Dark Rift

Summary

Genre: Fighter
Number of players: 1-2
Rumble Pak: No
Controller Pak: No
Expansion Pak: Not used

Review

Dark Rift was one of the earliest fighting games on the Nintendo 64. Featuring a group of warriors battling it out in a tournament to win some object that apparently will bestow quite a lot of power on its holder, the game can be played either alone or with a friend. Wow.


Gameplay: Gameplay is a good place to start. Well, not good for Dark Rift, though, because frankly it plays really rather poorly. Combat is just plain dull. You can choose from one of several fighters, all of whom possessing unique moves and strengths, but none of whom standing out as being even remotely enjoyable to use. Pulling off any moves other than the basic punches and kicks is seldom used, firstly because the advanced moves require about twenty buttons to be pressed in the correct order, and secondly because the advanced moves are far weaker than the boring basic punches. What this means is that fights are repetitive, uninteresting, and ultimately infuriating.

Not that Dark Rift has everything wrong. There are a few nice touches to the gameplay, such as a 'grab' move and several projectile moves which are easy to pull off. But battles as a rule are very flat, and frankly you don't really care whether you win a bout or not.

The single-player mode consists of a tournament where you go up against the other fighters, one by one. This is pretty much standard among beat-em-ups, and it would have been nice to have something else, for instance something like the excellent and varied Super Smash Brothers single-player mode. Still, Dark Rift did come out a lot earlier than that classic game, and it's not like other fighting games have much more in the way of variety. The tournament mode can get rather annoying, though, since the computer players easily and inevitably pull off every super-move available without the slightest trace of effort, and you are forced just to smack them with a punch whenever they get close. It's not fun. Even the variety of characters and play styles available doesn't make it fun. It is, however, oddly compelling for a while, but you can't play for very long without becoming fed up with it. Did I mention it isn't that fun?

Dark Rift's gameplay, then, isn't anything to get excited by. The game is playable, for a while, but not great, and as dull as they come.


Challenge: As mentioned, the computer opponents are quite difficult in tournament mode, particularly the later ones, and the bosses are well-nigh impossible. This would be a good thing, if winning didn't involve merely blocking attacks and then kicking the opponent while they recover. Completing the game shows you a cheat to play as one of two hidden characters, plus giving you a very unrewarding and pathetic victory sequence. Each character has their own sequence, which consists of a single screen of your fighter smiling, smirking or sneering in triumph, and a short text message of what they do with their prize. So there's really not much incentive to play again, or even as a different character to see their end sequence.

Not an easy game to win, but only because of the annoying superhuman power of the computer fighters, and replay value of a dubious nature, Dark Rift isn't really a game that'll last you.


Graphics: In one of Dark Rift's few redeeming features, the graphics are really quite good. The backgrounds are clear, detailed and interesting, and the fighters themselves are well-drawn and animated. A few characters make use of interesting visual effects like shimmering and glowing, and the various attacks are nice to watch. Overall, a good-looking game.


Sounds: Sounds are so-so. The background music is standard fighter fare - a bit bland and repetitive, though occasionally upbeat and fitting. The characters' voices and attacking noises are alright, suiting them well without being especially great. Perfectly adequate sounds, but nothing that stands out.


Multiplayer: Two players can fight it out in Dark Rift's multiplayer mode - more recent fighting games have managed up to four, but again this is the exception, not the rule, and most beat-em-ups have only a two-player mode. Multiplay combat is very similar to single-player, although at least a human opponent doesn't pull off countless super-grapples and twenty-hit combos very often. Unfortunately, it's still just a case of blocking and hitting back with a basic punch, or letting off an easily-stopped projectile attack. Yawn. It's still better than playing alone, though. But even winning a battle isn't very satisfying...


Summing up: Nothing whatsoever makes Dark Rift stand out from the crowd, and it's dull, repetitive, bland and boring. Not worth getting, especially since there are far better fighting games out there.


Gamesmark: 50%


Reviewer: Maverik



Tangycheese's opinion: Personally I think 50% is a bit generous. The game has absolutely nothing that will keep you entertained for more than five minutes. It's better than Clayfighter, but not by much. Get Smash Brothers or WCW vs. NWO instead.