It’s not the worst playing fighting game, but it’s flawed enough to keep even a die hard fighting fan like myself from enjoying it.
Thankfully the graphics are interesting to look at. Although Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO is a superior game in every other sense, the game seemed content with keeping the characters looking exactly like they did in their old games. This wasn’t bad for us nostalgia buffs, but it’s always nice to see some fresh graphics, especially when it’s done by a whole new artist. SVC Chaos makes their characters look much darker and with a harder edge, which was fun to look at … for awhile.
It’s the Capcom side that features the biggest make over, with some varied results. Most of the characters are more shoulder-heavy, which has a funny way of making Ryu, Ken, and Sagat look a little silly. On the other hand, SNK’s artists have managed to make Balrog look menacing and give Guile even wilder hair cut. And I’m not sure what they did to Dhalsim, but now he looks scarier than he ever did before; truly disturbing.
Like the character roster, the level designs are all pretty standard stuff. They don’t draw from any classic SNK or Capcom backgrounds, but they do manage to offer a few unique stages to fight in. Both the interior and exterior locations are great looking, but they don’t have the same polish found in Capcom vs. SNK 2. I suppose the backgrounds are really the least of SVC Chaos’ problems, but it would have been nice to see some of the brilliant level designs SNK usually gives us.
SVC Chaos doesn’t seem interested in any of the enhancements found in Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO, or any other recent fighting game for that matter. With nothing more than an arcade mode, survival mode, practice mode, and multiplayer modes, SVC Chaos is the epitome of bare bones. I’d go as far as to say that 2D fighters released ten years ago on the Super NES featured more options than SNK’s brand new fighter.
The arcade mode is much like all single player experiences you’d find in a fighting game; it’s one battle after another, until you eventually beat it. SVC Chaos doesn’t do anything different here, and the same goes for the Survival mode, which simply has you fighting characters without the prospect of an ending.
It won’t take you long to grow tired of these two game modes and search out real people for you to fight against. Thankfully SVC Chaos allows gamers to challenge people online with the Xbox Live. In my time playing the game online I ran into very few connection problems or lag issues, but finding real people to play against was a real pain. With the exception of a few new gamers, there just weren’t a lot of people willing to play SVC Chaos online. The issues I had with the control pop up online and only make things more frustrating. I appreciate SNK’s attempt to bring replay value to the game, but I just cannot recommend this online mode over what is found in Guilty Gear X2 #Reload or Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO for a fraction of the price.
At the end of the day, SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom really confuses me. Here’s a game by a company that knows a thing or two about making fighting games, but you’d never know it by this product. The game just doesn’t feel like it’s finished, and lacks any of the appeal that made these characters popular in the first place. If you’re going to pick up one battle between these two companies, make sure it’s Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO and not this dud.
F
SVC Chaos isn’t the first time Capcom and SNK have come together to do battle. Heck, it’s not even the first time on the Xbox. And now that both games are out for us to judge, learn why you should hold on to your copy of Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO a little while longer.
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