Customer Reviews

Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(42)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(28)

 

 

Let me start out by saying a couple of things that genuinely need to be said about this game. First: It is clearly targeted towards the early-to-mid-teen male audience. Second: There was a lot of contorversy when this game came out when it recieved the "Mature" rating from the ESRB, becuase the Dead or Alive games had all been rated "Teen" and Tecmo wanted it to recieve a "Teen" rating as well so its target audience would have an easier time purchasing it. The the ERRB tagged it with the 'Nudity' mark for its reason on giving it the "M" rating. Well, whether there is nudity or not - (there isn't except for very briefly in the intro) - this game more than deserves it's "Mature" rating. Dress up one of a number of young, virtual women, (the womed from the DOA fighting series) in a nukber of ultra-revealing swimsuits and then you are free to do whatever you'd like with them. You don't HAVE to play volleyball. Wanna get them tanned? Send 'em to the pool, and rotate the camera, zooming it in and out on any part of their bodies as the lay in the afternoon sun. Buy them accessories like visors, sunglasses, and suntan oil. Have them ride their bike along the beach, or just feel free to stare at them as they swing around on a large tree branch, strectching, flexing, etc, etc.
Still, it's actually a lot of fun. The volleyball system isn't half bad considering it's not the only focus of the game. Sure, the swinging camera takes a lot of getting used - (Your character will spend an awful lot of time off of the screen if you're not careful) - but it's not a hard to deal with. Also, the game includes a virtual casino, where you can bet away your winnings from the volleyabll matches. PLay a number of different slot machines, roulette, poker, or blackjack. Then head back to you hotel room, get some sleep, and start it all over again.
Fun, Funny, enjoyable.

My husband got this game as just a silly present. I, however, can't get enough! I try to stay away from any video games because they've gotten so complicated, so I loved being able to learn this game very quickly. I LOVE the shopping! Although this game seems a bit promiscuous, any girl who likes the mall will love this game! Give them an hour...you won't be able to get her off of the Xbox.

I have been reading quite a few reviews of this game and I think there are two really good points that are being passed around.
First and foremost, this game is NOT for everyone. While it does not have any explicit nudity, the fact remains is that there is a lot of skin being shown in this game. To say that the "sex appeal" element is not an integral part of the game would be lying. In fact, here in Japan, where the game was not advertised much (due to the weak performance of the X-box), I was painfully embarrased playing this game in front of my significant other. Some of the swimsuits are unbelievably revealing and having the option to zoom, switch angles, etc, really removes any possibility of this being considered a strict volleyball game. There is a fair amount of semi-nudity in this game. If you are fine with that (or looking for that), great. If not, don't buy this game.
Second, I have noticed that quite a few review criticize the gameplay. Yes, it does appear a simple game, two buttons and your players automatically positioning themselves for spikes. It took me less than 10 minutes to be pretty damn good
at the game. However, it sure took me a LOT longer to get GOOD at the game. In fact, for a "simple" game, I was pleasantly surprised that there is a lot of skill involved. For those who gave up early, I would almost suggest try sticking out a few more hours. You can actually become a "better" player.
Okay, I guess no review of this game can be complete about why this game is fun. Personally, it is the simple idea of "collecting" and for people who like to finish games "perfectly", this game is very addictive. In this game, you earn money (by winning games, gambling, or the pool mini-game) and with that money, you buy swimsuits for each character. It is kind of addictive trying to get all the swimsuits for each of the 8 characters and this is only made harder by the fact that your character can wear the swimsuits or
different characters.There is quite a bit of challenge in all that and as I enjoy the actual volleyball game itself, the entire earning money process is quite enjoyable (in fact, I haven't even tried most of the games in the Casino).
All in all, while far from perfect, the game is certainly enjoyable. The graphics speak for themsevles and the sound track (which can be edited) is solid. While the story is kind of lacking, the entire fostering relationships idea is kind of unique. So, I guess when it comes down to it, while not certainly a 5 star game, for me, it is a decent 4 star game.

The game initially seems like it is just an animated Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. My wife took one look at it and said "Only guys would like that". She played an exhibition match with me and was hooked. We have both logged over 15 hours playing it.

Volleyball - very easy to learn but much more difficult to master. It is really a lot of fun to play. Just don't expect it to be a hardcore simulator.

Zack Island - buying the swimsuits and items for the girls is pretty neat and trying to figure out how to get the other girls to give your character gifts and play volleyball with you is unique.

Items - There are close to 700 items to collect in the game. About 260 of those items are swimsuits for the DOA girls.

Casino - Lots of fun but pretty much your average casino sim.

Pillow hopping minigame - Actually is pretty fun and helps you learn the analog button controls. gives you a way to make money before you figure out how to make friends.

Graphics and Physics - Unmatched. Nothing better exists. It is as close to real as any game to date. Looks amazing on a Widescreen HDTV.

All in all it is a very addicting/relaxing/ replayable game. The game seems very simple on the surface, but the gameplay becomes very deep as you begin to figure out how it is mastered.

