Plasma Sword
- November 24, 2000 14:47 PM PST
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Swords and Plasma are a combination that seems to be foolproof. Now add to the mix some dashing space knights, menacing aliens, and a handful of sultry vixens. That's gotta be a winner, right? Well, not quite.
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D?j? vu?
Plasma Sword is the sequel to the PlayStation fighter Star Gladiator, which enjoyed a small but loyal cult following. Both titles started life in the arcade before making their way to home consoles, and both games were developed for the same arcade boards as the original Tekken and Tekken 2. As you might have guessed, Plasma Sword's graphics were ramped up considerably for the Dreamcast, so the DC version sports some mighty sharp visuals. All the various Plasma weapons pulsate and glow convincingly, and the screen is often filled with all kinds of crazy effects. On the downside, the characters could use some more detail and variety, and the flat backgrounds bring down the wow factor. The overall visual presentation would be moderately satisfying if not for the fact that Soul Calibur was also overhauled from its coin-op cousin with dramatically better results. The generic music isn't anything to write home about, either.
Still Got Game
As a matter of fact, Plasma Sword falls short on many levels except for its rock-solid gameplay, which is arguably the most crucial aspect for a fighting game. There are all new combo possibilities that didn't exist in the first game, and getting the characters to do their thing is extremely simple. The game can be enjoyed casually, but it also has a depth to it. Plasma Sword won't win any points for originality (and certainly not for sheer graphics alone), but it still comes out as a fun title that is worth at least a rental.
