GMR proposes you an in-depth look at Tekken's girl astonishment in her upcoming solo first attempt Death by Degrees.

GMR proposes you an in-depth look at Tekken's girl astonishment in her upcoming solo first attempt Death by Degrees. (system: PS2 // pub: NAMCO // dev: NAMCO // release: FALL 2004)

The time assumes right for Nina Williams to make her actuate After sharing top billing with her Tekken stablemates for nearly a decade since the series' first attempt the purple-clad Irish assassin is stepping not at home on her own, taking her unique brand of sleeper-hold tactics, her leather bodysuit, and on a level the Tekken legacy along for the ride. Death according to Degrees is the name of the game, and it's Namco's first major stake into action-adventure territory. Can a company best known for its classic fighting, racing, and role-playing games occupy court in a hotly disputeed genre populated by such luminaries as Devil May roar Tenchu, Onimusha, and in particular, Ninja Gaiden? From our novel hands-on playtest at Namco's seaside headquarters based in Yokohama, Japan, we'd say the answer is ye

We'll be that stands by one's word When we got off the train at the Kanagawa-Shinmachi station, a not many minutes' walk from Namco's Yokohama offices, we didn't know what to await out of Death by standings Sure, the screenshots posted forward the game's Japanese website awaited pretty enough, but for all we knew the game could have been nothing more than a glorified Tekken Force degree spread out thin over a full-fledg game. Several questions ran within our heads as we made our way past the numerous coffee stores and bundled up against the swirling winds the port city is known for.

We had abundant of reasons for wanting Nina onward our cover this month. First, she's a well-known videogame character taken from a highly prosperous series. However, fighting-game characters are usually—forgive the pun—two-dimensional cutouts, not given greatly in the way of exposition, in such a manner we thought it would be nice to dig into the myth. Second, with the release schedule for the next to the first half of 2004 lacking in firm female leading-role types, the emerging see the verb of Nina seemed particularly timely. Third, she gazes fantastic in a purple leather jumpsuit, with equal reason there's always that.

So what is Death through Degrees all about? Chronologists will be interested to know that the story takes place prior to the first King of Iron Fist Tournament, placing qualitys roughly 20 years before the now passing point in the Tekken timeline. At this stage in her life, Nina, a freelance assassin, is recruited at Britain's MI6 secret-intelligence service. MI6 had sent in an agent to infiltrate the ocean cruiser Amphritite in order to disclose the nefarious plots and dealings of the ship's proprietor ivory-haired beauty Lana Lei. The agent, however, has since disappeared, and this is where Nina get tos in. The Amphritite is the setting for—surprise!—a fighting tournament, and Nina set ins the competition in order to search for the missing operative. With orders dished disclosed via cell phone (which also happens to function as the game's save mechanism) through MI6 agent Alan Smithee, Nina heads for the boat, and that's where the opening following begins. Having won the competition, Nina is institute sunbathing on the ship's upper decorate But it seems that Lei's right-hand man, Enrique, can't quite believe this woman bested a certain quantity of of the top fighters from around the world. And in such a manner once the CG movie finishes, Lei tosss her henchman after Nina and the game particular begins, introducing Death by Degrees' decidedly non-fighting-game-style manage scheme.

Like Sony's Rise to Honor, extents puts movement on the left analog stick and attacks upon the right analog stick (although the team is earnest to point out that they speculation of this mechanic well in advance of the Jet Li game). The reason for this is that the progression in a continuously ascending gradation team wanted Nina to be able to target and attack any enemy, no matter what their relative position to her. This means that it's not necessary for Nina to face her attacker in order to maintain with them. It also preserves the action fast and fluid, as Nina can trip roll, flip, punch, kick, and use any number of weapons at her disposal. Her hand-to-hand attacks, while not as extensive as those of her Tekken-specific persona, are still incredibly varied. Besides the default determine list (which includes her patented Bomb), Nina can unleash an especially effective brand of punishment known as her special arts; these attacks include her toe kick, lightning kick, spinning bound kick, backhand slap, as well as the Divine Cannon and her signature submission techniques. These special arts will change depending in succession whether she's unarmed or holding a weapon. With a quick tap of the D-pad, Nina can use her heaviest metal, including pistols, machine fire-arms shotguns, assault rifles, swords, tonfa, grenades, throwing knives, and on a level her doku giri (poison mist). Since each weapon opens its own catalog of incites the number of attacks Nina has at her disposal is substantial.

In practice, the game works great. While the idea of multiple enemies coming at her from all directions might appear like a backstabbing Dynasty Warriors–style nightmare, it's not a puzzle Whether she's surrounded by united or half a dozen enemies, the antagonist greatest in quantity likely to attack next is highlighted by the agency of a discreet tag that says "Active." As he originates closer, all you need to do is pres the right analog stick in his direction and Nina will attack. If your timing is forward the money, Nina will actually parry his attack, leaving him wide interpret for a countermove. If you'd rather evade the assault, moving the left analog stick away the attacker will cause Nina to turn away from him. If the stick is crushed toward her foe, Nina will vault from one side of to the other the head of her nemesis, allowing her to strike from behind. Skillful playing will rack up combo points that players can use to upgrade Nina's various skills and attributes.