| 100 |
GamePro
Displays great imagination and attention to detail that is at once challenging, innovative, and fun. It accomplishes the task of re-creating the venerable beat-em-up genre with honor. [Mar 2004, p.62]
|
| 94 |
Worth Playing
The moves in the game look magnificent: crisp, clean and fast-paced. It's as if you are watching a movie rather than playing a game.
|
| 91 |
Computer Games Magazine
Kung Fu fans will ultimately rise to the occasin, leaving all others to enjoy the excellent combat system. [Apr 2004, p.8]
|
| 91 |
Cinescape
The reason to play isn’t the gameplay, rather the story and the cinematics.
|
| 90 |
PSX Nation
If you can handle the intense trial and error style of gameplay, you'll more than likely love Rise to Honor.
|
| 90 |
Australian GamePro
The level design is also quite cool and somewhat akin to how Final Fight would be if released today.
|
| 90 |
Stuff
We can almost guarantee that you will not find another game that allows you to smite your enemies with a caramelized Peking duck.
|
| 88 |
Playboy
This isn't a game you replay ad infinitum; it's a story you experience. When you finish, you may stick it on the shelf and never touch it again, like a good book. But that doesn't mean it's not a fun read. [Feb 2003, p.32]
|
| 86 |
Game Over Online
Rise To Honor has a pretty solid plot, good combat scheme, and impressive design. Unfortunately, one of its greatest flaws is its length.
|
| 80 |
PGNx Media
The sound effects are, once again, nothing spectacular.
|
| 79 |
BonusStage
You haters can go cuddle with your worn-out videotapes and skippy DVDs in the corner. You’re missing out on the best 3D game featuring a martial arts star to date.
|
| 77 |
TotalGames.net
If the action sequences weren't so damn good it would be difficult to overlook this.
|
| 76 |
Gamer's Pulse
With as much punch as kung pao chicken, Rise to Honor fights its way to the top of cinematic gaming. Outstanding direction brings the underground world of Hong Kong to live in beautifully animated action sequences.
|
| 75 |
Play Magazine
The controls may be simple, but the game is not. Between fighting, gunplay, stealth an dexterity challenges..., repetition is kept at bay but do-overs aren't. [Mar 2004, p.56]
|
| 75 |
Entertainment Weekly
Each level features a remarkable cinematic flair and big-budget stunts, but the game's ill-conceived control scheme can be frustrating. [13 Feb 2004, p.L2T 18]
|
| 75 |
Gamezilla!
As an interactive cinematic experience, it ain’t bad, but if it had to rely entirely on its own gameplay, then it’d be something else entirely.
|
| 72 |
PSX Extreme
While it is by no means a bad game, there’s just not enough substance to it, and the controls, which were touted as being revolutionary, are below average.
|
| 72 |
GameBiz
A good example how top quality motion capture can be used within a game. Unfortunately the "revolutionary" control system hurts an otherwise solid game.
|
| 71 |
Computer and Video Games
It may be linear and occasionally repetitive, but the spectacular set pieces will surely rock your world as hard as any Hong Kong classic.
|
| 70 |
PSM Magazine
Despite an innovative control scheme, this is pretty much your typical action game fare, albeit with better-than-average environmental interaction and storytelling. [Mar 2004, p.26]
|
| 70 |
Cincinnati Enquirer
Controlling Yun is actually quite intuitive, even with the sophisticated multidirectional fighting scheme.
|
| 70 |
Yahoo! Games
The game's short length and near nonexistent replay value means it's hard to justify recommending beyond a rental or picking up at a reduced price.
|
| 70 |
VideoGamesLife
An ideal example of the perfect rental video game. It’s neither hugely challenging nor is it easy to put down. It doesn’t last very long but that’s what keeps its simplistic nature appealing all the way through.
|
| 70 |
WHAM! Gaming
While there's not a whole lot of variety to the game play, the slick look and novel control scheme help make up for Rise to Honor's other shortcomings. And no, that's not a crack about Jet Li's height.
|
| 70 |
Game Informer
As rewarding as the hand-to-hand combat is, Rise to Honor's thrills are short lived. It's an enjoyable play, but much like Jet Li's films, is nothing more than a lazy afternoon of fun. [Mar 2004, p.98]
|
| 67 |
Armchair Empire
The fisticuffs get tired pretty fast (as will your right thumb) trying to beat up the bad guys, particularly the later stages that feature god-like AI opponents and extremely trying boss battles.
|
| 66 |
Gamers' Temple
An interactive Honk Kong action movie with too much movie and not enough interaction.
|
| 66 |
GamingTrend
It is a well thought out cinematic experience, but it surely doesn’t hold a candle to the recently released "James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing."