I'll be brief... since the "OMG GURLZ!!!" side of things gets covered so thoroughly elsewhere.

The point that needs to come across is that there is a game here. The volleyball element is simple to learn and hard to put down. controls are as simple as positioning a girl, then using either a hard button press or a soft one to determine what action to take. Earning money, gambling, and yes buying bathing suits is all actually integrated. If you put a girl in a color or suit she doesn't like, she won't play as well. Put her with a teammate she hates, you you'll suddenly see a drop in performance. You'll find yourself scruitinizing over what teammates you want, and maybe balancing what bathing suit seems to increase performance with what suit you'd rather see on a girl.

It's simple, it's fun, and it's actually a game.
Now onto the other half, the gorgeous women. It's no secret that most people will buy this game for "other" reasons. Girls sunbathe, girls hop, girls straddle tree-trunks in gratuitously obvious sexual pandering. This game is NOT for kids. But for guys (and girls) the actual gameplay is more than enough to warrant play by itself, and the sexual overtones only add to the interesting blend. Yes, the gratuitous cut-scenes can be skipped if you'd rather not watch.

If you only care about the girls, a 3-day rental may exhaust your urges. If you actually want to try the gameplay, this is a solid choice that will keep you interested for some time. And yes, the multiplayer mode is the best for any volleyball game I've ever played. In fact, perhaps the best for any sports game. Each side gets ample camera time, and the camera works well. Very nice.

Is this worth buying just for the girls? Yes.
Is the gameplay worth it? Yes.
Can Tecmo be forgiven for this overt attempt at pandering to a male audience? I think so.

I have to admit that buying this game was slightly embarassing, I'm a middle aged man after all. I bought the game because I was looking for something different than the type of games I usually play, racing and sport titles (I'm unfamiliar with the DOA fighting games). Girls in bikinis playing volleyball seemed like the ticket.

From the very start you can tell this game doesn't take itself too seriously. The opening movie is a corny cartoonish intro to the game with a character voiced by Dennis Rodman!?! You can't take that serious.

The "sexy" women offer a few moments of embarassed laughter that someone actually produced something so gratutious. It's fairly tame but still for older gamers. The thrill is short lived though, they are after all computer generated. The people that would get the most thrill from the game are too young to play it.

Where the game really shines is playing volleyball. I haven't stayed up late playing a game in a long time but I played six hours straight. The controls are deceptively simple and intuitve. I picked up the basics in a few tries. As simple as the game seems it's still extremely challenging. Finding a good combination of players is a matter of experimenting, each player really does have noticable strengths and weaknesses. There was a point in one game when I realized my team mate was loosing interest in playing with me. They really pull their weight when they're happy.

The casino doesn't add anything for me although I've wasted sometime on blackjack.

I'm not sure how I feel about the gift giving feature. At first I didn't like it, it felt like sucking up. I'm starting to get into the strategy now but in the beginning it was frustrating being turned down constantly and only being able to playing the pool float mini-game for cash. Some characters are more friendly and easier to buy off then others.

Despite some of the reviews here this game is a lot of simple minded fun with a good control system and challenging not frustrating gameplay.

This is an entertaining game on several levels: beautiful rendering and cool camera control, diversity in activities (volleyball, calibration game, gambling, shopping and gift-giving, private romps on secluded beaches).

The complaints about two-button gameplay are misleading for a couple of reasons. First, the buttons are pressure-sensitive so using only two buttons actually allows you to do a lot more than just two things. Second, the directional pad allows you to aim and jump-serve while the thumbstick moves your player around. Volleyball is generally a fast-paced game, so too much more complexity would be nearly impossible for gamers to handle. (In DOA3, for example, you can back off your opponent for a couple seconds, gather yourself, and then unleash a series of cool combinations; there's just no time for that in volleyball and even if there were how many different moves do you have to have as a volleyball player?) Also, proper timing is the key to super hard serves and spikes so it's not as if everything happens automatically.

One thing I don't like is how I can't get a player up off the sand quickly enough after a dive. It's kind of annoying not to be able to force extra effort.

If you appreciate complex software then you'll like this game. The idea of building relationships and the fact that the environment (i.e. the sun, winning, losing, a player's motivation level) affects your players is fun and tends to be one of the key factors which keeps up interest. The other thing that makes things interesting is the high cost of the slinky bikinis; there's ample motivation to play the high-risk slots and win lots of volleyball games.

If you're looking for a volleyball simulator perhaps this isn't a good game for you, and perhaps you should just go play volleyball. But if you're looking for entertainment and great concepts in a game then go out and buy it.

