..the heck was that? 5.5 <

that game get' s no love from Kikizo....yet it' s the top selling game in the USA and in Japan.

Well sales don' t mean much in product quality terms. DOAX is a laugh for a while and is probably worth owning for novelty value but as a package its not a classic.

The guy said he would have given it a 10 if he didn' t have to be responsible

in all honesty though the game deserves at least an 8. That review was worse than Gamespot' s..

The whole feeling responsible thing is absurd. People could say the same thing about GTA due to it' s violence but don' t. It' s like " oh no there' s bewbies everyone look away" ..

It is a playable volley ball game? Doesn' t seem so? The gambling side is boring? And finally the hopping game just seems like a late add-on?
I' m not looking at it seriously but it needs to hold my attention for a short while.

Yes, it is a playable volleyball game. and one of the first sports titles on xbox to properly utilize the pressure sensitive controls of the xbox controller. That minigame is nothing more than a fun way to customize the controls and make money while doing it. it was never intended to anything more.

check it out this review was written by someone who actually gave the game a chance before deciding to slam it in advance.

I' ve reviewed many a game in my day, and while I was looking forward to DoA: XBV, I never thought for a second that this was going to be the single toughest game I' ve ever had to analyze... Why? One reason above all else: this may be the very first video game that relies almost entirely on personal taste, style, and preference. I' ll explain in detail at a later time, but for now, on with the categories:
Graphics:

This is one of only two categories that can easily be scored on its merits alone. Fan or not, hate it or love it, it doesn' t get any better than this. We all knew Tecmo was going to give us a visual showcase, and none of us were mistaken. The character modeling is superb, and I' d go so far as to say they' re perfect. The locales are bright and vivid, and they succeed in placing you squarely into Zack' s fantasy island.

Sandy beaches, sunsets, aquamarine water, and gorgeous detail in and around the various areas of the island will leave you breathless. A vast array of accessories, sports items, and gifts only add more diversity and color to the game. Cinemas of a girl relaxing poolside don’t look that much different than the gameplay itself, and that says an awful lot. The animations on the court are fluid and refined, as girls jump, dive, crouch, and leap with the finest of ease for a crushing jump-serve. Eye-candy? There’s no better place to go than Dead or Alive: XBV.

Sound:

Plenty of soundtracks await you on the island, and with big names like Christina Aguilera and others heading the list, most won’t be disappointed. Most are pop songs, but you’ll find a mix of reggae and even alternative in a few of them. Either way, the songs are played at all times, and continue to randomly change, even while on the court…a nice touch. But here’s where we begin the “personal taste” thing, and it’s just a fact that a few people aren’t interested in this kind of music at all. I find it relaxing and even enjoy some of it, while others will absolutely hate it.

Again though, hate it or love it, the music accomplishes what it sets out to do: establish the proper mood on the island. As Itagaki stated numerous times, this game is all about relaxation, not competition. The music goes a long way in getting you relaxed, in my humble opinion. On the sound effects side, there are no problems. The girls speak mostly in Japanese, but you get English sub-titles when they’re not on the court. Each bump of the ball and dive in the sand is heard cleanly, although they can be a touch muted by the soundtracks. If you want to hear more of the action and less of the music, this can easily be done by altering the volume at the Radio Station on the island. All in all, the sound fits. Not much else can be said for it, but again, remember “personal taste.”

Gameplay:

Well, here it comes. The only other category where the game can easily be scored on its “game merits” alone. During the first half-hour of gameplay, in which I started with some Exhibition matches, I was frustrated, annoyed, and even a bit bored. I simply couldn’t win a match to save my life. At this point, ladies and gentleman, I was not a happy camper. But I dove into the “career” part of the game, hoping that the Exhibition matches were no indication of what was to come in the meat of the game.

Blessedly, my hopes came true. After getting the necessary practice for an hour or so in the tough Exhibition matches, I crushed the opposition in my first match, 7-2. I then moved on to the second match on the second day, and again won, 7-4. I only lost in the third match later on, but it was close, 8-6. By this time, I realized that I had been playing the game for three full hours, and I was having a whole lot of fun. When you look at the clock and are surprised to see what time it is, that’s always a good sign.

First, let’s look at how the DoA girls play volleyball. Each match is to 7 points (although you can go up to 10 or even 15 points in Exhibition mode), and a point is scored every time, regardless of who served. This makes for some pretty quick matches, but they’re not as fast as you might think, and for one very good reason: the points can go on seemingly forever. That ball will stay in the air for a minute at a time, and dozens of spikes will be dug out of the ground early on. When you haven’t built a successful relationship with your partner, things are just “usual,” and it will be hard to dominate your opponent unless they’re completely clueless.

