Game Bytes


Powerful, honorable Rau and lithe, lethal Tati team up in Rise of the Kasai.

Rise of the Kasai was one of my most anticipated games last year. Both prequel and sequel to the critically-acclaimed fantasy-strategic action title Mark of Kri, ROTK once again takes us into the saga of Rau, powerful warrior of a tribe protecting the secrets of powerful magic. This time around, you not only get to use Rau but his hot, thong-wearing sister Tati as well (she was a 10-year old kid in the first game) and a couple of other veteran warriors. The plot is still pretty hazy, but happens both before and after the events in Mark of Kri. It certainly concerns events that lead to Rau's apparent death, and follows the fate of Tati, who has been cursed with powerful tattoos on her body that both give her great power and may lead her to a path of evil.

Mark of Kri made me sit up and take notice primarily due to the odd blend of high quality, Disney-esque character designs AND brutally realistic action and animation (think a Disney-made Conan the Barbarian animated movie). Rise of the Kasai looks to continue this mature streak. Originally intended to have an online gameplay component, ROTK is now a totally offline, one-player game, which is no problem to me. According to the official ROTK webpage, the game is set for a March 15, 2005 release. One more game to look forward to.

Death by Degrees: Nina Williams is shaping up well. The concerns from before, involving the somewhat stiff gameplay and controls, have reportedly been addressed. Aside from battling the various goons of the secret Kometa organization she's up against, the Irish-born assassin has to contend with several tough bosses. This includes Nina's 'beloved' sister Anna, which will most probably lead to the Mother of all Catfights between the two siblings. DBD will reportedly reveal many things about Nina and Anna's past, the biggest of which being the event that led to their separation from their father, and their subsequent rivalry.
Awesome CG cinematics and Tekken-sidestory drama aside, Death by Degrees will also feature- get this- costume damage. Yep... Nina's duds will get ripped and torn off as she gets beat up, which will undoubtably please fans. That the game is set on a ship makes DBD that much more similar to the old Sega Dreamcast beat 'em up, Dynamite Deka. Last but not least, gamers will want to check out Death by Degrees simply for the fact that it will come with a demo of Tekken 5. YOWZA! Wait for it, guys and gals, this February.

A new Inu Yasha fighting game is coming later this year from Bandai. Unlike the previous IY fighter, Sengoku Otogi Gassen, the new anime beat 'em up will be in 3-D. The game will also feature tag team action and of course a lineup that includes all the cool characters from the popular Takahashi fantasy drama series.

Team Ninja is hard at work on Dead or Alive 4. The sequel to the best fighting game on Xbox and the sexiest brawler ever still hasn't pinned down the actual platform it will appear on, whether that be XBox or XBox Next. According to the fickle Tomonobu Itagaki's interviews with some online magazines, we know the following:

DOA4 will have an online element, improved over DOA Ultimate

Lisa, who originally appeared in DOAX, will be joining the roster, and she will be fighting with a 'mysterious skill';

The main storyline will involve Helena's taking over of the DOATEC megacorporation as its second chairman.

There will be CG endings- Itagaki describes filming footage at the Great Wall for Lei Fang's ending.

Bah. Nothing really... expect DOA4 to hit perhaps next year. Oh well, at least we have DOA Ultimate...

Games on my Playing List Right Now: Champions of Norrath (PS2), Dead or Alive Ultimate (XBox), Inu Yasha: The Secret of the Cursed Mask (PS2), Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 (XBox), Street Fighter 3: Third Strike (PS2), Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater