E3 2008: Golden Axe: Beast Rider Hands-On

Golden Axe's triumphant return to the modern era is a vision largely unchanged from the classic medieval brawler. You still run around with a huge sword, unleash magic attacks, and beat up sack-wielding gnomes for goodies. The biggest difference is that cooperative play has been left out entirely; you'll have to slay these dragons alone. We went hands-on with the first level of Golden Axe: Beast Rider today, and it retains the fun, grizzly feel of the original.

Combat is slightly deeper than in the arcade versions of the game. You have two moves for attacks, which can be strung together to unleash combos. You also have a button to block and another to parry. Enemy attacks have a specific color trail that tells you which button to use to counter them. If you can nail the timing, you can dish out some quick, brutal justice.

Magic also makes the transition intact. We came across two different fire spells that made killing much easier. One of them was a fireball that could flow through a line of combatants, lighting them all on fire in the process. The other spat out a circular flame, toasting everyone close to you. Magic is revitalized by sporadically placed portals, so you'll have to use this option wisely lest you run out in the heat of an important battle.

Fire makes another appearance when you ride your dinosaur pal. Like in the original Golden Axe games, you can commandeer a docile beast to help with the killing. You can whip its tail around, charge at unsuspecting foes, and let out a stream of fire. The fire move is particularly satisfying, quickly disposing of enemies who dare try to unseat you from your dino friend.

There is only one playable character in Golden Axe: a woman clad in the type of leather that hides only the necessities. We were told that the designers were going for a "Heavy Metal vibe", and the violent themes combined with the miniscule clothes certainly exemplify this goal. This game does not shy away from gore. You can hack off limbs with ease and even find your own torso cleaved in two if get too low on health.

There is no online play (or multiplayer of any kind), but there are a few extras beyond the main quest. You can unlock different outfits and weapons to use in Arena Mode, which is a nonstop assault against raging enemy forces. From what we played so far, Golden Axe fits nicely in the mindless-violence niche, where extreme violence is unleashed with a minimal amount of effort. Look for the final version this fall on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.