Name: Dark Rift
Distributor: Kronos Digital Entertainment
Publisher: Vic Tokai
Distributor: Vic Tokai
ESRB Rating: Teen
System: Nintendo 64
A pretty basic, but addictive fighter that may very well have been inspired by Soul Blade, as it was released a year later and features some striking similarities, yet excels in its own unique diversity and atmosphere.
Dark Rift features a cast of very unique and otherworldly characters who fight one another with their own unique weapons and styles. I honestly felt the game was very unique and felt different from any fighter I have experienced before, but it actually gave me a bit of a "Killer Instinct" feel more than anything. It had a similar, darker atmosphere.
Graphics - 8/10
While there are better looking games, and the imagery can be very gloomy, the effects and designs are actually very pleasing. For what must have been a budget title, this game looks astonishing... especially the VS. Art for the characters.
Sound - 9/10
The soundtrack to this game was a little on the generic side, but it was presented very appropriately and memorably. But what really shines are the sound effects and voices. Though there is limited actual speech, the grunts and groans of the fighters really shine over the crystal-clear clashing of steel and, in one case, a light saber.
Gameplay - 8/10
While not the deepest fighter out there, and a bit of a button masher, it is one of those time-passing addiction games that really shows off how fun button mashing can actually be. It is among my favorite 'beat the hell out of my friends' titles, but the single player can be pretty dull.
Storyline - 6/10
The story was there and they made a solid effort, and for a fighting game it felt pretty unique, but... it is a fighting game on the N64. How deep do you expect this plot to be?
Difficulty - 7/10
The game has a nice but sharp curve between difficulty settings. While the easiest difficulty is almost challenge-free, the hardest is unforgiving in how cheap and broken it can be. The characters are well balanced, though, so it is a matter of finding the right character for you, rather than picking that 'one guy'.
Overall - 7/10
This is not your best fighter ever, but it is certainly worth remembering and nice to keep around for a bit of an old-school throw back to button-mashing goodness when you have some friends over. It won't do much if you're playing solo, though. But, really... what fighting game is?
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