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I THINK I'M GONNA HURL......

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 13
Date: March 20, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This game rocks. It's simple and addictive. It's not like those other Final Fight clones, (a.k.a. Dynamite Cop, Zombie Revenge, Fighting Force, etc.)where you lose intrest fast. This game is longer then the others and is much deeper in play. The gameplay is purely hard-core... just perfectly addictive. It's the type of game where you forget about the story and just want to hack and slash your way through. On the other hand... The story is so beautiful. It makes me want to forget the gameplay. Not only are the gameplay and story good but the sound is too. It drives me nuts. The voice acting, swords swinging, and blood squirting makes it sound sweet. Now some of you might have douts about this game because of the recent Final Fight clones.... Well forget them... This game rocks this world! The only drawback is that about half of the gameplay makes me want to hurl. There is just toooooooooooooooooooooooooo much blood and gore. So if your a guy who likes a good story, great gameplay, excellent sound, and a whole ocean of blood.... THEN BUY THIS GAME NOW!

An absolute must!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: April 04, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This game is outstanding in many ways... First of all it's got an incredibly enthralling storyline, which gets you really involved right from the start... In fact, Sword of The Berserk is more an animated movie than a video game. The parts were you have to play are outnumbered by those where you simply have to watch animated sequences (they all last for at least 5 min. each but most of them are ways longer...). If the plot wasn't great you' d be yawnig after a while or, worse, complaining about the game but as I was saying this isn't likely to happen. In fact you'll find yourself craving for more! Second, SOF has got an impressive (definitely inspiring) soundtrack. The graphics are also excellent (only slightly inferior to Code Veronica's which represent the state of the art!)! What about the gameplay? Well it's fun tough it's not the reason why you should buy this title. What I mean is that the game itself is quite short so if you fell the urge to fight all day look somewhere else! The game is based on a famous manga and is obviously inspired by many literary works. Wanna a few examples? The Mandragola was a theatrical pièce written by Machiavelli, best known for his political treatise "The Prince". Puck was a character from Shakespeare's Midsummer night's dream and so on...

You want mindless action? You got it.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: March 30, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I first played Berserk back in 2000, shortly after getting into the comics and animated series. I had Berserk fever, and the game did much justice to the legacy. Not only was it fun, but the production values were all there. Graphics were great, the soundtrack was flat out awesome, gameplay was addicting, and it left me wanting for more. So why did I only give it 4 stars? I really didn't want to give anything Berserk 4 stars (except maybe some of those iffy figures I've seen over the years), but truth be told, this game is 1/3 gameplay, 2/3 movie. There are cutscenes. Lots of them. Not to the point where it gets annoying, but with so many cutscenes, I was left wondering why there wasn't as much action as there was. Don't get me wrong though, there's a lot to slash through in the game. The levels are challenging and long, and some of the boss fights require dozens of tries.

The game begins pratically where the animated series left off, right after the God Hand sacrifices. As for the comics, I'm not 100% sure what volume this takes place after. Nevermind that though. A caravan of circus-like performers is stopped by a group of bandits. Who just so happens to show up? Guts does. The bandits are about to have some fun with Rita, the only female in the wagon, and Guts won't allow it of course. The first fight in the game is intense. The one-man killing machine Guts takes out handfuls of bandits single handedly (no pun intended unless you laughed). Using his 7' long, 1.5' wide, 4" thick sword- The Dragonslayer, he's able to make quick work of anything. But that's not all you have at your arsenal. You carry grenades, unlimited throwing knives, the hand auto-crossbow (also unlimited), healing powder, and of course- the hand cannon. This thing takes out enemies like Nancy Carrigan's knee. After it's all over, Guts and his companions Puck and Caska go along with Rita and her crew to the city where they're performing. But Rita's partner isn't feeling too well. He transforms into a monster, and attacks everyone. Once more, Guts ends it. The king of the town sees what's happened, and takes Guts to his castle, where we find out that there's a problem in the city. Why are people turning into monsters? Who's allowing it to continue? And what about Caska- is she going to be cured? You'll find out as you play.

