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.
