[.ca] Dead or Alive 3

Failed potential:
We'll ignore for the moment that I don't particularly enjoy fighting games. The graphics and backgrounds were beautiful, and the game managed to keep me entertained for four or five hours before it went back on the shelf to never see the light of day again. First of all, all of the maneuvers and combinations were just too much. The game would have been made much more playable if there had been a real training area. What it had was a guy who would stand there and let you hit him as you tried to reproduce the sometimes rediculous button combinations posted on the screen. It would have been great if there had been a martial arts master to instruct you and fight against you as he taught you the moves. Second is the story, or lack there-of. Dead or Alive 3 tries to present itself as a story, even having a few exchanges between the characetrs as you move through it, but you'd have to already know the story for it to make any sense. All you do is beat up the opponents, listen to a couple snips of dialog, and fight the end of level villain at the end. It has about as much story as Gotham Racing. As beating people up was a matter of perfecting two or three maneuvers for each character, the fighting quickly became passe. The story wasn't. All in all the beautiful graphics were wasted in a game that had nothing going for it. DoD Extreme Beach Volleyball has more plot then this game.

Downright Awesome:
There are two points which make this the top fighting game for me. The first point is the system. The system is simplicity itself. It's easy to learn, but difficult to master the nuances. One of the things that really sets this apart is the great counter system. Other games also offer a counter system, but it's usually reserved for specific characters which tend to be the most difficult characters to master in those games. In DOA3, all of the characters can do counter moves. This makes defense just as important and exciting as offense. In other games, you just sit back and block until it's your turn. Boring! The idea that any punch you throw could be countered adds a lot of excitement to the game. The other point that makes this game a winner for me is that it's just beautiful. This is one of those games you can set on automatic display and just watch it. The characters are well designed, and the interactive environments just take your breath away. Overall, this is the best fighter you can buy. I'll be lining up for the next ne when it comes out.