DOA3 should establish the Xbox as a leading contender for fighting game fans. Other demos shown on Microsoft's stage were Silent Hill 2 and the promising WS 2001 Soccer. Water is the theme of the latest FF installment and large crowds gathered like lemmings to be swept away by the heartbreaking CGI movie. The city scene teemed with life, while shots of mounted Chocobo cavalry and our heroine walking on water drew collective gasps from audiences. We got our mitts on some hands-on playing time.
Fights are both less frequent and more fluid.
The demo also included a battle with a very nasty panther humanoid and an underwater fight where your hero treads water in between rounds. Rest assured that this monster will top many end of the year lists for 2001. FFX was the only PS2 game on display. In fact, the only other titles Square had to offer were Final Fantasy II and WildCard, a fantasy card-playing game for the Wonder Swan handheld unit. Namco No Tekken, no Soul Calibur updates.