God Hand

Made by the folks at Clover Studios, God Hand is a truly amazing PlayStation 2 game. It is one of the last truly great games to be released on the console and I would go as far as to say it is one of the most underrated games that Capcom has ever published.

East Meets West

I love the story that God Hand tells and the fact it is not taking itself seriously is one of the main reasons that I love it. You are a martial arts master who gets to use the divine weapon known as The God Hand. The story is very tongue in cheek and I really like how it mixes both Eastern and Western cultures very well. The story is not the most in-depth you will come across, but it is fun and has some great characters along the way.

Fight!

I have long been a fan of beat-em-up games and God Hand is one of the best. It is probably the best of all the 3D beat-em-ups I have ever played actually. The game is very combat heavy and that is really all there is to it. Thankfully the combat system in the game is a ton of fun. You can dish out these epic combos and set up the buttons to your liking. It sounds like it would be mindless, but it is far from it. This is a very challenging game and while it may sound like a button masher. God Hand forces you to not just get good, but get good fast. The enemies will kick your butt until you figure out the right way to take them all down. I like the difficulty, but I am sure for some it may seem a little off-putting.

Looks And Sounds

The story does not take itself too seriously as I said and this is evident in those fantastic cut scenes. Clover Studios did a phenomenal job in the looks department. This is a very late title in the life of the PlayStation 2 and in all honesty, I would not say it is the best-looking game on the console, but by this point, Clover did the best they could with the visuals. The soundtrack is epic, the game has a fun theme song and all of the thuds, pounds, and screams fit the action perfectly. It has a rocking soundtrack when you are fighting and in all the overall presentation of the game is something that is very well done.

God Hand is a game that I have played through multiple times. It is one of those games that is just ideal to fire up and play through when you have nothing else to play and you want to plow through something that is fun. While the game can be difficult, I find this part of the fun as it forces you to learn new combos and moves which will let you kick even more butt. A truly hidden gem for the PlayStation 2!

8.5/10

Pros:

• The story is crazy and fun
• The fighting is some of the best on the PS2
• Some of the combos you can do are insane
• It is way more challenging than you would think
• It looks and sounds great

Cons:

• Some might find the difficulty off-putting
• Why has this not had a whole bunch of sequels???

God Hand is a 3D brawler that pays respect to classic beat em up games while offering an extremely weird and funny story. You play as a young hero who holds a “God Hand”, granting him excessive power over his enemies. When a group of demons threatens to resurrect their leader and take over the world, you must beat them back into submission. While the story might be too bizarre for some, fans of fighting games will fall in love with God Hand's distinct style.

Main Game Features

• Hilarious story with slapstick humor
• Battle enemies in exciting 3D fights
• Play various casino mini-games

Story

God Hand tells the story of Gene, a rough and tough fighter in his 20s that holds the power of one of the mystical God Hands. He is joined by Olivia, the teenage ancestor of the creator of the God Hands, who ran from her home after a harrowing demon attack. After Olivia found Gene and imbued him with the power of a God Hand, the pair now explore the world, searching for the demons who slayed Olivia's family. These are the Four Devas, powerful demons who plan to resurrect the dead demon king Angra. If Gene and Olivia aren't able to stop them, an army of demons will overtake the world and end mankind.

Although the story of God Hand sounds very serious, with all of its demons and ancient powers, it's actually incredibly silly. It's nothing like the grim world of Diablo III, but rather a goofy tale of angels and demons like Bayonetta. All of the characters, especially each of the Four Devas, are remarkably silly, with hilarious costume designs and personalities. There is a lot of slapstick humor, inappropriate jokes, and generally weird stuff going on. It all manages to work somehow, making the story in God Hand ridiculous and funny.

Gameplay

Gameplay in God Hand is reminiscent of other 3D brawlers like No More Heroes and The Bouncer, where players control Gene as he fights off various enemies in a small area. There are nine stages in total, leading Gene on a crazy ride of action and comedy. The fighting system is where God Hand really shines, as it's far more complex than your average beat 'em up. There are over 100 different moves to use, and with practice, you can run up massive combos. Multiple fighting styles are represented, including kung fu, wrestling, and drunken fist.

As you complete stages, you'll find Skull Cards, which in turn let you spin the God Roulette wheel. The roulette wheel gives you orbs that allow you to perform massive god-like moves, smashing enemies into oblivion or sending them flying into the clouds. There's a dynamic difficulty system that adjusts the challenge of the game as you play, so players who can pull off high combos will face tougher foes. The higher your difficulty rating is by the end of the level, the better the rewards!

Conclusion

God Hand is a crazy and underrated brawler that deserves more attention and praise. Even though the story is painfully weird at times, the fighting system is awesome and there are some really impressive special moves.

Pros

• Story is funny and wild
• Excellent fighting system
• Classic brawling fun

Cons

• Mediocre graphics
• Camera is hard to control
• Repetitive levels

Clover Studios isn’t known for sticking to the videogame norm (see Viewtiful Joe, Okami). So expect more of the same (meaning something really different) with the developer’s next project, God Hand, a kooky brawler that doesn’t take itself seriously—especially in the combat The game’s main character, equipped with the “right hand of God,” gets his jollies from kneeing enemies more than 100 times to the face, knocking them straight outta the atmosphere a la Popeye, and kicking them in the family jewels (which then cues a sitcomlike laugh track).