G4TV

There was a time when it seemed the object of every home and arcade game was to run from left to right punching and kicking everyone and everything in your path. And, as is often the case in the copycat world of games publishing, this style of game burned itself out. While “brawlers” continue to occasionally pop up, most have been disappointing efforts with little new to offer.

So it should come as no surprise that Capcom, the purveyors of the seminal arcade brawler Final Fight have taken another proverbial whack at the genre with mixed results. Enter God Hand, the final effort of Japan’s creators of Viewtiful Joe, Clover Studio. Clover recently shut its doors, but not before shipping this tribute to old school gameplay and complementing it with light RPG elements and a weird and “mature” storyline.

Hey buddy, Can you spare an arm?

As the hero Gene, you have been endowed with the “God Hand” an arm that bestows upon you otherworldly fighting power. (Your natural arm was severed fighting the forces of evil.) Of course, when hordes of bizarre and perverse demons invade your small corner of the world, you set off on a nine stage mission to kick their collective asses -- several at a time.

The gameplay is standard fare, but becomes addicting. Levels are easily negotiated and enemies are found usually three to four at time. There’s the occasional weapon to use spiked bats, etc, and health power-ups hiding inside crates. Crates best opened over enemies heads. On the surface, there’s nothing new here, but simply pausing the game reveals a diverse, customizable combo and power-up system.

Using money found in the levels, players must buy new and more moves at the end of each area, enabling them to customize their attacks with slower power moves and lightening quick combos. Currency can also be won (or lost) in the casino and there’s a gladiatorial arena where bonus cash can be won. Upgrades include an assortment of magical attacks, and when fully-charged, players can unleash their God Hand, essentially making Gene invincible and capable of rapid attacks for a few seconds.

Flawed Hand

Before you even begin to unlock new moves and customize your attacks, however, the first battle will be with your controller. The right –analog stick acts as your quick dodge, which you will come to rely on, as there’s no lock-on or block button. This system is less than intuitive, and while it eventually becomes second nature, casual players are more than likely to give up first. Learning how to negotiate multiple enemies with essentially zero controls over the camera doesn’t help, and although a HUD tracks nearby foes and there’s a quick-turn button, it hardly suffices.
 
The game looks pretty good for end of lifecycle on PS2, the in-game cinematics are well done, and the characters are well-designed. Some of the environments seem bland in contrast, the sound design is appropriate, although lacking ambient qualities, but it’s the really cheesy and repetitive music that really undermines the experience. However, God Hand features perhaps one of the best and craziest end game sequences we’ve ever seen.

Elvis is in the Building

God Hand’s real genius (and curse) lies in its over-the-top characters. The relationship between Gene and Olivia (more rescue bait than love interest) makes no sense, and the games bosses include; a giant in a gorilla suit, two overtly-gay men in matching Brazilian carnivale costumes, a team of Power-Ranger-esque midgets, and a fat Cigar-smoking Latino demon named Elvis. The rest of the cast looks like extras from a costume party thrown by Soul Calibur’s Voldo.

So it shouldn’t surprise that there’s also a sexual slapstick nature to the gameplay, and a smattering of profanity in the dialogue which really earn the game it’s M-rating. Dizzy one of your many whip-wielding female opponents clad in dominatrix attire and you can spank her over your knee. And yes, there’s even a special move called, the “ball buster” – a groin shot that doubles over male opponents, complete with a “ding!” sound effect.

Profanity aside, the dialogue at times seems incredibly juvenile. While the hardcore will likely embrace the game’s unique cast, it is just so out there, this game is not going to resonate with casual gamers looking for Resident Evil. Ultimately it’s this curse, resulting in the poor sales performance that forced Clover to recently close.

The Good, The Bad, and the Camera

Sure the dodge stick and camera perform together about as well as dock workers and ballet dancers. But you do get to destroy a car under a time limit (originally done in Street Fighter) for bonus cash, nothing like Capcom paying homage to itself. It was my intention to give this game 3 out five, but we couldn’t put it down, despite its flaws, we had to see what was around the next corner, and that makes it 4 in our world.

Article by: Tom Russo

Video produced by: Mark Fahey