MEMBER PROFILE FOR Da_Beast
Average Overall Score Given: 10.00000 / 10
Total Forum Posts: 0
Reviews
Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball
Overall: DOAXBV is one of those "love it or hate it" games. I'm a big DOA fan and before the game's release, I wasn't thrilled of reading the fact that the Volleyball aspect of the game is too simplistic. I play volleyball in real-life and I like my digital volleyball experience as realistic as possible. I considered canceling my pre-order, but thank god that I didn't.:) This game is "recreational volleyball" at it's finest. The Volleyball engine imitates real life "recreational volleyball". All you need are 4 girls and a court; You don't have to worry about side-outs coz' there weren't any boundary lines to worry about. Outlaw Volleyball might've a better volleyball engine, but it could never surpass the overall quality of DOAXBV. I've seen the preview movies and I can honestly say that OV's volleyball engine takes on an arcade, more wilder approach, while DOAXBV's vball engine delivers a more relaxed and simple, but nonetheless realistic approach to the game of Volleyball.
Gameplay: The volleyball competitions are where it all comes together. I had never played a videogame version of volleyball before, so I had no pre-concieved notions about how it should be done. However, I can say without a doubt that the volleyball aspect of DOAXV is very enjoyable. There are a few quirks with the camera system (sometimes the camera doesn't pan from one side to the other fast enough, causing your character to be off screen when recieving the ball) but they are easy to adapt to and don't hurt the game too much. The real beauty in this rendition of volleyball is how smoothly everything seems to flow. The animations are very fluid and lifelike, and there are no status bars or anything of the like on the screen to get in the way. DOAXBV has the best animations ever seen in a videogame. PERIOD.
The item collecting aspect of the game is really a mixed bag for me. I really enjoy collecting the items that the girls can actually wear, such as new swimsuits and various accessories, but all the other items that exist simply for the sake of collecting or gift-giving don't interest me. If you're into this type of thing though, there are a ton of items to keep you busy for quite some time.
The relationship building is something I have really just begun to understand, but I like the idea of having to make an investment in your teammate. Having to know their interests and getting their attention by giving them gifts that are appropriate to their character. This really makes you appreciate them more once they agree to play at your side. And knowing they can leave you just as easily means you can never take them for granted.
I've found the casino gambling to be quite entertaining as well. There are eight different slot machines (one modeled after each character), black jack, poker, and roulette. They did a really good job implementing the games and didn't cut any corners
Graphics: Best Tropical Atmosphere in a game. EVER. From the lighting, sand-effects, colorful backgrounds, and sea gulls flying, to the girls, their bikinis, and the mountain bike, this game is Eye-Candy at it's finest.
One thing that I'm most impressed about this game is the animations. I've never seen a video game imitate real life animations accurately as in DOAXBV. The animation are silky smooth and it's amazing how the girls' manages to "twist, flip, and turn" in order to volley the ball back to their opponent's court.
Audio: The SFX's are great, the voiceovers are really cute, but the original soundtrack music is substandard. The only thing that made me give the game a higher score in sound appeal is the ability to play custom soundtracks and the original, cute, Japanese voices. I wouldn't say that dubbing would ruin the game, but I wish that they included a language option for the people who doesn't like Japanese gibberish. I'm satisfied with the cute and wicked voices of the girls, and personally, I would preferably choose Subtitles/Original Japanese Language over Dubs.
Suggestions: Tecmo and Team Ninja delivered a great game once again, but I would like to have more mini-games, a 4 player option, XBL compatibility, and a multiplayer status tracker if they would decide to develop a sequel for DOAXBV.
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10
