Gamble some cash down at the casino
During fighting sequences there is also the option to grab anything that may be lying around, such as a metal pipe or an exploding barrel. As you throw enemies around the gaming arena the environment collapses if they fall into a building or go head first into a barrel which creates some decent effects and gives you the feeling that you’re attacking manoeuvres really do pack a powerful punch
The mechanics of controlling Gene during a fight are excellent and he responds to your button presses impressively. The fact that you can’t move the camera round is an annoyance, but this is countered by the use of a 180 degree turn button which lets you spin around when enemies are attacking you from behind.
As you progress through the game and earn money from taking part in challenges, defeating enemies, searching crates and gambling in the casino, you can also buy more special moves and orbs to add to your roulette wheel from a shop at the end of each level. The shop is the place where you can buy and sell techniques as well as investing in some worthwhile power-ups which can boost your stats, such as increasing your HP ratio.
Prior to each level you’ll also get the chance to jump into the casino and attempt to win money by playing the likes of roulette or black jack and if you earn 100K you’ll be able to enter high roller’s room to earn some serious bucks. There’s nothing remarkable about the casino games, but they work well enough and it’s really just a side-dish to the main course of street fighting.
Graphically, God Hand has an unpolished feel. There are occasional glimpses of the rich textures that we saw in the likes of Shenmue - mainly in the cut-scenes - but it does feel as if the developers concentrated on the gameplay mechanics first and then threw a mixture of old graphics in as an afterthought; stand next to a wall and you’ll be able to see straight through to the other side! As we moved through the game the graphics became less and less important as we were so embroiled in the gameplay- and that’s God Hand’s strength. The gameplay is superb and although it did remind us of an old skool brawler, God Hand is unlike any other beat ‘em up we’ve played.
The two main negatives that we took from the game were the graphics and the tough difficulty level, but apart from that, God Hand is fast and furious and will entertain anyone who’s a fan of the genre.
Pros
Great fighting mechanics
Impressive fighting moves
Well designed levels
Customisable combos
Cons
So difficult it can be frustrating
Half-baked graphics
An addictive, difficult beat 'em up with great fighting mechanics.
HEXUS Awards
God Hand - PS2
