Publisher: Activision

Developer: Eighting/Raizing

Release Date: 6/25/2001

Available Exclusively On

The PS2 wasn’t without its fighting games, and most were solid. The Bloody Roar series started on the PS1 but has seen rocky acclaim ever since its first entry. Competing with games such as Street Fighter, Tekken, and Virtua Fighter at the time, people didn’t see the need for another Japanese fighter. Bloody Roar features some interesting characters that can turn into beast form, which unlocks a new set of moves and some devastating attacks. Bloody Roar 3 has great visuals and solid controls but lacks the large roster and modes that fighters are known for.

First off, the game only has 12 fighters. That’s tiny, even compared to other fighters with small rosters. The characters, however, are unique, but there is a serious lack of female fighters (only 4). The stages are busy and well designed, plus the game looks great even for today. The fighting system is simple compared to most Japanese fighters, but I preferred this. There is just a punch, kick, and beast form, as well as a dodge and block button. The game has no move list, so this is for button mashers, which is just fine here. The controls are smooth and responsive, and there are a lot of visual flairs. The characters’ beast forms look really cool, and it is fun to see them all.

Another main disappointment is the lack of modes. Just arcade, survival, and versus, really. There’s not even a main story mode, but the arcade mode does go through all the characters’s stories. I found the story to be pretty boring and unexciting, like most fighting game stories. Most Japanese fighting fans will mainly dislike the lack of depth in the fighting system, but I really didn’t mind it.

Overall, Bloody Roar 3 is a solid fight game, but it just feels like bare bones. The fighting system lacks depth, the character roster is small, and there are only 3 modes. The game looks great and the controls respond well, so this is a love it or hate it type of game.