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Tao Feng--the next big thing?! :D

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 13
Date: March 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I'll admit it, I've got a bias toward this game. That said, I hope this doesn't come across as being dishonest or too one-sided.

Despite the disadvantage of being the first game for a brand-new company, Tao Feng holds its own amongst the many existing fighters. Microsoft clearly raised its standards for its 1st-party games since Kakuto Chojin crashed and burned, and the team at Studio Gigante worked hard to bring a fresh game to the Xbox's exclusive library.

Tao Feng uniquely rewards aggressive gameplay with its chi system, which helps to vary gameplay in a few ways. If a player continuously lands attacks (blocked or successful), the chi meter builds up, resulting in either a special move ("chi attack") when full, or the chance to heal a damaged limb resulting from excessive blocking. Attacking off walls and poles is a fun new feature as well, eliminating the `trapped' feeling found in fighters with invisible walls. Preset Long- and Short-Form Combos give both veterans and newbies a chance at exploring the game's combos and juggles, some of which range up to 12 hits.

To me, the fighting game genre's `big 5' franchises (Tekken, DOA, Virtua Fighter, Soul Calibur, and Mortal Kombat) have become irritatingly similar in the last few years-nearly identical aquarium and cage match levels pop up in DOA3 and VF4, Mortal Kombat's weapon system and large quantity of unlockable content mimiced the Soul Calibur of three years ago, and the differences between Tekkens sequels are far from staggering. While not as technically big and bright as these more well-established titles, the mere fact that Tao Feng was built with innovation in mind from its inception deserves a chance from Xbox owners and fans of the genre alike.

Lastly, if on the off-chance you're a parent reading this and your younger-than-17 year-old wants to pick up Tao Feng-don't be too alarmed at the 'Mature' rating. Sure there's some blood and the point of the game is to beat up your opponent, but there's no offensive language, sex, or nudity common in other 'Mature' games like the infamous Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. So if your kid is threatening to stop loving you if you don't buy him Tao Feng, remember that he's probably seen blood and fighting before and there are plenty of worse things he could be watching or playing on TV. :D

Good, not worth the hype

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 8
Date: April 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The game is ok, but certainly not what the hype would have you believe.
It's the Jeepers Creepers Semi-Star of fighting games. It's not all that good, but it's not all that bad.

First: The Good:
The graphics are amazing.
The contusion modeling (that's bruising, for the vocabulary-challenged) is very nice. Clothing damage is cool too.

The Mediocre:
The controls are average. Not great, not all that bad. Limb damage is ok, but not all that amazing a feature

The Bad:
BLATANT FALSE ADVERTSING:
We all saw the ad. They show the fighters going at it, then one of them hits a shoulder, or does a throw where they pull their oponent's elbow down hard on their shoulder, they cut to that animated skeleton model, and the announcer goes "bones will break!" Not like that at all. Basically, the limb damage is just a hit damage penalty and a slight animation difference. And they can still use the limb. It's really more like you just gave the guy a charlie horse. Also, you can only damage one limb at a time.
The computer cheats in Quest mode. Combos are supposed to be unblockable if the first hit lands, but I lost count of how many times I'd land a couple hits in a combo, only to have the computer fighter block and dish out a punishing countermove. The amount of damage a move does also depends on whether it's you or the computer controlling the fighter. Master Sage's wheelbarrow, sliding "butt"-kick move (not the moves real name) takes off a sliver when you do it, but if the computer is Master Sage, then it takes off about a quarter of your life bar. It only seems to do this in Quest mode. the other one-player modes have not been cheating, as far as I can see.

What would make this game better?
First off, a true skeletal model for the fighters, where you could break limbs and have them flop around. Dislocations would be cool too. And something where you could dislocate jaws with real powerful punches. Maybe have a full body X-Ray of each fighter as an after-match bonus feature.
Second, the computer doesn't need to cheat.
Third: I know the programmer is trying to get away from Mortal Kombat, but this is a game that's hyped for its brutal moves, so is a "crippler" style finisher too much to ask?

Fantastic Fighting Game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 9
Date: February 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is the only worth while fighting game to come out on the Xbox since DAO3. The main novelty of this game is the damage fighters receive during combat. Break an arm, and it dangles throughout the rest of the match, and you can't use it. You get cuts, and scars grow over them. The characters have over three times the polygon count as Dead or Alive 3, which allows for some amazing detail. In addition, the backgrounds are extremely interactive. This is a super game, and raises the bar on all others.