Gameplay's pretty simple. You have two kinds of basic attacks: normal slash and heavy slash. You can make combos, some being more effective in other situations than others. Though jump attacks always take out enemies quickly. Your other weapons like the daggers and auto-crossbow are weak, but are helpful in that they stun the enemy temporarily for you to get closer. Of course, there's a block move, which is pretty cool- Guts holds up his sword and gets behind it. A lot of the enemies here take much more damage than those did in the comic and show, which was a little odd. But it's always fun to cut stuff up here. And after attacking enough enemies or getting hit, your Berserk meter fills up, and you enter Berserk mode. Guts' strength and speed raise drastically here, and can dispatch enemies much faster. There's one minor problem with it- it happens automatically. So if you just killed off every enemy in an area and this kicks in, you're going to be wasting your Berserk mode walking to the next area. Also included are some Shenmue-like QTE moments. There are very few of them, and if you fail to hit the button at the right moment, you just get stuck in a more difficult area of the stage. I need to mention boss battles too, as some of them were rediculous. Zoddo in particular. Yeah, I know he's essentially the most bad-ass antagonist in the series, and no one stands a chance against him save the Skeleton Knight, but the fight with him takes a long, long time. After knocking his health down to 3/5, it started to regenerate. What...the hell. Trust me, Zoddo shows why no one's been able to defeat him here. Beating the game on Easy and/or Normal unlocks a mini-game with Puck. Beating it on Hard unlocks an unlimited ammo mode. Want to breeze through with unlimited arm cannon shots? Now you can. And really, it doesn't get old surprisingly. Oh, one more thing. This game follows a couple of laws of realism. As in, using The Dragonslayer in a small corridor isn't a good idea, as it will clang against walls. No, you don't get a freebie and the sword goes through walls like most action games would have it. Find a way around this.

The graphics, for their time, were great. Character models look just as they should, and a lot of fine details are there. Just check out Guts' weapon belts and his mechanical arm. Levels have tons going on in the background if you pay attention, and there's -never- any slowdown. The music is done by Susumu Hirasawa, the same guy who did the music in the show, so you can expect it to be great. The main theme is even a remix of Forces. Awesome. My favorite track though, is the music that plays as you fight Zoddo. I want to say that it starts with either a violin or bagpipes. The music is just plain eerie in the first few seconds, then gets right down to business. Sound effects are very painful. Hearing The Dragonslayer tear through bandits and infected villgers made me cringe the first time. As did anytime an arrow struck flesh. Very classy. And the voice acting? Some of the finest in gaming history. Guts sounds like he should, Puck's voice actord did a fantastic job, and Balsac's is very familiar, and I'm sure you've all heard him before. Yeah, the voices are in English, and there's no way around it, but should that matter? The voices are top notch, as is the acting. And if both of those are there, then there aren't any problems.

Sword of the Berserk is still one of my favorite Dreamcast games, and still fun to play 5 years later. If you can manage to find it in good condition, don't hesitate. While the cutscenes are plentiful compared to the action, there's replay value. Something rare in action games at that time. And of course, we can expect more of the same, only even better with the upcoming ps2 game if it ever sees a US release.

Bloody But Very Uniqe!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: March 24, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Sword of the Berserk is a gory game. It is filled with all kinds of violence and is recommended for more mature gamers. With all that aside, it is a really good game. The graphics are some of the best on the Dreamcast. The sound puts the gamer right in the middle of the action. The game is loaded with cinamatic movie sequences, that keep the gamer interested. There is a little too much of it at times. One of the major flaws of the game is the control. It is sometimes hard to judge where you are in relationship to the enemy. It can be very frustrating, because multiple enemies will surround you at a fast rate. Another problem is the huge sword that you carry around. The sword is bigger than the character itself. It is sometimes easier to hit the walls than the enemies standing in front of you. This will cause some cheap deaths because of the multiple enemies surrounding you and your unableness to hit anything but the wall. Other than these small problems, Berserk is definately a must have for all action fans. There is nothing like it out there on the gaming market. One thing is for sure, it is better than any other Dreamcaset game of the same genre, like Zombie Revenge!

Awesome and addicting game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: March 12, 2004
Author: Amazon User

If you've seen the show and read the manga, or even if you haven't, this game is one you have to play!! Its like another episode of the anime. And its so fun to watch the characters in 3-D, and to play as Gattsu!! This story is during the Millenium Soldier series of the manga, and happens after the Great Eclipse in the anime series. The game is really satisfying to play as you hack and slash up monsters, at least I think it is. Hee hee it gives me a feeling of POWER!! Lol. Plus the story is just so awesome, the cut scenes are cool and make the game like a movie, and the music is so great, ! Its by the same music producer for the anime, Hirasawa, and the opening and ending songs are incredible!! Can you tell that I am completely obsessed with Berserk? If you haven't seen the anime, then get it and if you haven't read the manga well then get that too. :P Gattsu is my most favorite anime character of all, his character is just so deep!! And he looks so cool in 3-D!! Just buy the game, anime, and manga, I promise you'll love it!!

