dluxx7 presents..Obscure Games Theater:: Deadly Strike (PS2,2004) Opening intro and short game play

Hey everyone. I hope everyone is well out there and staying safe in these weird times. Thought Id do something completely random, so I am revisiting my WTF and Obscure games exploration i did a while back with some more new not so much WTF, but definitely obscure game titles that I have came across, starting with this one...Deadly Strike for the PlayStation 2. Deadly Strike was developed by Psyworks Co.Ltd and published by D3 Publisher Inc. Released in 2004, this is a one player only hack and slash, brawler beat em. Players take control of one of six selectable characters as they fight their way through various stages, battling many enemies and eventually facing off against an end of stage boss enemy. Each character has their own style of combat; one character fights with a sword, another with a spear, another character uses double blades and so on. Combat is a combo based system were players defeat as many enemies which is needed for building up the special attack meter and scoring points. The special attack is a powerful gun attack that causes huge damage which is useful for finishing off enemies. The games plot has the six characters taking part in the worlds deadliest combat tournament set on a mysterious island. Each character has their own reasons and motivations for taking part. The objective is to reach the Shoguns castle on this island and win the tournament..Simple, right? Here, I play as spear wielding school girl character Mikoto. First impressions wise, the game starts of fairly fun, with some good music and combat. Eventually though, it all gets very boring..fast..as you basically end up doing the same attack combos and fighting the same enemies over and over again..rinse and repeat. You dont learn any new skills or combo moves or gain new attack specials. So, first impressions wise, its a very mediocre game with little game play growth or variety. Its a nothing special game, especially when you consider there are other way more better PS2 hack and slash beat em up game titles out there. Pros: OK graphics/Decent soundtrack/Combo combat system Cons: Repetitive combat combos/Lack of enemy variety/No character growth or learning new skill sets/Fairly underwhelming post game content and unlockables. 5 out of 10.