good hand
this game is not for everyone. you've probably heard that before, but it's true. it's also sad, because i wish everyone could have as big of a blast with this game as i had. my brother and i finished the game on the easy difficulty setting, and immediately started playing again on a harder difficulty: it's just that fun. but...it wasn't that fun when i first started playing.
yeah, of course, i was enjoying the game's bizarre humor from the moment the game loaded, but gameplay-wise, i was a little let down. (at this point in the review, i must mention that i usually play rpgs and am not a big 1st person/3rd person action fan. so if you play a lot of these types of action games, take what i'm about to say concerning gameplay with a grain of salt.) at first, i thought the lack of camera control and the controls for dodging (right analog) were unintuitive and poor design decisions. there really was a learning curve for me until i felt comfortable controlling mr. godhand, gene. here's a hint for those of you about to buy the game: dodge all the time (there is no block), and use the L1 button to quickly turn around. to turn 180 degrees by just walking takes for ever and you will get pummelled before you can even do it. make note that after i became comfortable with the controls, the gameplay was a pure delight. the amount of moves you have access to is unbelievable and customization of said moves is really fun and adds some strategy to the beat downs.
i don't want to overlook mentioning that this game is HARD. on easy setting, my brother and i barely got throught the game (dying multiple multiple times), and after most stages were just happy to have survived. but that challenge is good and it made me feel like the good old days when i would spend all afternoon just trying to beat some boss from a nes game. it was very satisfying to beat this game, a feeling that i don't really get to a great degree with a lot of newer games. i also want to mention that the craziness of this game's humor is amazing. you have never experienced anything like what is waiting for you in this game. there are so many laugh out loud or groan inducing moments, which all make this 'ode to the beat-'em-up so classic.
i highly recommend this game if you ever played games like double dragon or river city ransom and want something that modernizes the feel of those games in a highly funny and quality way.
