Customer Reviews

Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I'll admit it, I've got a bias toward this game. That said, I hope this doesn't come across as being dishonest or too one-sided.

Despite the disadvantage of being the first game for a brand-new company, Tao Feng holds its own amongst the many existing fighters. Microsoft clearly raised its standards for its 1st-party games since Kakuto Chojin crashed and burned, and the team at Studio Gigante worked hard to bring a fresh game to the Xbox's exclusive library.

Tao Feng uniquely rewards aggressive gameplay with its chi system, which helps to vary gameplay in a few ways. If a player continuously lands attacks (blocked or successful), the chi meter builds up, resulting in either a special move ("chi attack") when full, or the chance to heal a damaged limb resulting from excessive blocking. Attacking off walls and poles is a fun new feature as well, eliminating the `trapped' feeling found in fighters with invisible walls. Preset Long- and Short-Form Combos give both veterans and newbies a chance at exploring the game's combos and juggles, some of which range up to 12 hits.

To me, the fighting game genre's `big 5' franchises (Tekken, DOA, Virtua Fighter, Soul Calibur, and Mortal Kombat) have become irritatingly similar in the last few years-nearly identical aquarium and cage match levels pop up in DOA3 and VF4, Mortal Kombat's weapon system and large quantity of unlockable content mimiced the Soul Calibur of three years ago, and the differences between Tekkens sequels are far from staggering. While not as technically big and bright as these more well-established titles, the mere fact that Tao Feng was built with innovation in mind from its inception deserves a chance from Xbox owners and fans of the genre alike.

Lastly, if on the off-chance you're a parent reading this and your younger-than-17 year-old wants to pick up Tao Feng-don't be too alarmed at the 'Mature' rating. Sure there's some blood and the point of the game is to beat up your opponent, but there's no offensive language, sex, or nudity common in other 'Mature' games like the infamous Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. So if your kid is threatening to stop loving you if you don't buy him Tao Feng, remember that he's probably seen blood and fighting before and there are plenty of worse things he could be watching or playing on TV. :D

Fun well executed fighting game that tries to do something different. The people who hate this game obviously just want the same old same old all the time. Don't listen to them, this is a very fun game, especially against another player.

As fighters go, this one isn't a stand out from all the rest except in a few very small ways. The visible damage to body and clothes is cool and the very best part is the damage to the environment from the fighting, not to mention the extra damage caused by certain danger zone areas. Being able to do attacks off of walls and swinging from poles is a plus too. And I couldn't forget to mention that the grab attacks are pretty neat. Now for the bad news. First of all, it lacks a good training set up. The one it has is so annoying that I quit using it 5 minutes after I bought and used the game. Secondly, it's misleading that you can actually break bones when all that really happens is a player can badly bruise their limbs from too much blocking making your punches weaker until you heal them. Third, the controls and button combinations are a little difficult in some characters and the characters aren't too unique, quite boring actually. Fourth, the game sometimes has a habit of switching camera angles in the middle of a fight at some pretty bad moments. More than once, I've tried to block an attack only to have the camera angle switch and I was facing the opposite direction. In a game that has no block option other than holding back on the pad, this is a major design flaw. What would have made this game the penultimate fighting game would have been a better comprehensive trainer, better fight controls, maybe the ability to do some kind of killer or nice finishing move a-la-mortal kombat, actual bone breaking moves that makes the other persons limb unusuable until healed, and some better thought out characters or maybe even more characters than what is offered. With all that said, this game has the makings to be the best fighter out there, the designers just fell a little short of the mark. The graphics and environments are first rate and in my opinion better than any other fighter out there. With a little more work and cleaning up on it's flaws, this could possibly take the lead as the best if the programmers take all of this into consideration and make some serious design changes for Tao Feng 2. If so, I'd be the first one at the counter buying my copy.

This is the only worth while fighting game to come out on the Xbox since DAO3. The main novelty of this game is the damage fighters receive during combat. Break an arm, and it dangles throughout the rest of the match, and you can't use it. You get cuts, and scars grow over them. The characters have over three times the polygon count as Dead or Alive 3, which allows for some amazing detail. In addition, the backgrounds are extremely interactive. This is a super game, and raises the bar on all others.

I really enjoy this game even now. I wish that John Tobias continues making this but whatever.

Also, I love this game over Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance.

