
Second, the entire battle is just a matter of simply pushing the right buttons for a preset combo. It's hard to tell when you're successful in a blocking move. Worse, the block mechanism seems a bit unresponsive ¿ sometimes you'll block, other times you won't. Unfortunately, it's easy to get these functions mixed up. One shoulder button performs a jump, the other enables you to run around the arena freely. For all the effort that went into the game, however, the game just doesn't play very well at all.įirst of all, the controls are a bit convoluted. I was more than willing to give this game as much chance as possible before giving it a final review ¿ in terms of presentation the developer included all the bells and whistles, so it's obvious Kronos spent a lot of time making this game. However, the downsides of this fighter are all in gameplay, and despite all the features that have been included in the game, Cardinal Syn just can't match the solid playability of other established fighters on the PlayStation. Irritating, yes, but at least it's an option that can be turned on and off.Ĭardinal Syn features a very smooth, vibrant, and fast 3D engine, as well as an audio soundtrack that fits the fantasy/medieval theme appropriately. Also, each arena has its own specific hazard that fighters will have to avoid while in the heat of battle ¿ some have electrical pillars that'll zap fighters who are unfortunate enough to get too close, others have arrows that randomly shoot out of the walls. What's more, the 3D arenas are interactive ¿ there will be treasure chests thrown into the fight that will reveal icons for extra power and health (or bombs, just to be annoying).

Attacks are simply high, medium, and low, and the other main button is used for blocks and counters. This is a true 3D fighter ¿ like the Tobal series, characters move in the direction of where the controller's pushed. While all the characters have their own for-distance projectile attack, 99% of the game takes place up-close-and-personal, and memorizing all the canned combos is key to putting the opponent out of commission. Cardinal Syn is a weapon-based fighter ¿ each of the game's eight characters (more are revealed when you win the tournament) has his or her own hand-held object to hack and slash at the opponent.
