Review

Deadliest Warrior: Ancient Combat

Deadliest Warrior: Ancient Combat is based on the hit show, Deadliest Warrior, on Spike TV. The show is about putting two warriors from history’s past against one another, basically to see who is the deadliest. Fans of the show now have a game that not only features the same match ups they’ve seen on TV, but also features a large amount of content for its price. It comes with both DLC titles (Deadliest Warrior: The game and Deadliest Warrior: Legends), all additional add-ons for both titles with additional exclusive content, and six episodes of the Deadliest Warrior TV show. Some episodes have never been released before this title. Sounds awesome to a fan of the show; that said, is it enough to sway those who aren’t fans?

Deadliest Warrior: Ancient Combat (DWAC) is definitely unique. I mean, it doesn’t even boot up like a traditional retail game; the digital versions of the game seem to unlock when putting the disk in.  The game will bring you to the “my games” section on your Xbox 360 or the equivalent on your PS3. When you get there you have to search for the game you want to play and select it. Yup, this game starts off interesting to say the least. Deadliest Warrior is supposed to be a realistic take on a fighter using the TV show as its theme. You can freely move around the battlefield, limbs can be severed or broken, and matches tend to end very quickly. Makes sense; a real fight to the death probably wouldn’t last as long as a match of Mortal Kombat. A round can be lost in one hit as long as it’s a lethal one; like taking an arrow to the kne…er…face. While I know it is supposed to be realistic, it still feels bland. I didn’t get excited when I took down an opponent because of the way the fighting mechanics work. DWAC plays like a button masher and less like the strategic fighter it tries to be. To be fair, you can parry attacks and dodge. But most of the time winning comes down to getting lucky hits (resulting in a lost limb) or having a weapon with a longer reach than the other person. The fighting feels basic at best.

The first title, Deadliest Warrior: The Game, features a very generic and unmemorable cast. They’re based on a certain “type” of warrior rather than a unique person (Ninja, Spartan, etc.) Deadliest Warrior: Legends, the 2nd title, definitely improves on this by adding famous warriors throughout history. Which is pretty cool; where else can you see Alexander the Great fight to the death against Vlad the Impaler? There is a nice amount of customization included as well. Each character has 3 types of weapons (short, long, and ranged) with three weapons in each category. Each character also has unlockable costumes. Basically, two people can use the same character and not play or look the same. Nice!

Both titles have a decent amount of game modes to choose from. You have Arcade mode which is just a couple of matches against AI controlled opponents and a bonus mini game every three matches. Going through this mode unlocks addition weapons and costumes. The Versus mode is pretty straightforward. You get the option to play one on one or in teams of two – four characters in Skirmish matches (you play with one character at a time though). The Training mode allows you to view a move list and practice them on a dummy. The Legends title gives you a very useful Tutorial mode. It does a good job of explaining how to fight, switch weapons, and overall how the system works.  Then there is the Zombie mode, which allows gamers to keep fighting even if they lose vital limbs (like their head). Mainly for fun, these fights just lead to laughs. The mode that really shines though is the Generals mode. It’s a bored game where you’re tasked with sending your troops to capture different parts of a map. You can play the campaign generals mode (fighting AI controlled opponents) or against a friend. There is a strong sense of strategy in generals; misplacing your troops can lead to a loss of a territory and even worse, a loss of position.

The Online mode in this game works very well. In the matches I played I had absolutely no issue with lag in any game type. You can only play one on one or in a skirmish with teams of four characters each (still fighting one at a time). There is no lobby system though, which is a shame as they’ve become a standard in modern fighters. Makes sense as it would hard to game with multiple friends without a lobby in place. Without a lobby or any other game modes beside versus and skirmish this online mode is pretty barebones.

The graphics and sound quality in this game leave much to be desired as well. Nothing in these titles look very detailed; the combatants are rendered in full 3D but they look bland and the blood looks more like fruit punch or tomato juice. The stages you fight on are also very bland. The sound is pretty generic, outside of the menu the features the music from the show. There is no battle music during matches though; just the sounds of steel clashing. Oh and an annoying tone that goes off whenever you try to use a ranged attack without the proper equipment (like if you run out of Ninja stars to throw). Like the fighting, everything just feels lacking in quality, even for downloadable titles.

Even though this game has its flaws there is no denying that it is a great value. Both digital titles, all the DLC add-ons and six episodes of the show for thirty dollars is just amazing. If you’re a fan of the show this is definitely a good buy just for the amount of content alone.  Everyone else looking for a fighter need not apply!