THE ULTIMATE PC FIGHTING GAME?
A Review of FX Fighter
by Pat Mahoney
I remember a few months back when it seemed like the PC games market was being invaded by Doom-clones, and now it seems as every shelf in the local computer store is filled with beat-em-ups. This recent trend which seemed to start in the arcades with the now-ancient Street Fighter, gathered steam with Street Fighter II, and made headlines with Mortal Kombat, and now has spawned titles such as One Must Fall, Virtual Fighter, Alien vs. Predator and the usual sequels such as Mortal Kombat II and III. While these titles invaded the arcades and the console market, conversions to the PC market were somewhat lacking.
The obvious comparison to FX Fighter is the much revered Mortal Kombat (MK), which was ported to the PC around a year ago. While MK for the PC was a fun game, it was a poor substitute for the arcade and console versions. It just seemed to lack the vibrancy and the energy of either the console or the arcade game. The controls were unresponsive and it was difficult to play well without a gamepad. The problem with Mortal Kombat for the PC was that, while it was fun to play, it really wasn't as much fun as it could have been. But, the fighting scene has changed in the last year and now the newest beat-em-up has entered the scene.
Even in the opening demo, in which the cliché homicidal baddie explains the
"plot" of the game, the smooth 3D graphics engine which powers the gameplay
is impressive. Yes, that's right. Three-dimensional graphics engine. For
you see, rather than fighting in the usual two-dimensions, this brawlfest uses a live-action camera
effect to give the game a three-dimensional appearance. Although you still
control your character in the two-dimensional manner which is used in Mortal
Kombat and Street Fighter, the perspective that you are fighting from whirls around to give the game a
three-dimensional appearance.
Although the graphics are the most obvious feature of this game that sets apart from the crowd, the soundtrack to the game is impressive as well. Although, as it seems with all games, the music does eventually get repetitive, it does get the blood pumping the first few times you hear it. But the sound and the music are not the things that people buy fighting games for, so moving on to the heart of the game: the characters, their "moves", and the controls.
There are nine different fighters that either you or a friend are able to
control -each with it's own special moves and each one in a beautifully
detailed arena. One of the most notable features in the game is the balance
between each of the players. In most games, there tends to be a favorite character who most prefer to play
either because the moves are particularly easy or because they are unusually
powerful. FX Fighter is unique in my experience because all of the
characters seem to be extremely well balanced. I have developed a preference, of course, but none of the
characters character seems to be "the best". Still, even with this
balancing of the character's strengths, the programmers included the ability
for both players to play the same character in bouts against each other.
Although, the characters are balanced, the moves are not very repetitive. The packaging boasts that there are "over 40 different attacks per fighter", but as is usual, they don't tell you how to do any more than the most basic punching and fighting moves, so I haven't discovered more than 24 for any of them. They vary from the usual projectile moves, to punch and kick combos, to the stranger specialty moves. Since each character is purported to be an alien, these "special moves" attempt to reflect the alien's characteristics. So, the robot can shock, while the mystical monk can throw fireballs. Over all the moves aren't quite as creative as those used in the original Mortal Kombat (freezing, and throwing spears are two unique examples), but they make up a pretty good assortment. Of course, I obviously haven't discovered a lot of them yet as well, so my assessment may be wrong.
A wide variety of characters and attacks are a good start, but the controls are what really make or break a fighting game. Most of the fighting games available on the PC have great ideas and appearances, but the majority have sluggish controls that make playing more frustrating than rewarding. In this category, FX Fighter really excels. The gamepad and joystick controls respond flawlessly and even the most difficult moves can be mastered and repeated without the quirkiness of most other fighting games.
When using the keyboard, it becomes much more difficult to complete some of the moves. Ones which involve rotating the joystick in a semi-circle or full circle are either very difficult or near impossible depending on how nimble your fingers are.
As far as long-term appeal of the game is concerned, if you are playing it in one-player mode you are likely to get really bored with the game very quickly. The artificial intelligence that controls the opponents isn't as advanced as the one in Mortal Kombat. If you learn a move that works particularly well, the computer doesn't "learn" to block it. So, you can continue to pummel the computer using the same identical move and it will never react any differently. While this detracts a bit from the game, I don't expect that anyone really buys a beat-em-up to thrash the computer. With the nine characters to choose from and all of the attacks to learn, the appeal is very good when playing in two player mode.
One final point to mention is the adjustability of the controls, the graphics
level and the difficulty level.
Although graphical adjustments are standard
with most games, the ability to adjust the difficulty and the controls is a
thoughtful addition which enables the players to handicap each other without limiting each players
arsenal of attacks. Overall FX Fighter is the best fighting game I've seen
on the PC so far. Combining with stunning backdrops, a spectacular
soundtrack, smooth 3D textured-mapped polygonal characters, and responsive controls, this game is the beat-em-up to beat in the PC entertainment market.
Gamer's Zone Scorecard
| Product: |
FX Fighter |
| Company: |
GTE Entertainment
|
| Cost: |
$44.95 |
System Requirements:
486DX-33, 4MB RAM,
17Mb free HD space,
and 150kb/s CD-ROM
Breakdown:
Fun Factor 3
Graphics 5
Sound 4
Interface 5
Replayability 2
Overall Score:
Copyright © 1997 InfoMedia, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.