Besides its obvious appeal, Dead Or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball, is a highly addictive beach volleyball experience. There aren't alot of volleyball sports games on the market worth spending money on, however Dead Or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball changes all of that. Even if your not a fan of volleyball you can't help but get involved with this game. The control style and game play really don't take that long to get use to, and once you figure out how the game works, time will no longer exsist. The game starts out simple enough to help you get aclimated with the controlls and game play, however as you progress in the game the computer gets better and better. As you improve you will find that strategy becomes a more important aspect of the game. Learning how to angle shots, when to spike and when to "dump" the ball are all essential to victory. "the object is to hit the ball to where your apponent isn't." -Bill Hazelton. Picking your partner is also very important to the progression of the game. You can't play if you don't have a partner, so learning how to get a partner, and keeping her happy is quite essential. The game comes equiped with a manual complete with character bios, their likes and dislikes. You might want to pay attention to these. In addition to the volleyball aspect of the game, there are other "distractions" incorporated in this game which may occupy your time. There is a jumping type mini-game in which your girl must make it across the pool jumping from pad to pad. There are many shops on Zack's Island to obtain merchandise, such as sunglasses, suntan lotion, and of course swimsuits. Keep in mind that this game is rated mature for a reason, the more you progress the skimpier the outfits get, it's been rumored that there is even a shop which deals in rather questionable items. Dispite all of the appealing aspects of this game, it gets even better for you can pick your own soundtrack!! Any songs saved on your Xbox can be selected on the play list in the game. This is the very first game to have this sort of versatility. The Goo Goo Dolls, Aerosmith, and Vertical Horizon do it for me. With all of its qualities this game will occupy much of your time...be careful it is addicting. This game is a must for any Xbox owner. With its excellent graphic quality, superior sound, single or multiplayer options, and a fantastic replay value any gamer would be crazy not to have this game in their collection...

Unlike some of these reviews (reviewers), I acutally own this game and I had pre-ordered it since the first time I had heard about it. My final opinion after playing this was... stunning. This game is amazing. Beside the lush visuals there is also an amazing amount of gameplay while playing volleyball. The volleyball games are exciting, fun, and breathless. The psyhics engine that runs this game is remarkable, when the girls dive for the volleyball in a match - sand flies up in the air and every part of the girl's body corresponds w/ hitting the ground. The feeling and visuals of this game, make it feel as if it were real-life. The music, I felt, was lacking in this game, but what makes up for this small flaw is the allowence of custom soundtracks. If you don't already own this game, I suggest you buy because it is truly a fabulous piece of work. Nothing graphically ever in any video-game matches up to it.

Let's get some stuff straight first.

There is NO NUDITY. NO SEX. That's not the point here.

The point is, despite this, the ladies of Dead or Alive, some of the most popular videogame femme fatales yet. Forget Lara Croft. Forget all those polygonal princesses. Kasumi, Tina, Christie and the rest of the DOA babes will out-pose them all with this game.
DOAX lets you spend up-close and personal time with the DOA babes; this is pretty much the point of the game. Part 'Temptation Island', part volleyball game, part shopping/gift-giving game, part girlwatching and modelling sim, DOAX is pure fanservice with a nice but simple volleyball game and some gambling elements slid in.

There is no point or goal set by the game; you set it, or just basically turn the game on to enjoy yourself. You choose a character then spend the rest of the two-weeks of game time making friends and cash, buying any of the hundreds and hundreds of items, swimsuits and unlockables, and best of all, watching the Dead or Alive girls stretch, play, relax, nap, exercise and pose for your enjoyment (and you control the camera!).

The volleyball game is simple but has surprising depth that will be pleasing to most gamers but may leave hardcore sports buffs finding it shallow.
The girlwatching elements are short but OH so sweet... you can see stuff like this on a beach, but can you zoom in? Nope. DOAX lets you do that.
The Casino games are fun and well done.
But best of all is the relationship game, where you try to win over potential teammates by giving gifts and doing little subtle things like wearing gifts given to you, winning games and others.

DOAX was originally made as a fanservice game especially for DOA fans, but it can be appreciated by anyone who loves beautiful women and is not easily offended by gratuitous but ultimately harmless (and yes, laughably juvenile) cheesecake.

In short, don't take this game too seriously and just have fun, and you can play it everytime you want to lay back and enjoy.

Graphics: 10
The sexiest and most incredible character models yet in a videogame. Team Ninja just can't be beat when it comes to sexy videogame women. This lets you get in close and... WOW.
Sounds and Music: 9
A reggae-based soundtrack includes tracks from the Spice Girls and Christina Aguilera, but you have the option of using your own soundtracks... so this is as good as you want.
Gameplay: 8
Simple but engaging and strangely addicting volleyball, a fully-working casino, a funny and sexy minigame and the ability to ogle beautiful babes in bikinis. Works for me.
Lasting Appeal: 10
Tons of stuff to unlock and buy will mean you'll be playing this for hours to get that prized bikini or to befriend that beeyotch of a girl. And when you master it all, you have world-class swimsuit babes to ogle whenever you want. DARN!

Rating: 9 (10 for DOA fans)
For anyone who has Dead or Alive 3 or loves the DOA games, this is a MUST buy. For anyone else, sexy fun that's worth a look and a visit from time to time.

Not recommended for those who are easily offended by sexy women!