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Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon -written by JeffSkies
Before Jackie Chan, Jet Li, or any other martial arts movie stars, there was Bruce Lee. He was a legend in his day, and even today he is still regarded as one of the greatest action stars of all time. Capturing this sort of prestige in a video game is a challenge that the folks at Universal Interactive set out to accomplish. In many ways they did accomplish the feel and emotion of Bruce Lee, but not without it's problems.
Gameplay:
The gameplay of Bruce Lee has its postives and negatives. The game can be quite entertaining if you give it some time, and really get into the feel of a kung fu movie. The gameplay focuses around what I will call a classic hack and slash style. Your objective is to defeat your enemies or they defeat you. While this may sound shallow, like I said it can be quite fun as well.
The controls are a mixed bag. While punches and kicks are simple to learn and master, things such as targeting different enemies can be fustrating and hard. There are times when you have to baddies sneaking up on you but you cannot turn around to face them leaving yourself wide oped for a beating. However there are moves and combos that help ease this problem so its isn't that big of a deal once you learn to master your moves a bit more.
The one area I found that was probably the most lacking was enemy AI. Your enemies are so unpredictable you never quite know what to expect when you enter battle. There are times throughout the game when your enemies basically stand there and watch as you one by one kick their butts in. There are other times when you swear you were the victim of a gang beating, as your opponents will mercilessly knock the snot out of you. It can be extremely fustrating when your enemies gang up on you, because it is nearly impossible to defend against.
The replay value is mixed as well. Features like collecting coins so you can upgrade Lee's attributes as well as buy cool new moves and combos for him to use add to the replay value. However with the level designs giving players predetermined routes, and the fact that the game is only one player take away from the replay value.
The last area to mention of the gameplay is the difficulty. Once again this is an area with highs and lows. Some levels seem quite easy to pass, with minimal challenges or obstacles. Other levels seems nearly impossible to complete. This becomes irritating, especially when you have to keep completing numerous parts of each level over again. Once you master your moves list though, I must admit things become quite a bit easier, so it isn't as bad once you get to know things a little better.
Graphics:
First off I would like to say that the graphics on Bruce Lee are not nearly as bad as some people are making them out to be. Yes they are in some ways a bit cartoonish, but never the less you can tell who's who, and what is what. People forget to mention cool little features like when Bruce Lee's hands and feet become on fire, or the slow motion Matrix style spills your enemies take after you have beaten them. Another neat little luxary about the graphics is that you can have multiple enemies on the screen at the same time, adding to the carnage of the fights.
I think the biggest gripe people had with the graphics, which was something I noticed a little bit too, was the camera angles sometimes get a bit confusing. This is especially apparent when your enemies are behind you. The camera has problems shifting to focus on your foes behind you which can sometimes lead to your death. It can be irritating, but it doesn't happen a lot, so it is something most people will be able to look beyond.
The area of the graphics I found the most amuzing were the cut scenes. At first I thought it was a glitch that the characters mouths often didn't move in sync with the words that were being spoken. Then after I thought about it for a moment I realized that was exactly how most of Bruce Lee's movies were. To me that adds to the authenticity and realism of the game, because it gives you an accurate depiction of what Bruce Lee films were all about.
The landscapes and level designes were an area that were disappointing to me. The actual look of the levels is not bad, but you are confined to certain areas which you cannot leave which sort of takes away from the replay value because you cannot explore much. There are also some spots in some levels where enemies are concealed in fog and mist, which isn't a major problem, but again it is a little thing that can get fustrating.
Sound:
One of the areas I think Bruce Lee scores is in the sound department. Like I said the whole voice over feature in the cut scenes are amuzing and authentic. Also the sound of Bruce Lee as he battles his opponents is truly authentic, complete right down to all the noises he makes when kicks and punches (if you have ever seen a Bruce Lee film you'll know what I am talking about). I also like the sound effects of punches and kicks (especially the flaming kicks).
Overall:
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Bruce Lee is a game that is not for everybody. For anybody looking for a party game or a game based on a deep story then look elsewhere. But if you are looking for a game that is fun, plays fairly well, and can give you kicks and thrills, the check this title out. With a couple of added features this game could have been a classic, but what was delivered is satisfactory. If you are still unsure of whether Bruce Lee is a game for you, then I would advise you rent it first. But if you are a Bruce Lee fan, or even a fan of kung fu movies, than this game has all the head kicking, back punching mayhem you have been waiting for.
Score: 6.8
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