Deathrow

The year is 2219, the first ever Blitz tournament is about to being after a bloody and violent pre-selection process the combatants are prepared to deliver pain to their opponents. There are 14 teams awaiting the challenge and only one can survive, the only logic involved? The show must go on! Yeah now this is my kind of sport, blood, carnage, and lots of cursing! This game is chock full of everything you are not supposed to do in a videogame and I welcome it with open arms. If you still have to hit the sack when the street lights come on this game is well out of your league, for the rest of us with hair in funny places, let’s fucking rock!

Graphics
This game truly shows what the XBox can do, specular lighting, great textures, and a rock solid frame rate. This game is pretty, when I see the Only On XBox logo on the box I get excited because I know the game isn’t a port with washed out PS2 graphics. The character models are highly detailed, the arenas are gorgeously lit, and the overall look of the game just screams XBox. Watching this game is certainly visual pleasure, you can see the detail in the player’s uniforms, you can feel the expression on their faces, the details are very well done and you can just feel the overall visual quality of this title.

Sound
Be wary this paragraph could make your virgin ears bleed, this game is raw. The players in the game are not only violent, apparently they have their mouths washed out daily. Tauntin the opposition is always fun, but when you can scream “You suck motherfucker” it makes it so much more involving. Phrases such as “We suck!”, “Eat Shit!”, and “You son-of-a-bitch” are commonplace in this overly adult title. At first it gives you s certain sense to chuckle but after a while you find yourself screaming them out at the opponents as well. This game is truly for the older audience. The music in the game is certainly great but as with almost any XBox game being able to import your own music is a definite plus. Pasting some Rammstein in a game of this caliber fits the bill nicely. Hearing an angry German yell out profanities in another language mixed with thrashing metal guitar is what life is all about!

Gameplay
This is the area most reviewers fall short and end up passing this game off as another cheap thrill with curse words. Deathrow takes time to learn and perfect, it is in fact a completely fictional sport and you cannot expect to be a master instantly. After three to four games I began to grasp the concept, learning how to fight and score is the key. Being able to score from either side of the goal will make life easier for you so make sure you take that into account. The amount of moves is impressive throws, kicks, punches, special moves, the list goes on and on. You can literally turn this into a fighting game, kicking ass in a sport is pure pleasure. The arena is also full of power ups to help give you the advantage so take notice of them. This game plays like a dream once you get the hang of it, definitely a high learning curve and not recommended for casual gamers.

Extras
Not only does this game look good and kick ass it’s also chock full of replay. There are 150 characters, 18 teams, and even unlockable arenas. You earn unlock points by competing in the championship, as you progress throughout your career players will opt to join your team. You can decide to sign them for a small fee and increase your roster. The sheer amount of game modes and options is uncanny. You can also link up XBox’s for up to 32 players of mayhem! This is of course if you have the dough or lots of friends to play the game with.

Overall
Once again a game that is so underground that no one will probably ever enjoy it. A gem in hiding awaiting for you to discover it’s greatness. If you see this game, and are over 18 of course, pick this baby up! A great game that will certainly end up in the bargain bin long before it deserves to. Highly recommended!

Written by
Ken is the Editor-in-Chief of this hole in the wall and he loves to troll for the fun of it. He also enjoys long walks through Arkham Asylum and the cool air of Shadow Moses Island. His turn-ons include Mortal Kombat, Metal Gear Solid and StarCraft.