Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus

Fighting fans have been counting the days until Tao Feng is released, and now the moment has arrived. Was it worth it?

Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus is an impressive brawler, unleashing combat that is both varied and deep, but the uneven balance of moves and characters holds it back from joining the fighting elite.

Fist of Fury
Developed as an Xbox exclusive, Tao Feng?s visuals are nicely rendered. Character models have a high level of detail, and they each show damage in unique ways. The animations, though, are a mixed bag with some truly sweet attack sequences interrupted by weird collision physics.

The audio also takes advantage of the Xbox with satisfying use of surround sound. The crackling jolt of lightning during rain blasts out at you in just the right way, and in-game character dialogue is crisp and easily understandable. On the downside, the narrator?s voice is set a tad too loud, and the echo effect in enclosed arenas is overdone to the point of distraction.

Lotus as in To Bloom
Tao Feng?s fighting engine manages to differentiate itself from the pack with its linking combo system. There?s a satisfying rhythm to the way a good match plays out, and it?s nice that button mashing won?t get you too far. But that doesn?t leave a lot of room for creating new combos, and there are many patterns that are sure to be annoyingly abused. Also, the timing for moves doesn?t feel as responsive as it needs to be, and it?s tricky to jump or sidestep consistently.

As a premiere Xbox fighter, Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus is miles better than Kakuto Chojin, but it?s still a few short steps behind Dead or Alive 3 and Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Regardless, this is a game that fighting fans should check out.

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