I am not usually a video game person but my boyfriend wanted the game so i got it for him. I used to play Nintendo back in high school and was pretty good at the whole eye hand coordination thing. It was great playing against my beau and kicking his butt in ever round. I 'm better than I expected. THe graphics are cool, and I like how the strength of the player is depicted in the looks of the character. My beau doesn't want to play that game with me any more but it's still a great game.

While I will concur with the sentiment that Tao Feng is a pretty average game on the whole its just as far from being horrible as it is from being exceptional.

The limb damage system seems like an idea that was either tacked on at the last second or quickly reworked in a more simple context than originally intended. I've yet to see anything besides arms be broken and the conditions that cause damage seem to be simply "punishing mid-section attacks" rather than "targeted shots" as eluded to in the game's description. If nothing else, it gimps people who like to block too much and is funny to watch when a fighter is hobbling around with limp arms.

Amusement factor is definitely where this game shines. A decent stereo system combined with the fluid and downright punishing graphic effects makes for a rather giggle-infested ride. Anyone with an appreciation for excessive violence will likely cackle in glee to the tune of bouncing an opponent off walls and into floors while plaster, glass and other assorted building materials are thrown up in chunks.

The ability to actually use the evironment in fights is probably the most notable aspect of the game and certainly something unique to typical fighting games.

In my experience the game's pace moves fairly quickly contrary to some other reviews. Given that your fighters are pretty quick on their feet and feature a number of moves that cover alot of ground really quick.

The graphics and sound are quite nice overall with a few low points to be had in the former category. Notably the times when an opponent is "popped up" into the air or when one of the fighters execute a "corkscrew" manuver really look very cheesy and out of place in a game that otherwise boasts very nice fluid graphics.

Not a bad buy if you're looking for something to kick around with friends since the fighting system is admitedly not as technically-inclined as some others. Just good old-fashioned beatdown fun.

Previous reviews on the game kept me from purchsing this game. Unsuspectedly, I received it as a gift this x-mas, and it is better than I thought it would be. The only thing is that the voices sound weird, but not the music, the music is good it is the voices of the characters which sound echoed and like they are coming thourgh a metal tube. Other than that it is pretty decent game. I especially like the idea of the wounding and limb damage, which makes perfect sene for a fighting game. Still Mortal Kombat is way better.

The graphics for the game are terrific. The characters move fluidly during combat while executing various moves. However the general set of moves becomes old after you play for awhile. Once you find a couple of combos you just sit back and wait to unleash them. I like the Chi method for awarding special attacks. More characters would add a bonus as there are not enough in the game. Also, the mature rating must be for the physical violence. There isn't much blood and certainly no gore. Overall, I like Tekken on the PS2 better than Tao Feng for the Xbox. However, the game is still solid. You might want to rent it before you go out and buy it.

The game is ok, but certainly not what the hype would have you believe.
It's the Jeepers Creepers Semi-Star of fighting games. It's not all that good, but it's not all that bad.

First: The Good:
The graphics are amazing.
The contusion modeling (that's bruising, for the vocabulary-challenged) is very nice. Clothing damage is cool too.

The Mediocre:
The controls are average. Not great, not all that bad. Limb damage is ok, but not all that amazing a feature

The Bad:
BLATANT FALSE ADVERTSING:
We all saw the ad. They show the fighters going at it, then one of them hits a shoulder, or does a throw where they pull their oponent's elbow down hard on their shoulder, they cut to that animated skeleton model, and the announcer goes "bones will break!" Not like that at all. Basically, the limb damage is just a hit damage penalty and a slight animation difference. And they can still use the limb. It's really more like you just gave the guy a charlie horse. Also, you can only damage one limb at a time.
The computer cheats in Quest mode. Combos are supposed to be unblockable if the first hit lands, but I lost count of how many times I'd land a couple hits in a combo, only to have the computer fighter block and dish out a punishing countermove. The amount of damage a move does also depends on whether it's you or the computer controlling the fighter. Master Sage's wheelbarrow, sliding "butt"-kick move (not the moves real name) takes off a sliver when you do it, but if the computer is Master Sage, then it takes off about a quarter of your life bar. It only seems to do this in Quest mode. the other one-player modes have not been cheating, as far as I can see.

What would make this game better?
First off, a true skeletal model for the fighters, where you could break limbs and have them flop around. Dislocations would be cool too. And something where you could dislocate jaws with real powerful punches. Maybe have a full body X-Ray of each fighter as an after-match bonus feature.
Second, the computer doesn't need to cheat.
Third: I know the programmer is trying to get away from Mortal Kombat, but this is a game that's hyped for its brutal moves, so is a "crippler" style finisher too much to ask?