I am not one to harp on a fighting game, but the demo I played of Jet Li: Rise to Honor for the PS2 needs quite a bit of work before it hits store shelves.
Jet Li: Rise of Honor
Platforms: Sony Playstation 2
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
The levels, characters, and the life-like look of Jet Li were astonishing but it always turns out to be the controls. Who are the brianiacs that come up with the button mashing, or shall I say non-button mashing for this game. I don't want to put down this game right off the bat, but why would the controls be so bad when the game comes across as being an exciting adventure through the streets of Hong Kong?
The demo starts out in a bar located in downtown Hong Kong. It is the standard story line of an undercover cop granting the wish of a dying old man. He is not a disgruntled evil, dirty cop, but just one trying to do the right thing.
The levels in this demo are beautiful. There are plenty of places to hide from zinging bullets and crazed chefs with butcher knives. When you are doing some hand to hand combat there always seems to be a chair to throw or a nice solid wall to bash someone's head into. There are also some great obstacles like a gentle bystander that gets laid out because they cower instead of run or a table that stretches across an entire corridor that get in your way while you run from direct gunfire. As I said the game play and the level details could not be better, but once again, who programs the damn controls?
The controls of Jet Li are another obstacle that needs to be tended to very quickly. I do not mind using the analog stick to control the character or a combination the R2/R1 buttons to target and shoot the enemy. The complaint I have is the way you actually fight in this game. You have to use the right analog stick. I did not stutter - THE RIGHT ANALOG STICK. You have no control whether it is going to be a kick or a punch or a combo of both. You use the analog stick to direct which way is the fight.
This was a huge pain in the butt. I would be standing there busting out some really long combo which I am not sure why or how it became a combo, when one of the sorry sap's buddies decides hey that it looks like fun and comes after you. He of course attacks you from the opposite direction and you have to figure out how to move the analog stick to attack him. By the time you figure it out, Jet Li is lying dead on the floor, and you have to start all over again.
In closing, the demo was quite a bit of fun and very impressive on graphics and details. The fighting moves themselves reflect a large Hollywood blockbuster movie but the trick is how to use them. Once Sony figures out how to put the controls back into the users hands, I would definitely buy this game. If the controls still suck when the game is released, I will spend my money somewhere else. I give this preview to the game Jet Li: Rise to Honor for the Playstation 2 a D.
Reach the reporter at mhinshaw@asu.edu.
