‘Deadliest Warrior: Legends’ Review

Game Rant’s Riley Little reviews Deadliest Warrior: Legends.

The original Deadliest Warrior game came out a little while ago, but it surprised many by being one of the few licensed games in existence that was actually fun to play. That’s why everyone was so excited to learn that a follow up was coming, and that the roster had tossed generic warriors in favor of some more well-known deviants from throughout history. Deadliest Warrior: Legends introduces so many new features that it’s more than worth purchasing for anyone who owned the original, but that doesn’t mean that the game is without its flaws.

There are a total of nine different warriors to choose from in Deadliest Warrior: Legends, and anyone who knows a thing about world history will recognize a majority of the roster. Famous warriors who make a playable appearance include Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and William Wallace. The roster is decently sized and each of the warriors are different enough to really stand out.

Each fighter feels unique and worth playing, and the roster is diverse enough to make the fighting feel fresh. There will also be additional playable warriors coming via DLC at some point, so if none of the current roster appeals to you then odds are a new addition should in the near future.

The fighting mechanics that made the original so popular have largely remained intact, but a few things have been added to spice up the gameplay. Players now have the ability to push their opponents off of the battlefield and into pits filled with shame and/or dishonor. Ring outs are a nice addition to the game, but the new Final Strike has seen a nice improvement as well, as players are now thrown into a life or death rock-paper-scissors game of sorts.

On the Xbox 360 version, players in Final Strike will have to hit either ‘A’ to break the enemy’s leg, ‘X’ to break their arm, or ‘Y’ to go right for an extremely gruesome — yet morbidly satisfying — kill. But if the opponent guesses which button you’re going to push, they will break out of the deadly maneuver. The ability to slice opponents in half is now an option, and the result is a breathtakingly mesmerizing fountain of blood where the man’s torso used to be.

Deadliest Warrior: Legends has also added a brand new mode called ‘Generals’, which marks the most significant addition to the sequel. The mode is essentially a much bloodier version of the classic board game ‘Risk.’ Players choose a leader from the Deadliest Warrior roster, and then attempt to use their army to conquer the entire map. The individual playing will try to gain new advantages over the opposing bot or player by capturing castles and conquering territories. ‘Generals’ is a great addition to the game, and the strategy required to actually play the mode and succeed makes the experience feel so much deeper and rewarding.

While the single player experience has always been enjoyable, it’s the multiplayer that will keep people coming back. The online and local multiplayer options are both handled adequately, and are an absolute blast to play with friends – especially with the gruesome, yet rewarding kills.  There are on occasion, some hiccups when faced with weaker connections, and the game will freeze for several seconds while the characters enter the arena.

That can easily be overlooked, but the fact that ‘Generals’ mode can’t be played online is really a kick to the pants. It would have been so much fun to go against friends in an all-out game of world domination, and a logical extension of the new mode.

The voice work is also pretty awful in the new game, and I’ll be the first to say that every time Atilla the Hun yells it sounds like a lamb being slaughtered. The voices wouldn’t be so bad if the dialogue actually matched up to the characters’ lips. It’s actually quite comical to watch William Wallace’s lips briefly flutter, then to later hear him yell “Scotland!” You don’t traditionally buy games of this nature for stimulating dialogue though.

Deadliest Warrior: Legends is without a doubt the best downloadable fighting game on the market, and it would make a great addition to anyone’s gaming library. It’s an absolute blast to play with a group of friends, and adds a good amount of new modes that keep the experience feeling fresh. The game isn’t without a few recurring flaws though, and the lack of a certain online mode is also a little bit disappointing. Overall, it’s a very fun game that stands out from the competition, and fans of the series and newcomers alike won’t be disappointed.

Deadliest Warrior: Legends is currently available for 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live Arcade, and will soon be available on the PlayStation Network.

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