Games You Should’ve Played (But Probably Didn’t): Deathrow
Since I enjoyed the last article so much I’ve decided on doubling down with the concept of “Games You Should’ve Played”, and so for this second installment I’m going to tell you about the hidden beauty that was Deathrow for the original xbox.
Developed by Swedish outfit SouthEnd Interactive (the same guys who I just found also made the recent super-cute puzzler ilomilo, a fact which caused me to stop in my tracks for a few seconds), produced by Ubisoft, and released in October of 2002 to spectacular indifference, Deathrow was a unique creature in that it actually went about creating a an entirely new sport for the player to learn and master.
If you’ve seen the film Rollerball than you understand the general conceit behind Deathrow, wherein the world is a corporately-owned dystopia in which only the most brutal and extreme entertainment can satisfy the bloodthirsty masses. Enter the sport of blitzball, which is one part ultimate frisbee, one part hockey, and one part mixed-martial arts.
If that sounds as fucking rad to you as it does to me than you’ll understand my excitement behind this game.
Why You Didn’t Play This Game
-First and foremost because most people didn’t really hear about it. I got a hold of my copy because I was informed of Deathrow’s existence practically the day it came out, but hadn’t heard anything about it prior. Despite glowing critical reviews it was never really marketed, and soon became nigh-impossible to find on store shelves.
-…That’s really all I can think of
Why You Should Play This Game
-Did you not hear me say MMA/hockey/frisbee?
-Gushing aside, the gameplay mechanics were outstandingly solid. Deathrow played smooth as a dream, and because of the excellent conceptual design of the sport itself the action never stopped. The disc-throwing was easy to understand, the fighting was basic but viscerally satisfying, and the arena’s all provided a unique and different approach to each match
-Though painted in the broadest strokes possible of sci-fi/fantasy tropes, the numerous teams you could play as and unlock were awesome in their variety. Mercenaries, ninja’s, drug-addled super athletes, convicts, cultists, robots, actual monsters, etc. etc. They even had a team that was basically just a group of carbon-copy Wolverines, metal claws and all
I had more fun in the halcyon days of my youth playing Deathrow with friends than should really be allowed for the healthy development of a child. Having you and three friends, one playing offensive, another defense, and the other two just mercilessly beating the hell out of your opponents left a real satisfying (albeit kind of disturbing, looking back) sense of accomplishment.
Though it was only available for the orginal xbox, Deathrow is also backwards compatible with xbox 360’s, so if you can get your hands on a copy I’d sincerely suggest giving it a try.
