaneous and hesitated nearly every button press. This caused for
some serious frustration; as I never felt a part of the game. The real
"hook" of the game is the lock-on attack styles. With a similar
interface as the Gamecube blockbuster, Eternal Darkness, you can either
battle it out freestyle or lock on to enemies with the trigger button.
As you defeat enemies you collect tokens which then can be used to
"purchase" additional moves (a la Spiderman). The move
combinations are quite impressive, but lose much of the "wowness" when
the moves creep from screen jitter. This is what really sets the game up for a
spike, and it is truly unfortunate that with so much potential (and fun)
that the game just never flowed. The control is the largest anathema. Again, the
game had so much potential that you can tell that this was a rushed port. Even
the ultra-cool multiple enemy attacks (using the d-pad and analog) were
drowned in the lack of responsiveness of the controller.
I really couldn't tell if the enemy AI was good, or my moves weren't executed
fast enough. What could have been a fun romp of groovy combinations, ended up
being a frantic display of button mashing. Quest of the Dragon should be
embarrassed to use the good name of Bruce Lee because there is nothing Bruce Lee
about the game...
The worst on big green
Without a doubt, this is the worst visual display I have encountered on the
XBOX. Not only were the graphics fairly dull, the performance is the real
cart-killer. The game jerked like a crack-fiend. Framerate had more
ups-and-downs than a roller coaster. To rub salt in the wound, lighting effects
were an embarrassment. Most of these effects could easily have been produced on
less grand systems, and probably even fared better.
None of the "lush 3D" environments seemed to hold my attention, and
the drab gray’s and brown's simply felt like a revised edition of Doom.
Sure, most of the animations were impressive looking, but since the performance
hindered any form of enjoyment; I felt totally robbed.
The only shining light in this waste of a game is the unique audio experience.
Sound effects as well as top-notch voice-overs were the real star of the game.
The music was classic as well as all the effects you would hear during Kung Fu
Theatre. Although the game doesn't feature any Dolby Digital effects; I felt the
audio score as well as the sound effects were tastefully done. As good as the
audio was, nothing could save the game from certain peril in the hands of any
experienced gamer.
66 Says:
One word: disappointment. The game had so much to offer, yet failed like
none other. I think any fans of the great one himself would not only be
frustrated, but embarrassed. I believe that a game touting a big name should at
least have the integrity to do the fallen hero justice. This game might truly be
the death of Ronin Entertainment; for I have personally lost all respect for
them.
If they would have spent another six months working out the glitches, this could
have been a brilliant game. The combat system was amazing, yet failed to produce
any fluidity. The animations were spectacular, yet the performance hindered any
enjoyment. Longevity? The first few levels might draw a few smiles, but easily
within an hour the game will used for skeet.
3.1
