Hands-onTao Feng: Fist of the Lotus

Microsoft recently stopped by the GameSpot offices to show off a new build of Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus, the upcoming Xbox 3D fighter being developed by Studio Gigante. The game features a roster of 12 fighters and an assortment of arenas to fight in.

The fighting system revolves around two sets of punches and kicks broken up into "leading" and "trailing" variations. Leading blows are fast and do a modest amount of damage, while trailing blows are slower but more powerful. With the proper timing and movement, the two types of strikes can be joined together to create a variety of combinations. You'll also be able to throw your opponent and perform special attacks when you've filled your fighter's chi meter. You'll build chi by successfully attacking and taunting your foe during a fight, and when the meter is full, you can execute one of three special attacks. In addition, over the course of a fight, the characters can inflict and sustain upper- and lower-body "limb damage," which reduces the effectiveness of attacks made with their hands and feet, respectively. Fortunately, it's possible to heal yourself when your chi meter is full. The final element of the combat system is the environments themselves, which have a variety of objects that can be interacted with. For example, if you're backed up against a wall, you can perform an attack off it.

The gameplay is complemented by a clean visual presentation. The fighter models boast an ample polygon budget, plenty of detail, and animated faces, though the clothing and hair animations are still a little stiff at this point. The environments are equally detailed and feature a fair number of breakable objects. You'll also find a strong use of lighting in the game, such as lightning that flashes sporadically during a rooftop fight in the rain and sparks thrown up by a subway train as its wheels grind against the tracks.

Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus is currently slated to ship in mid-March. Look for more on the game soon.