Gaming Target - Xbox: Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus

Written by Gavin Wright on November 12, 2002

First Impressions: Fighting games have needed a kick in the ass for quite some time now, and Tao Feng could bring just that.

Every system needs its own high-class fighting franchise. They help to shape the console's image, and they're a major draw for adult gamers. The Playstation has Tekken, Dreamcast had Soul Calibur, and even Nintendo has busted out with a brawler of their own with the family-friendly Super Smash Brothers series. Although the Xbox already has an excellent fighting game in Tecmo's Dead or Alive 3, they may very well have another winner with Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus, Microsoft's first-party fighter from the co-creator of the Mortal Kombat series.

Tao Feng tells the tale of an epic battle between two Chinese factions known as the Black Mantis and the Pale Lotus. While both began as protectors of the people, the Black Mantis clan has allowed greed and corruption to get the better of them. They now have their sights set on finding the sacred objects necessary to attain immortality. If the Lotuses are to save the world from certain doom, they must get to the items before the Black Mantis clan can get their hands on them. You can choose to join either side of the struggle, but you're basically fighting for the same goal regardless of which side you pick. Plot has traditionally taken a backseat in fighting games, and I wouldn't expect any different from Tao Feng, but it's always nice to have some sort of a storyline to complement the senseless hostility.

For over a decade, fighting games have held on tightly to a familiar formula that few developers dare to break. While Tao Feng doesn't exactly shatter this mold, it definitely bends it a little with some innovative new takes on old ideas. First and foremost, the game tosses out the time limit that recent fighters have attached themselves with, giving the player the freedom to explore the environment and perform elaborate evasive techniques that would have otherwise been impossible under a time constraint. Gone with it are the best-of-three rounds found in many fighting games. In Tao Feng each fighter has three distinct health bars, and after each bar is depleted a short cutscene ensues, showing the exhausted combatant returning to their feet and shaking themselves off. Once all three bars are diminished, the fight is over. Most of the combat is of the hand-to-hand variety, although the fighters also have an assortment of Chi powers, a force which can be used to conjure powerful offensive attacks or as a means of healing yourself when low on health. Admittedly, none of the aforementioned features are exactly revolutionary, but in the realm of fighting games it all comes down to execution.

The arenas take on an entirely new purpose in Tao Feng, sporting an unprecedented level of interactivity and realism. Opponents can be thrown through arcade cabinets, soda machines, and plenty of other objects throughout the stages. Basically, if it's there, it can be broken or otherwise altered. Walls no longer serve as simple barriers Ц misplace a punch and you may find your fist firmly planted in plaster. You can also kick off a wall and lunge towards your opponent with greater force. You can even run along the sides of walls Matrix-style, which can be useful for dodging attacks and moving around the arena with precision. Although fighting games have touched on this concept before, Tao Feng truly brings it to the next level.

Perhaps the single most innovative aspect of Fist of the Lotus is that the fighters actually accrue visible damage through the course of the fight. Clothes rip and skin bruises, cuts open, and scars as the round progresses. But the feature isn't solely for aesthetic purposes, it actually ties in closely to the gameplay. If you concentrate your attacks on a single limb you may be able to snap the bone, rendering it unusable for the rest of the fight. If it's a broken arm, they'll clench their arm in pain. If you've snapped their leg, they'll be forced to limp around for the rest of the fight. It's about time that a fighting game has taken such a logical step forward to full-on interactivity, and Tao Feng appears to have done it very well.