The key lies in the timing. Jumping to block a spike will take some practice, hitting a spike with appropriate power and placement will take even more time, and good luck mastering a perfect jump-serve. Once you get it through your thick head that only two buttons (plus the analog) are used, you’ll be much better off. Don’t be pressing random buttons all over the place; you’ll lose rapidly. The B button sets or bumps the ball to your partner, and the A button returns the ball, preferably by a spike. Also, as the buttons are pressure-sensitive, you’ll soon learn that a light touch and a good angle can strategically place a ball around a potential block. While on the flip side, a hard press will send a power spike flying over the net to try to score a quick point. That’s it, that’s all you need to know. Oh, and use the analog to move your girl to the ball…duh.

As I said, at first I was just frustrated. But after I got the hang of it, I really started to enjoy myself. I had heard of people spending far more time off the court then on, but after those three hours of play, I realized I had spent two and a half of them playing volleyball. Of course, it was somewhat fun doing the other “extra features” too…

The season lasts 14 days, at which point the game abruptly ends. However, have no fear, because you can simply start another summer with all the stuff you had already collected. This means, essentially, that you could just play the game forever. There are hundreds of items and accessories to lay your hands on throughout the game, and money is always of the essence. The sexiest swimsuit will cost you dearly, and you probably won’t be able to lay your hands on one until the last few days. Money is earned on the court, at poolside (with the silly but fun “hopping game”), and at the casino.

The casino is my one major complaint. As you can participate in Roulette, Poker, Blackjack, and the Slots, this just doesn’t seem interactive enough. While the rest of the game draws you in and absorbs you, the casino part feels strangely detached. All you have is a menu of the games available, and then you automatically go into the game, with a first-person view of the table in question. No girls are seen, except for a few icons that may pop up while at the Roulette wheel, signifying girls betting. Your best chances lie in Blackjack, but the Slots are surprisingly random and Poker is always fun. Avoid the Roulette wheel though, because as in real life, your chances are the slimmest here.

Gift-giving plays a large role in the game, and presenting your partner with gifts that she will truly enjoy will keep her happy, and she may even reciprocate. Gifts can be bought and gift-wrapped, and presented to the girls on the island. If they like it, they become more “compatible” with you. If you wish to keep the partner you have, make her happy as often as possible (and try not to lose too often on the court). If you plan on wooing another partner your way, hone in on what she really enjoys, and court her thusly. Just try not to be caught without a partner…that puts a damper on any volleyball to be played, obviously.

Depth:

The depth is significant, but unless you like this kind of thing, it won’t matter in the least. I’ve heard people call this a “sissy, dress-up Barbie” game in a sports disguise, but this simply isn’t the case. With the hundreds of items available and the dozens upon dozens of swimsuits, you could be collecting for weeks, even months. Buying my partner a pair of new sunglasses, suntan lotion, fingernail polish, flowers, and other things she enjoys is actually entertaining. But remember, if you have no interest in this, you won’t be all that “entertained.” Gameplay depth relies mostly on the pressure sensitive buttons and timing, as well as your “compatibility” with your partner.

Presentation:

Easily the most subjective of the categories, it all depends on how you view Xtreme Beach Volleyball. If this is something that appeals to you, the presentation is top-notch. If not, it’s just a bit of fluff with not a whole lot of substance. The mood is appropriate and the girls are wonderfully delicious, and that is basically the entire presentation. If you’re morally opposed to half-naked (and in some cases, partially nude) video game girls, then this is not the place you want to be. For those who understand what this game is trying to accomplish, and (better yet) are fans of DoA, I doubt you’ll have too much to complain about.

Overall:

This is the epitome of the “niche” game. It’s really as simple as that. I had predicted earlier that you wouldn’t find scores in the 7 range for this game…only scores in the five and six and high 8 and low 9 range. And this is because either you love it or you hate it. If it just doesn’t appeal to you, or you think you might be on the fence about this one, I honestly might not recommend it. This is not a renter. It’s either a keeper or an “avoid altogether.” If you have already bought it, you either plan on returning it today or keeping it forever.

I for one am keeping it. I had a lot of fun during those three hours, and I can’t wait to get home to play some more. Itagaki was right: it IS relaxing, and a joy to play. The girls are an added eye-candy bonus, but the rest is still just fine by me. The casino should’ve been revamped and the summer should’ve been longer, but that’s about it for the extra features. The camera during volleyball play isn’t nearly as big a problem as was initially reported, and works quite well. However, there were a few gameplay “tweaks” that could’ve been done. All in all, this game is just about what I wanted, because I knew what to expect. If you think for a second this game isn’t for you, it probably isn’t. But if you’re like me, you’re in for a treat.

Graphics: 10.0
Sound: 9.5
Gameplay: 8.0
Depth: 8.0
Presentation: 9.5
Overall: 8.8

Well I' ll agree to disagree, we seem to have a different view on gameplay and depth. The majority of gifts feel useless and this reviewer’s “3 hours” play is hardly going to change my mind.
Touch sensitive buttons are nothing new and they make very little difference to the proceedings. I’d still say Beach Spikers is a better game but volleyball isn’t the best title to translate to a videogame.
Its got great graphics, great sound and a nice atmosphere but I’ve got other better titles to waste my time on. A simple game for simple people.

Fathoms wrote that review. Pretty damn good one too..


peace