24-May-2002 You're a wolf – "Owww!" You're a penguin – "Squawk!"
Giant bunny rabbits hammering seven shades out of lions, penguins surfing on chameleons, and eight-foot insects pounding the crap out of elephants. Nature has taken a funny turn in the Bloody Roar universe, where human fighters are blessed with the ability to transform into hybrid beasts with super-strong arse-kicking abilities.
Sounds cool, but what's even cooler is the fact that this latest Bloody Roar instalment on Cube knocks the wind out of all the previous Bloody Roar games with its luscious monster visuals, two new and exclusive characters, and its overall slick, well-balanced brawling action.
BLOODY UNFASHIONABLE The beat 'em up elite consider the Bloody Roar series about as fashionable as a dad dancing to Steps at a charity dinner dance, due to the fact that it's packed with 'silly' creatures and doesn't possess nearly the same amount of depth that you'd find in the likes of VF4. That may be true, but Primal Fury provides an experience that feels very unlike those of any of its peers, because although the Beastorize feature might seem ultra-gimmicky, it actually adds a great, original tactical element.
See, there are serious pros and cons to morphing into a beast and weighing up when to shape-shift is the where the real tactics come into play. Transforming when your Beast Gauge is low can be fruitless because it'll sap your energy. However, if you wait till the bar is maxed out, you can sustain a much longer period of attack as your given creature and inflict a lot more damage, especially if you then transform into Hyper-beast state and use the mad special move combos.
So it doesn't have the multitude of moves and technical panache of the more hardcore fighting games on the market, but Primal Fury should tantalise the taste buds of any Cube owner hungry for some meaty, speedy and scrumptious-looking fight action.
Michael Cooper
// Overview
Verdict
It's flashy, fast, and prettier than a Playboy playmate. A quality fighter that'll show off the visual clout of your Cube, and a perfect stopgap till Soul Calibur 2 arrives.
When the time's right hit the X button to Beastorize and gain the upper hand in a battle. Transforming, once your Beast Bar is fully charged, enables you to unleash a flurry of attacks on your enemy with a huge dollop of force.
The dramatic and mesmerising light show transformation takes place
The blur effects are stunning
Move in and start leathering the crap out of your enemy with your claws
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