Plenty of Better Fighting Games Around

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: April 24, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is just awful. The graphics are great, but that's about all this game has going for it. The only player game would be enjoyable if it weren't for the RAMPANT cheating by the computer. The computer is both stronger and faster than you no matter which combination of characters are fighting. When the computer hits you, it's stuns you long enough for the computer to have its way with you for a few minutes. Of course, you're hits barely slow the computer down. The computer can break your combos while you cannot do the same to it. Most of the time, when the computer defeats you, you don't even feel like you were allowed to participate in the match. Stick with DOA 3 or Soul Calibur 2; those games have the gameplay to match their graphics.

Don't Beleive The Hype!!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: April 16, 2003
Author: Amazon User

First off the only plus I can find in this game is the Graphics. Although every character has their own moves + combos, they are very basic and easy to learn.There will be no strategy guide for this game. The games replay value even with friends over is very little. Worst of all the camera angle changes the game makes while fighting will cause you to throw a controller or two. I was highly dissapointed in this game becasue I looked forward to playing another good fighting game on Xbox besides Dead OR Alive 3. Not!!Still waiting!! Still playing DOA3.

Tao Feng

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 11, 2003
Author: Amazon User

As fighters go, this one isn't a stand out from all the rest except in a few very small ways. The visible damage to body and clothes is cool and the very best part is the damage to the environment from the fighting, not to mention the extra damage caused by certain danger zone areas. Being able to do attacks off of walls and swinging from poles is a plus too. And I couldn't forget to mention that the grab attacks are pretty neat. Now for the bad news. First of all, it lacks a good training set up. The one it has is so annoying that I quit using it 5 minutes after I bought and used the game. Secondly, it's misleading that you can actually break bones when all that really happens is a player can badly bruise their limbs from too much blocking making your punches weaker until you heal them. Third, the controls and button combinations are a little difficult in some characters and the characters aren't too unique, quite boring actually. Fourth, the game sometimes has a habit of switching camera angles in the middle of a fight at some pretty bad moments. More than once, I've tried to block an attack only to have the camera angle switch and I was facing the opposite direction. In a game that has no block option other than holding back on the pad, this is a major design flaw. What would have made this game the penultimate fighting game would have been a better comprehensive trainer, better fight controls, maybe the ability to do some kind of killer or nice finishing move a-la-mortal kombat, actual bone breaking moves that makes the other persons limb unusuable until healed, and some better thought out characters or maybe even more characters than what is offered. With all that said, this game has the makings to be the best fighter out there, the designers just fell a little short of the mark. The graphics and environments are first rate and in my opinion better than any other fighter out there. With a little more work and cleaning up on it's flaws, this could possibly take the lead as the best if the programmers take all of this into consideration and make some serious design changes for Tao Feng 2. If so, I'd be the first one at the counter buying my copy.

DONT BUY IT

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 02, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game a week ago. I thought it would be good.I soon knew that I just wasted 50 dollars. PLEASE do not get this game you will not regret it.I changed the difficulty to easy on all modes, but it turns out ta be EXTREMLEY HARD.O YAH, and you work SOOOOO hard for a secret character and it only unlocks him in versus. WHAT A [WASTE!!!] SO... if you r lookin for a good fightin game atleast save your money or get sumthin else, like mortal kombat deadly alliance or DOA 3. BUT whatever you do not get this game. :.)

The plague upon plagues.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: November 02, 2003
Author: Amazon User

When I purchased this product my brain must have been suffering from a chemical imbalance. The gameplay experience is so bad I should compare it to being kicked in the crotch for days on end. While it looks good it doesn't make up for the fact that you are controlling a character that can't block or link a combo to save his pathetic ass, which in turn makes him not a fightng game character but a uncontrollable madman that despite you best intentions will doze off in the middle of a battle and proceed to have the enemy pummel him into the ground with a 13+ combo.

AVOID ALL THINGS CONCERNING THIS GAME!

I don't care if it involves you shooting your way out of the situation it still will not scar you mentally nearly as much as this game.

IGN rates this game an 8.7

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 6
Date: March 18, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Just read the IGN review and it's pretty much what I expected, a top notch fighting game. This game is breaking some rules and that is really refreshing to see.

Wait for Soul Calibur

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: June 21, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I expected a much better game than was hyped. The controls are terrible and unresponsive. It is one of those games that give you more eye candy but the actual game play just really stinks. I am glad I didn't pay full price for this game otherwise I would be very ticked off. If you still want to buy it try to find it at a cheap price on this website.

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