Produced by: Ascii Japan
Genre: Adventure/Fighting
Players: One
There's a fair chance that few of you have heard of the Berserk manga which Berserk: Young Animal (the game in question) is based on. I hadn't. However, in Japan it's very popular having become a best selling comic and a TV anime series. So it's fair to say that that Berserk the game has attracted a fair degree of attention in Japan. For us westerners who are unfamiliar with the series, however, it may not be quite so enticing which is a shame, because the game is a quality product...in parts.
The plot, from what I can tell, involves a knight called Guts and his quest to rid his medieval homeland of the "Mandragora" disease. This nasty ailment turns normal people into deformed zombies hell-bent on harming everyone else. For some reason, Guts is on a one man mission to "purge" these poor souls and is aided by the fact that he is a "berserker". This story element manifests itself in the game as a "Rage bar". As Guts takes more and more damage this bar increases. When it reaches the top Guts is given a boost and becomes faster and stronger for a limited period. Anyhow, back to the plot. The game is very story based (i.e. linear) and for most of the game you'll be staring at cut scenes (using the in-game engine) over which you will have no control and not know what's going on. This is not to say that the cut-scenes are dull, because in fact they are quite stunning. The level of graphical presentation in the game is second to none. Your jaw will hit the floor when you see this game in action. The backgrounds are so real you feel you could reach out and touch them, and the locations look so beautiful you just want to walk around exploring them...but you can't. Such is the restrictive nature of the game. However, the main characters are easily up to the high standard set by Shenmue.
It's just a pity that there is so little to back up this visual feast. To say the gameplay was "simple" would be an understatement. We're talking "Golden Axe" depth here - hack 'n' slash. There are four main buttons - vertical slash, horizontal slash, jump and block. The two slash buttons can be used together to form combos but even then you only have a limited number of possible combos so it's not like you're given the freedom that other weapon-based games like Soul Calibur have. There are a few items to make use of such as health-restoring potions and a cool looking flame thrower device, but basically you walk from one location to another hacking chunks out of all kinds of nasty monsters and that's about it.
Simple it may be, but it is very addictive. The animation on the main character is exceptional and watching the sword cleave through flesh and bone is incredible. This has to be one of the bloodiest games I've played and the power of the Dreamcast has allowed the developers to make the action seem so real it shocks you. Blood arches through the air with every attack and the screen quickly becomes awash with the stuff.
Aurally, Berserk is a real treat. The music is a mish-mash of styles that just about hang together - you've got screaming rock guitars and rampant drum and bass sitting sit by side. The main theme is stunning with thumping classical beats and a Japanese guy singing his heart out. The sound effects are also top notch - the sound of flesh being torn apart by your sword is so real it's scary. Effects like footsteps are also well implemented.
I just don't feel right recommending this game. It's so limited, too simple, and too short. However, there is something there that makes me love this title. The presentation of Berserk is outstanding - it's as close to playing a movie as I've seen since Metal Gear Solid. The music, the set pieces, the cut scenes...it all hangs together just right, but the fact that you can get through it in a day is unacceptable. Bearing in mind the high prices of import titles, I'd be lying if I said Beserk was good value for money. However, I really do feel that there is something worth playing here, and if you happen to come across Berserk in a bargin bin at your local importers, give it a whirl. Like me, you may get something out of it.
UPDATE: Since this review was written, Berserk has been released in the West under the name "Sword Of The Berserk".
3 1/2 out of 5
