Super Street Game Reviews
| Console: Playstation 2! |
| Publisher: Titus |
| Genre: Fighting Action |
| Hot: Storyline, animation, interactive environments |
| Not: Blocks don't really keep you from getting hurt |
| Score: |  |
The land of Barbaria is in peril. It seems that evil forces are at work trying to tear apart the very fabric that holds this world together. However, there is a prophecy that states one warrior will rise up to save all. In Barbarian, it's up you to take the form of one of 10 characters, fulfill the prophecy, and find out how to save your people from the curse that plagues the land.
Once you've gone through a Conan-like intro, Barbarian gets right into the nitty gritty. This game allows you to run around the country and kick ass, plain and simple. You pick a character and follow his or her quest through the game as he/she fights against all types of baddies to reach the final battle. This is a fighting game in the purest sense of the word.
A back story is thrown in to give you a feeling of purpose as to why your particular character even got out of bed this morning let alone risked his/her life for the welfare of the masses. And, as you face each opponent, another piece of the puzzle falls into place, as the narrator fills you in as to why the next person you fight against hates you so much. The arenas are big, and consist of multiple levels (á la DOA3) that you can fall off or throw your opponent from and continue fighting in. In addition, there are items in the arenas that you can pick up and throw to cause damage. This game features good character animation, but the reaction time from the minute you push the button and when the character actually moves can sometimes be a little sluggish. Also, trying to tie together combination hits can be frustrating as your opponent takes out all his anger on your forehead while you are trying to figure out which buttons to push. The versus mode is actually a lot of fun because the same things you may have found to be frustrating in the single player quest mode can be an asset to you against other humans as you juggle them in the air with multiple hits while they sit there and scratch their head. This game can be a lot of good clean fun, but you should make sure you have a live opponent to open up that can of whoop-ass on to make the most out of the experience.