Hardcore is a top notch fighter for the PS2. Fighter-fans definitely should check out this mix of beauty and brawling.
User Rating: 9.5 | DOA2: Dead or Alive 2 (Platinum) PS2
DOA: Hardcore is almost the perfect Fighter. Visually, the game is stunningly beautiful. The characters and their fighting animations are crisp and the closest thing to flawless I've ever seen. The replay value is immense as well (tons of alternate costumes even a "gallery" can be unlocked after a number of game completions). By far, the most fun you'll gt out of this game is the Two Player Tag Team modes and the Team Battles, whether you and a friend play co-op or decide to beat each others brains in, the Tag Team and Team Battle modes do not disappoint. As I mentioned before, DOA: Hardcore is ALMOST the perfect fighter. It's the little things that keep this game from becoming a true Fighter classic, for example, the game's story is flat (however, most Fighting games do not rely heavily on a concrete story) and man yof the game's story mode cut scenes are recycled into several different character's stories (you'll see some of the exact scenes you saw in Bass Armstrong's story that you've seen in Tina's etc). With its easily overlooked shortcomings, DOA: Hardcore is a must-buy for Fighting game lovers, especially now at the game's reduced (AKA easily AFFORDABLE) price.