|
| 66 |
GameSpot
May have the flashy action and storytelling that you'd expect from a martial arts flick, but unfortunately, the gameplay doesn't hold up its end of the bargain.
|
| 64 |
GameZone
It's repetitive. Extremely repetitive. That's really all that needs to be said. I can praise the control scheme until I'm blue in the face, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the game repeats itself like a radio station with a small collection of songs.
|
| 63 |
Electronic Gaming Monthly
If not for some serious balance issues (some bosses can easily kill you in two hits), stupidly out-of-place stealth levels, and finicky weapon controls (it's really hard, for some reason, to hit someone with a stick), Honor might have been more than just a solid rental. [March 2004, p.120]
|
| 60 |
G4 TV
Scores several points for the innovative control scheme that's destined to replace button mashing as the fighting tool of choice. But it doesn't have the interactivity or variety to back up the chop-socky skills, making for play that's tasty, but about as filling as a trip to a Chinese joint at your local strip mall.
|
| 60 |
Gamenikki
Worst game ever? No, not really. That was an exaggeration fed largely by the flames of my initial frustration. But it’s not really a very good game, either; probably slightly below average, in the scheme of things.
|
| 60 |
Deeko
The fighting engine is certainly innovative, but lacks basic variety, the graphics border on garish and the soundtrack, in terms of voice acting, is only as good as the writing... which is to say, it’s not too good.
|
| 60 |
GameSpy
The cinematic cutscenes are completely uninvolving, with bored-sounding voice acting, the flimsiest of plots, and the most uninspired script imaginable. This would all be alright if the gameplay were strong.
|
| 60 |
Thunderbolt
It’s simply too short and too frustrating to warrant a purchase, unless of course you’re a diehard Jet Li fan and want everything of his that you can get your hands on.
|
| 60 |
Total Video Games
The cinematic presentation will certainly appeal to casual gamers; however the sheer repetition, poor AI, lack of depth and longevity issues should be a major concerns to anybody else.
|
| 60 |
GMR Magazine
Besides the not-quite-fluid-enough controls, the main problem is that shooting is a bit of a pain (you tap the right analog toward your target and use the R2 to shoot). [Mar 2004, p.85]
|
| 60 |
Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
Despite the decent controls, you still end up seeing the same four-hit combos repeatedly, and when digital Jet holds a stick or a bat in his hand, it becomes mysteriously harder to hit people with it. [Mar 2004, p.101]
|
| 60 |
GamingWorld X
Using the right analog stick for attacks just doesn’t feel right, and as a player, you’re never really allowed to control your attacks properly. That, added to the frustratingly cheap bosses, adds up to a mediocre gaming experience, despite the crisp visuals and entertaining audio portions.
|
| 60 |
Cheat Code Central
Both combat styles balance and carry each other making this game playable and even fun for the most part. Due to the relative ease of the gameplay and control system Rise to Honor will appeal mostly to beginners and casual gamers.
|
| 58 |
IGN
In the end, all of the cinematic flourishes can't help save a game that might've been good a few years ago, but is a lackluster experience today.
|
| 58 |
Gaming Age
It’s short length (only 5 to 8 hours) and it’s repetitive and sometimes lacking gamplay really hurt it. There’s definitely some good fun to have, but it would be better done through a rental.
|
| 56 |
Next Level Gaming
But the execution just totally destroyed all the good things this came could have been. Saying the game was almost devoid of gameplay might be a harsh statement, but when I turn off a game and say to myself “I have had enough”, and vow never to play it again, then harsh is a reality.
|
| 50 |
GameCritics
Instead of finding innovative means to explore new narratives, they are content to rely only on its effective control scheme and Jet Li's face to drive the core experience. Everything else falls back on tired videogame conventions and that makes Rise to Honor an acceptable game, but a deeply flawed next generation model.
|
| 50 |
Eurogamer
If only there were a few more moves to learn, and a bit more imagination than room after room of contrived fight sequences against hordes of identikit enemies.
|
| 50 |
GamerFeed
It just really fails to excite you in the long run, despite the production team's efforts to keep you hooked.
|
| 50 |
Boomtown
This is one title that could have… should have… would have…. been better without its similarly irritating controls. Rent it if you’re a Jet Li fan, pass completely if you aren’t.
|
| 50 |
GameSpot AU
While it's a visually stunning game for the PS2 platform with great production values, the game underneath it all is far too pedestrian to be worth purchasing.
|
| 33 |
Game Revolution
A more traditional control scheme and some serious gameplay polish could have done wondersfor this game. Instead, terrible control, lame AI and a few other rough edges hand Rise to Honor the Black Mask of shame.
|
