Game Title: Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance
Genre: Urban action/fighting
Console: PS2, Xbox
Publisher: Capcom
Rating: 
Fall 2005 is going to see it's share of gritty urban street fighters, and one of the first ones out is Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance from Capcom. Rather than being just a straight fighter, Beat Down adds a storyline to the fists of fury, where gamers play as one of five gang members double-crossed by their boss. Taking to the streets to hide, its up to gamers to find out what happened and then deliver a hell of a nasty payback to get things straight, and settle the score. The gameplay is open-ended, and gamers roam around different parts of the city, talking to people trying to get useful information, or gamers have the option to try and recruit them, or kicking their ass and taking their money for fun. It could be cool, but it feels repetitive far too early in the game, talking to the same people and seeing the same parts of town. Each of the five characters has a different fighting style, and straight button mashers don't need to worry, it's still possible to kick a lot of ass by stumbling on the cool moves. Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance is an okay game, probably good for a weekend rental, but gamers will probably get bored before they finish.