the first GREAT action game for DREAMCAST

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: March 28, 2000
Author: Amazon User

The best way to describe SOTB is to call it Golden axe meets nightmare creatures, with a dash of soul calibur in the mix. the gameplay may get repetitive at times, but while your'e hacking and slashing your way through hordes of enimes, you'll be impressed by the EXCELLENT hi res grahpics and kick @$$ music. the whole experience of playing this game is akin to a major motion picture production. with brilliant voice dubbing and cinematic cut scenes. PLAY THIS GAME ON SURROUND SOUND TO SINK IN THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE

A MUST HAVE FOR ALL ACTION GAMERS! SKIP SOUL FIGHTER AND GET SOTB!

Whee.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: April 16, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The game is over-all pretty good.. But I have to agree that it's very repetitive.. It's fighting, Fighting.. And more fighting.
Which is all well and good for those of you who like the hack and slash games.. But for all the others, There's not much to do.
It's one level of killing directly followed by another. (No store strolling or walking around town.)
As a loyal obsesser and fan of Berserk I would deffinately say to buy it, But don't be dissapointed when you find it's rather boring. ^-^

Stress Ball

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 22, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Sword of the Berserk is a really sensless game. But that's not a bad thing. When I get home from a hard day at school I always play this game. All I did was smash a few buttons and watch the blood flow. It's really addictive and FUN to play. I mean for some reason it relieves stress. I'm not a psycologist or something but this game, with it's senseless fun, is addictive, FUN, and relieves stress. So for all of you out there, who is in constant stress, BUY THIS GAME. Yet if you aren't in constant stress, also buy this game. In most areas of the game there is the senseless killing theme, but in several areas of the game you need quick thinking, good strategy, and a good eye to survive. Plus with excellent sound and plot, this is a must own for all of you arcade maniacs, all of you who are in stress, any one who likes good stories, and gamers who like a LOT OF BLOOD.

An overlooked Dreamcast gem

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 27, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage is summed up as this: it's one hell of a game. In fact, its pretty much an interactive movie with over an hour of dramatic cinemas, but thats a good thing. The storyline is quite possibly the best I've ever heard of in a video game, revolving around a mercenary named Guts who is desperate to find a cure for his lover Casca who is suffering from a disease leaving her with the mind of a child, and is accompinied by a naked flying elf named Puck. There is a disease in the village that causes people to have the same symptoms Casca has, but I won't spoil any more surprises from there. Guts carries with him a sword called Dragon Slayer, which measures taller than Guts, and when you fight hordes and hordes of enemies, you learn why he is called Guts in the first place. It's simple hack and slash action with a superb storyline (based on a Japanese manga), incredible graphics (rivaling those of Code: Veronica, Alone in the Dark, and Sonic), and some of the best game music you'll ever hear. An overlooked gem of a game, if you own a Dreamcast you should own this, it's that damn good.

This is an interactive movie, not a video game.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 6
Date: May 12, 2000
Author: Amazon User

WARNING. If you like games based only on how long it takes to play, select back on your browser and let those who love games becouse of music, graphics, gameplay, challenge, and a story purchace this brillent game.

First lets get the problems out of the way. If you skip all the movies you can beat the game in little under three and a half hours, but thats with not getting all the extras. The blood in this game is well over done. Most bosses should die from blood loss before you finish them off. Also this game is a very strange reason for the Mature rating. No little kids playing this game please.The game is based mostly on hacking and slashing you're very bloody enemies to pieces. However there are four other weapons you can use(a fire gun, mines, crossbow, and knives) with only a little ammuntion.

That's it for the con's. Now for the pro's. The music is excellant. You could listen to the soundtrack for days and not become tired of the score. I can promise you, you will stop in the middle of the game to wipe away your drool. Caused from the game's eye candy. Even the main character's armor is fully animated. The story is so involving and awsome you will play the game non-stop untill you get a full dosage of the story(F.Y.I., the game is based on a Japanese comic and a full explantion of the story is in the game).

If Eidos (the publisher of the game) had put more into the game than just hackin' and slashin' I would of givin this game a five. The game gets boring, but luckly the game has a mode were you can fight the bosses, watch movies, have infinate ammunition, CG pictures of the characters, and a level select option. You can recieve these extras after beating the game on certain difficulties.

If you do like this game, other games I could mention are, well none. This game pioneers story based games. Oter games with good stories are Final Fantasy 1-7, the future Shenmue, and Vagrent Story. Apart from story these games have very little in common, but they are still great games. Don't, I repeat Don't look this game over next time your videogame shopping.

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