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System:
PlayStation 2
Genre:
Beat 'Em Up
Publisher:
Square
Developer:
DreamFactory
Players:
1-4
Release date/year:
12/23/2000
Other systems:
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- The Bouncer
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2001 Eighting/Raizing - Hudson - PS2
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Squaresoft has always been known to produce some killer games for every system that it's featured on. With The Bouncer, you play as one of three bouncers after a teenage girl who has been taken by a secret corporation. Where you would think that a storyline is in effect, it is...but the game takes more into telling a story than actually giving the gamer anything to really sink their teeth into in terms of action.
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-Visuals 8/10-
From the start, the opening scenes will catch anyone's eyes. Full motion visuals give into a deep and involved storyline full of twists and turns. But, the action gives alot to be desired because you never really know where the story goes...sometimes it moves too fast. The actual fighting action is pretty intense, with plenty of detail and lighting effect to go along with it.
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-Audio 8/10-
The Bouncer gives you a full audio-track to listen to that doesn't come forward too hard, but also doesn't leave much to impress on anyone's memory. It has just the right amount of highs and lows without sounding too much like a mess of instruments. Sound effects include voice overs and the thuds, grunts and moans of dying enemies and explosions that hit just right out of a stereo system.
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-Control 7/10-
The control does leave a bit to be desired. There is no jump button, and all of your attacks are done with a single button press along with a simple direction pad push. Moving your character in the fighting sequences is a slow and arduous job, and then locking onto your next target can be even worse. Fortunately, there isn't much fighting done, so there isn't much of a reason to put too much stock into learning all of the controls.
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-Game Play 8/10-
The Bouncer is more or less a story brought to life through alot of cinematic scenes, and just a little fighting thrown in for the hell of it. What will catch most people, is that the cinematics take up a good 85% of the game, while the fighting is just there to fill in the gaps of the story. Your characters can buy new stats such as life and defense as well as more powerful extra skills that can be used in the battle sequences.
There is a bit of puzzle solving to be done in this game, with certain stages requiring you to perform specific actions without screwing up. To top this off, you can unlock other characters for use in other modes, and then you can buy more stats through the other modes in order to use your souped up character in the main story mode.
The other modes include a four player battle royal or team battle. Unfortunately, you need to have the multi-tap adapter in order to even play a two player battle, and in order to have any fun with that, you have to unlock the secret characters from the main game. Sounds like alot of work.
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-Overall 8/10-
As was said before, Squaresoft is a hell of a developer that has always been known for making games that have deep and involved storylines. But where they try to make a fighting/story hybrid, they spend more time on the storyline mechanics than they do with the in game fighting. Worth a look, gamers looking for a fresh change of pace should try out the Bouncer. Anyone looking for a solid fighting game should look else where, and leave the Bouncer alone.
//KasketDarkfyre
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