Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 Preview
We get our hands on Tecmo's upcoming follow-up to Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball and get more than we bargained for.
Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 is the upcoming Xbox 360 sequel to Tecmo's Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball for the original Xbox. However, as evidenced by the game's title, the second entry in this new branch of the DOA family tree is set to offer a more diverse experience than its predecessor. While you'll still play beach volleyball, DOAX2 is serving up a host of mostly fast-paced games that offer breezy fun. We had the chance to spend some quality time with a work-in-progress version of the upcoming game recently and were pleasantly surprised at what the game is evolving into: a minigame collection.
Before we go over the various minigames we played, we'll need to fill you in on the game's epic story of love, loss, and betrayal--well, not really. Come on, people, this is a pack of chicks in bikinis frolicking around--does there have to be a story? Well, in fact there is a bit of narrative to provide a thread for the vacation. When last we saw the ladies of DOA, they were all wrapping up their unfinished business with the evil DOATEC (Dead or Alive Tournament Committee) corporation. Helen in particular was going through a rough patch, what with being stuck in a burning building and all.
The work-in-progress version let us try out six of the seven minigames set to be in the game. The minigames will pop up in two ways, either as part of the vacation mode, which will find you engaging in a variety of activities with your fellow ladies, or as quick stand-alone games you can play independent of vacation mode. The demo featured beach volleyball, marine race, pool hopping, butt battle, beach flags, and tug-of-war, as well as an unlockable pictorial mode that will require a hefty amount of dedication to open up.
Beach volleyball is a returning sport that should be familiar to fans of the original game. The version we played dropped us into a match set up between some cabanas and the ocean. We were put in control of everyone's favorite ninja, Kasumi, and paired up with Nubian princess Lisa to take on Kokoro and Ayane. As in the original game, DOAX2's volleyball is all about carefully timed button presses and positioning. However, while the original game was pretty brutal, DOAX2's volleyball has a tighter feel to it. The controls already felt a bit better than those in the original game. The basic scheme lets you move your character with the left analog stick, pass or set to your teammate with B, return the ball and spike with A, and change your formation with the right analog stick. A single press on A lets you do an overhand serve. Pressing the A button while the left analog is pushed right lets you do a jump serve, while holding left and pressing A will let you do an underhand serve. When receiving the ball you'll rely on the B button--a single press lets you do a normal pass, and holding it down lets you set an attack.
Marine race is a new Jet Ski mode that feels like equal parts Wave Race and Splashdown. The demo dropped us into a five-woman race to be the first to complete two laps around Zack Island. The race isn't as straightforward as it sounds, as you'll need to make your way through a series of markers set inside the course. By doing so you'll be able to earn a precious speed boost, which is key to winning. You'll earn your boost by passing through a set number of markers; the catch is that if you miss one, your tally clears, so you'll need to be precise. Fortunately, the control scheme stays pretty accessible, although performing actions while racing takes some getting used to. You'll control your craft with the left analog stick and accelerate with the A button. The left and right triggers will let you bank, which will help you take some of the tight turns necessary to get through the course. Once you get the hang of things and get the urge to show off some, you'll be able to perform different actions that will increase the number of points you earn over the course of the race. You'll be able to change your riding style by holding a direction on the analog stick and pressing the X button. Holding down and X lets you perform a back-foot stance, right and X is a back ride, and up and X is the "cowboy." You'll hold the pose for as long as you keep the button pressed. The benefit of holding the pose is that you'll earn more points as you race. You can also earn points by performing actions off of jumps. The demo let us do two--a barrel roll by pushing the analog stick while we were in the air, and a backflip by pushing the stick down.
The remaining games were much more casual and favored pick-up-and-play action in the manner of Mario Party. Pool hopping is a jaunt across a pool by hopping from different floating cushions. The control is a simple one-button system that lets you do short and long jumps depending on how long you hold down the button. As with volleyball, timing is key to success in the race--the computer-controlled players did not falter. Though the game is deceptively simple, there's an added challenge for those eager to test their skills. Each of the cushions is color-coded to match the Xbox 360's face buttons. If you're fast, you can use the appropriate button as you race and earn bonus points.
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- GameSpot Score5.9mediocre
Check Prices: $5.99 – 45.9
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Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 Gameplay Movie 2
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- Nov 14, 2006
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