Girl Fight (PlayStation 3) Review

Kung Fu Factory has clearly looked heavily into Team Ninja's Dead or Alive fighting series in creating Girl Fight. Ignoring the fact that the scantily clad all-women fighters are noticeably top heavy and is about the only part of their bodies that moves around due to their incredibly stiff motions and stances, the combat is strikingly similar to that of DOA, too.

Unlike many fighters that opt for multiple kick and punch buttons, Girl Fight features single inputs for punching, kicking, throwing and blocking. Even countering works in a similar way to DOA and there's also the ability to stagger opponents to land further unblockable punishment. Since Dead or Alive is quite well-known for its unique fighting system, there's surely no hiding away from the fact that the developers took much inspiration from the series in the creation of Girl Fight.

If making a game that copies another, though, then at least make it almost as good as the one it is emulating. The button inputs might be similar, but the combat is so mundane compared to DOA that it becomes a complete button mash fest. Character movement is wooden and robotic, the fighting stages are small and enclosed and lack any creative interaction, and the women themselves may as well be walking corpses as far as any interest or personality goes, with not a single word ever muttered from their lips in the whole game.

Despite there being an Arcade mode to try and bring a story together for each girl, only one character is available to play to begin with, and each one must be unlocked subsequently in monotonous fight after fight with a single line of computerised dialogue spoken to break up each one. Lacking any degree of depth, the only real way to get more from this plot is to purchase backstory files using the points earned through playing the game, but the girls' past does nothing to help the present and future story that should have been fleshed out more in the Arcade.

Girl Fight's only redeeming feature is online play, where it is possible to utilise a 'gambling' system. Prior to each fight with an opponent, there is the option to bet points to increase winnings by trying to achieve set goals such as defeating the enemy with only a certain amount of health left or only using punches. It's a concept that could probably be applied to other games but is practically the only distinct aspect of Girl Fight.

The complete lack of game modes is inexcusable, the alternate skins for the women are mere palette swaps, and the graphics are horrible. It is incredible to think this is releasing at the back end of the PS3 and Xbox 360's lives because Girl Fight could almost pass as a PS2 game.