Games I Like That Everybody Else Dislikes
Always preferred this to at least most of the Smash Bros. games, just feels more intuitive. There's no getting around the fact that this remains a pinnacle lesson in "How the Fuck Could You Possibly Fuck That Up??" 101 where shameless self-promotion (stupid 2013 fuckboy Dante instead of real Dante, the dude from Starhawk being in this for some reason) and confusing budget cuts (why did Sony commission so many high-scale products they had no faith in around this time?) in the place of elements for - what by all means should have been - the best fighting game ever produced. Where the fuck is Crash Bandicoot? Why does this feel so cheap and slapdash in presentation considering it handles a ton of Sony's ultimate cash-cow mascots? And oh Lord those idiotic png cutscenes still haunt my very nightmares to this day. But with that all out of the way, if you forget what this could have been then this is a damn good fighter with a fleshed-out control scheme and interesting in-fight level system that breeds fierce competition. Though the maps are the true standout here - it's been ten years (fuck I'm old) but the way levels based on one game series get invaded by elements from another game series never, ever gets old. It's a concept that really should have been copied by every franchise-fighter after this imo and absolutely should not only be stuck in this. Missed opportunity and undeniably a hot mess but still plays great even (perhaps especially) today.
Always preferred this to at least most of the Smash Bros. games, just feels more intuitive. There's no getting around the fact that this remains a pinnacle lesson in "How the Fuck Could You Possibly Fuck That Up??" 101 where shameless self-promotion (stupid 2013 fuckboy Dante instead of real Dante, the dude from Starhawk being in this for some reason) and confusing budget cuts (why did Sony commission so many high-scale products they had no faith in around this time?) in the place of elements for - what by all means should have been - the best fighting game ever produced. Where the fuck is Crash Bandicoot? Why does this feel so cheap and slapdash in presentation considering it handles a ton of Sony's ultimate cash-cow mascots? And oh Lord those idiotic png cutscenes still haunt my very nightmares to this day. But with that all out of the way, if you forget what this could have been then this is a damn good fighter with a fleshed-out control scheme and interesting in-fight level system that breeds fierce competition. Though the maps are the true standout here - it's been ten years (fuck I'm old) but the way levels based on one game series get invaded by elements from another game series never, ever gets old. It's a concept that really should have been copied by every franchise-fighter after this imo and absolutely should not only be stuck in this. Missed opportunity and undeniably a hot mess but still plays great even (perhaps especially) today.