Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance

MS Xbox World

The RPG free roaming nature of the game is great and actually reminded me a little of the Tobal games from times past.

Total Video Games

Beatdown: Fists of Vengeance is a really strange game; a mixture of ideas that comes across as extremely hit and miss. The amalgamation of traditional beat-em-up gameplay and one-on-one works really well; but on the other hand the disguise system seems flawed, who wants to buy a beat-em-up when the aim is to avoid confrontations?

Computer and Video Games

Fists of Vengeance makes no pretence at being anything close to intelligent - it happily revels in its shameless idiocy, but it's fun through and through.

1UP

A game that is certainly violent, absolutely profane, but also acceptably playable and filled with enough replay value and customization to warrant a purchase as opposed to a rental. But in terms of sheer polish and finesse, "Def Jam Fight for New York" is still the standard bearer against which these sorts of games should be judged.

Extreme Gamer

Streets have a cool atmosphere, an interesting cast, and some fun beat em' up action. I really dug how the pulled away the restrictions gave us an environment and let us beat down anyone we want.

BonusStage

Sadly, the open world and one-on-one fighting engine lack the proper execution, and the copious loading times just get in the way.

GameShark

Beatdown is a solid fighting themed action role-playing game brought down a notch by too much area transition loading and some limited promised features (like the ability to interrogate every character in the game).

Official Xbox Magazine

It's all very violent, weird, kinda fun, and frequently cheesy. [Oct 2005, p.108]

Cheat Code Central

Capcom did the right thing by allowing 2 player battles and extending the replay value with 5 characters but some gamers will have had enough of the load times and mind-numbing decisions by the end of the first story.

Times Online

Ultimately, though, it’s all about how well you wield a crowbar.

Kombo

Loses the battle against mediocrity hands down. The combat is decent, but there's little else to keep you interested. Ultimately forgettable.

TeamXbox

Dumb A.I., bad hit detection, and gratuitous clipping turn a good game concept into a technical difficulty. RPG elements are cool, as is the multiple-ending storyline.

GameSpot

Unfortunately, none of these interesting design ideas were executed well, leaving you with a game that feels half-baked and suffers from terrible pacing.

Game Informer

A dumb, forgettable game and nothing else. [Sept 2005, p.100]

GamePro

Despite offering a laundry list of moves and button combinations, the game's complicated controls feel shallower than the three-buttoned Capcom arcade classics like "The Punisher" or "Alien vs. Predator." Group battles feel too constricted with the auto target locking mechanics, and the simplistic one-on-one fights are somewhere on the level of "Pit Fighter."

Yahoo! Games

It's even less successful as an adventure game because it's so superficial, small, and indistinct. There are very few memorable characters, although everyone has his or her own name.

GameZone

It’s sparse moments of truly enjoyable fisticuffs just come too late in a game that tries too hard to be cool.

Gaming Age

Building up a powerful gang from nothing under the watchful eye of the man sounds like fun, but the process in Beat Down is shallow and tiresome.

AceGamez

The only thing that's surprising about Beatdown: Fists Of Vengeance is that the usually reliable and innovative Capcom have lent their name to it.

eToychest

It's too violent for children, too juvenile for adults and too short to warrant a purchase. Fans of repetition or the beat-em-up genre may be interested, but the game is likely to disappoint—even as a rental.

IGN

If you absolutely love pointless violence and cheesy, forced atmosphere, then by all means pick this title up. Otherwise, stay extremely far away. In fact, stick to "Streets of Rage 2," that game is way better.

Play Magazine

It just doesn't gel, with misshapen models, repetitive, bland music and a watered-down story that struggles to maintain a "thug-like" quality through forced profanity. [Sept 2005, p.56]

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Bland gameplay, however, stifles what inspiration there is. The fighting action is fundamentally underwhelming, and a poor camera and constant loading further handcuff things.

Edge Magazine

Yes, Beat Down revives the warped charisma of Capcom’s beat’em up heyday, but that’s the only area where it actually triumphs. [Oct 2005, p.90]

games(TM)

True, Beat Down isn’t entirely without potential, but the execution is woeful. For your own sake, avoid it at all costs. [Nov 2005, p.104]

GamerFeed

I literally scavenged through this game for hours on end trying to find any type of enjoyment I could, and only found little moments of inspiration buried between the game's lack of personality, terrible presentation, and sad gameplay.

Game Revolution

Other underachieving facets of the game, such as the awful, wildly repetitive music and the atrocious voice-acting, probably deserve comment, but I’m all out of apologies.