Written by Jeff Buckland, 9/2/2003
Diversions Entertainment is getting closer to the release date for One Must Fall: Battlegrounds, a fighting game with a unique twist - not only is it a PC fighting game (gasp! faint!), but it is also played from a behind-the back third person view. Throw in some online play and a reputation for having already made an excellent fighting game years back, and we have the chance at gaming greatness.
You might not have heard of Diversions' first full game, One Must Fall 2097, which was released back in 1994 under Epic Megagames. While its graphics didn't match up to the level of the Street Fighters and Mortal Kombats of the day, it arguably surpassed these games through its deep gameplay and replayability. Many of those features are coming back in OMF: Battlegrounds, but can it hang with the likes of today's most popular fighting games like Soul Calibur 2 or VF4: Evolution?
One of the first things to notice about OMF:BG is that Diversions has maintained the style of the original game - then expanded on it specifically to make gameplay more fun. As before, you control huge robots in dangerous arenas, and you get plenty of interesting moves to destroy your opponents with. While OMF2097 actually did have working modem play (before the internet was big) which was unprecedented even then, it's time for them to play catch up. Now, OMF:BG allows up to 16 combatants in an arena at once in multiplayer mode, and everything is done from each player's own third person perspective.
The gameplay is fast and furious in OMF:BG, and it becomes clear early on that it's all about anticipating your enemy and timing your own moves. There aren't a zillion different attacks or multiple branching styles like there are in many modern fighting games, although you do get a decent repertoire - and plenty of special moves. What with a fully 3D arena, we get plenty of ways to mix up these moves as well as the ability attack enemies from all sides. You'll have to watch your back in the bigger melees.
Online play is also a big feature, as very few fighting games on any platform even support it to begin with. The chance at doing a 16-player free-for-all in an arena with spikes impaling people or fighter planes shooting at you is very cool to say the least - and while the online play still needs some work, it was fun as hell. It's also a nice change away from the shooters or strategy games that usually are played online.
The arenas themselves are worth mentioning; not only is each one shaped differently, but they include plenty of different hazards to interact with. You might knock an enemy into one, or pick something up to trigger an attack from the arena. Maybe you are just in the wrong place at the wrong time when something goes boom. Either way, the hazards play a unique and important part of many matches.
The robots are a decent mix of some pretty cool anime-style designs (no lumbering Mechs here), some of which have been brought back from OMF:2097. Most of the robots have some sort of projectile attack, which means that a ranged battle can easily change the course of a match.
OMF:BG's graphics are mostly fairly impressive, and while the robots don't quite have the detail of today's console fighting games, the ability to have a bunch of them at once all fighting is pretty cool. The special effects for many of the moves are also big and flashy, which of course puts into play a visibility factor. Douse an enemy in fire, and he or she might not be able to see you, forcing him or her to make a mistake.
