Death by Degrees

"Ha-ha!  Take that, suckers!"

Death by Degrees marks the first time that Namco has left the head-to-head experience behind.  Unfortunately for us, it could be there last.

Taking a cue from other single-player fighting games, Death by Degrees tries to achieve innovation through analog stick fighting.  This does not mean that Nina Williams (the star of game) is throwing Dual-Shock 2 controllers at her enemies.  What this means is that the player can only attack by using the right analog stick. 

Theoretically, this is brilliant.  The analog stick can be pointed in any direction.  If Enemy A approached from the front and Enemy B approached from the rear, both can be attacked without ever changing your position.  All you have to do is press up on the analog stick, then quickly press down.  It's that simple.

As simple and wonderful as the theory is, this control scheme has yet to work for a fighting game.  Remember Jet Li's first video game?  Neither can I.  The disappointment still lingers, but the name completely escapes me.  Death by Degrees might suffer the same fate.

Starting the game off in the worst possible way, Death by Degrees treats its players to a long CG movie that can't be skipped.  I know that the industry believes that the stories they tell are important, but when they force us to watch them they're forgetting one thing: this is a video game!  Play first, watch later.  The movie was so typical among sci-fi stories that I would have rather skipped it.  I wanted to start the game already.  All I could do was get up and leave.

When I returned to the game a few minutes later, the movie was STILL RUNNING!  I pressed every button on the controller and still couldn't skip it. 

Finally it ended, and the game began by providing the basic gameplay facts, making sure that everyone knew how the controls worked.  Once the enemies started pouring in I quickly tapped the right analog stick, fighting off the wrath they were attempting to unleash.  Not a horrible experience, but definitely a repetitive one.

Certain attacks, such as the deadly grab moves, trigger a cool bone-breaking sequence.  The whole thing is seen from what looks like an animated X-Ray.  Very clever.  The transition from game to death animation is quick, making it one of the few moments where everything seems right.

The transition from areas and movie sequences isn't as smooth.  The lengthy load times are much too long for any game, though it is especially bothersome to have them in a game that's supposed to have non-stop action.

Within minutes the battles ended and it came time to "explore."  I put the word in quotation marks for emphasis.  Apparently this game believes that walking through a pretty, linear room is exploring.  You can run, but do you really want to do that?  'Cause if you do, you're going to regret it.  The engine is polygonal and involves no computer-generated backgrounds, yet the camera stays fixed on one particular view at all times.  When you run, the camera switches to a strange behind-the-character view that's always out of place.  You can't reposition, and if you could, the indication this game gives is that it would only make things worse.  Try releasing the run button and see what happens.  The camera snaps back into the awkward fixed view.  Now you're confused.  You feel a little disoriented.  And you can't run! 

Had it not been for the mind-boggling camera issues, Death by Degrees could've garnered an honorable 7.0, which is higher than the score Jet Li's quickly forgotten adventure achieved.

However, Death by Degrees has camera issues.  You can't even walk through a hallway and approach a door without seeing the camera sputter.  I'm shocked more than I am disappointed.  Games have had characters, hallways and doors for generations.  Consoles have been in the third dimension for 10 years!  Yet still, this game acts like its facing new technology.  I suppose I'd be more accepting if it were a PlayStation 3 tech demo.  But this is a full-fledged game, it sells for the full-game price, and it hardly lives up to the legacy that Namco has created with its stellar Tekken series.

Gameplay: 5.9
Faraway snipering and up-close butt-kicking always sounds good on paper.  In Death by Degrees they're average, unrealistic play mechanics.  Nina's hit detection goes down the toilet whenever she tries to sniper someone.  What's the point of aiming accurately if the game can't detect my subtle changes?  Games have featured 3D sniper battles since the PSone was released, but after playing Death by Degrees, you'd think it was an all-new mechanic that developers were just getting used to.

The main combat consists of repetitive analog stick fighting (tap the analog stick in the direction of your enemies), though you'll spend at least 20% of the overall experience watching CG and real-time movies, and spend at least 15% of the time exploring with an awkward camera over your head.

Graphics: 8.5
Gorgeous backgrounds, decent (though sometimes unrealistic) character animation, excellent character models, attractive (though not entertaining) CG movies.  Death by Degrees looks the part – if only the gameplay was just as appealing.

Sound: 6
Every repetitive game deserves a repetitive soundtrack.  That seems to be the thought these days.  Could it be coincidental?  Or just the bad luck of anyone who continues to stumble on these games?

Difficulty: Easy
Just tap, tap, tap your analog stick to a better tomorrow.

Concept: 9
Could've, should've, might've...but didn't get to be.  Death by Degrees has a great lead character (Nina Williams, one of Tekken's toughest fighters), excellent graphics, awesome bone-crunching animation sequences, and a 360 degree gameplay style that in theory, should work perfectly.  If only did it, and if only the camera didn't suck.  Then the Gameplay and Overall ratings would likely deserve this high score as well.

Overall: 5.9
With a camera that's less wieldy than a shaken pop bottle, Death by Degrees leaves the player with few reasons to return for more.  The gameplay nearly redefines the word repetition.  The graphics are gorgeous, but the story is horrendous.  It might be considered a decent rental to the biggest Nina Williams fans.  But most gamers are going to be seriously disappointed in all that this game has to offer, which, when it comes down to it, isn't very much at all.