Game Reviews | Game Previews

When Bloody Roar 3 hit the PlayStation 2 earlier this year, it benefited from the fact that it was one of the only 3D fighters available for the system. Developer Hudson looks to repeat that timing with the latest entry in the Bloody Roar series, Bloody Roar Primal Fury, for Nintendo's GameCube. Outside of Super Smash Bros., the game will find no competition in the fighting genre for some time, since Soul Calibur 2 is not due for a while. Despite the lack of competition, Hudson has opted not to coast and do a straight port of BR3 for the GameCube. Bloody Roar Primal Fury will instead feature an overhauled graphics engine, tweaked gameplay, new characters, new stages, and extra gameplay modes. We recently checked out a preview build of the game and found that it all seemed to be coming together nicely.

Are you related to Ganesh?

The game's premise still focuses on the various "zoanthrope" fighters, humans subjected to a variety of experiments by the Tylon Corporation in order to create warriors that combine human and animal traits. Having brought down the corporation in Bloody Roar 2, the various zoanthropes are trying to go about their lives--although it's always a bit hard to go "civilian" when you can morph into a humanoid animal. This time out there isn't as much emphasis on the game's story. A short intro sequence gives you a rough idea of what's going on, but there isn't a true "story" mode like in Bloody Roar 2. All the characters are participating in a contest put on by King Orion, who is funding research to discover the secret of the zoanthropes' morphing ability. Think of it as a fundraiser with one-on-one fighting action.

Does PETA know this goes on?

If you're familiar with Bloody Roar 3 on the PlayStation 2, you'll notice that Bloody Roar Primal Fury on the GameCube offers several new modes. In addition to the arcade and survival modes found in the PS2 game, you'll also find time attack, team battle, and training mode, which replaces the PS2's practice mode. You'll also find an extra multiplayer mode, versus team battle, in addition to the standard versus. The game is also expected to contain as many, if not more, hidden modes that you'll unlock by playing through the game's various modes.

You'll find the same mix of old and new in BRPF's roster and stages. In addition to the 12 default characters you start out with and the two secret characters, you'll also find two original characters, Chronos the bird and Ganesha the elephant. Chronos has the dubious "bonus" of being able to morph into a penguin-like form in addition to being able to morph into his phoenix form. Each character will have two new original outfits for the game as well. You'll find fewer familiar sights in the game's stages, because only three are from BR3. The aircraft carrier, the building rooftop, and the back alley return, although they have been remodeled--the back alley stage also features a collapsible floor. The other six backgrounds--a Chinese temple, an aquarium, a freeway at night, an Indian palace, a laboratory, and a Japanese castle--are new.