Bloody Roar: Primal Fury

 GameCube
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
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  1. Hot Games
    100
    It's a beast-changing, head-slapping, jaw-ripping brawler with attitude and style and sex - always a good combination.
  2. GameZone
    85
    A graphically superb experience with solid, although not as detailed fighting controls.
  3. Gaming Age
    83
    The near endless replay value of searching out new and original juggle combos is alone almost enough to warrant a purchase.
  5. Gamezilla!
    82
    With astonishing new graphics, and a rock solid gameplay style that is mostly untouched from the previous games, Primal Fury was worth the wait.
  6. GamingTrend
    81
    If you are looking for a standard fighter for your Gamecube, then this is your only option. Keep in mind though that there are far better fighters for other systems.
  7. Total Video Games
    80
    The AI within the game will tax most gamers, event the fight fans among you.
  8. Electric Playground
    80
    The actual game play in Bloody Roar isn't as deep as say, VF4, but on the flipside, it's a game that's easy to pick up and play. Though you certainly won't beat the game by being a button-masher.
  9. Game Informer
    80
    Besides the unique zoanthropic morphing, this release won't do much for hardcore fighting fanatics, but as I've said before, it's a great release for newcomers to the ring. [Apr 2002, p.78]
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  10. GamePro
    80
    It's instantly accessible, but lacks the depth and attention to detail that would give it any real longevity...[but] significantly better than BR3 on the PS2. [Apr 2002, p.106]
  11. Media and Games Online Network
    79
    The control is very fun and initiative, but does lack variety in the move sets.
  12. GameCube Europe
    79
    It's good but lacks having any special feel. It's got all the ingredience of a fighter that we have all grown towards and learnt to love.
  13. Nintendojo
    78
    Impressive graphics, a simple yet pleasant combat system and multiplayer fun balance out the issues of sound and gameplay depth.
  14. GameSpy
    78
    In terms of gameplay, longevity and room for growth, however, Bloody Roar: Primal Fury just doesn't have the legs to compare to the likes of Sega's "Virtua Fighter" series or Namco's "Tekken" and "Soul Calibur" games.
  15. IGN
    77
    It's a lot of fun to play -- tight control mixed with a fair amount of moves and combos (but not enough), and then the strategic element of beast transformations, proves very addictive.
  16. N-Insanity
    76
    If you've played Virtua Fighter so many times that you can win a fight with your eyes closed, then I recommend buying Guilty Gear XX, but if you are a die hard 3D fighter fan, then you may as well try this one, if only as a rent.
  17. GamerWeb Nintendo
    75
    Thanks to the new backgrounds, improved graphics, extra characters and loads of unlockable goodies it almost seems like a semi-sequel to BR 3.
  18. Into Liquid Sky
    75
    It might not have the depth as some of the other fighting games, but it's still fun.
  19. GameSpot
    72
    It certainly looks great, and it can be fun.
  20. netjak
    71
    A solid, average fighter.
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  21. TotalGames.net
    70
    Despite lacking in the depth found in more established fighters, Bloody Roar: Primal Fury is a complete blast to play.
  22. Maxim Online
    70
    It does have...a kung-fu penguin! And what's cooler than that?
  23. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    60
    Feverishly pressing on a D-pad the size of a piece of Lucky Charms get tiring quickly. [Apr 2002, p.137]
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  24. Adrenaline Vault
    60
    The appeal of over-the-top effects, non-interactive finishing moves, and buxom ladies has a short expiration date. If you're a fan of the franchise, then this is the best Roar yet.
  25. Yahoo!
    60
    If you're the type to enjoy that style of gameplay, we're honour-bound to point out "Super Smash Brothers: Melee," a superior game in about all aspects, and with infinitely more to do.
  26. Game Revolution
    58
    A fresh look, but this prizefighting animal is still a few hairballs away from becoming a champion.
  27. XenGamers
    58
    Put simply, BRPF thrives on button mashing. For those unfamiliar with the term, this means that even the most skilled player can fall victim to a first-timer's frenzied and haphazard button presses.
  28. Nintendo Power
    56
    A graphical powerhouse, Bloody Roar offers action that's a bit too basic to be a knockout. [Apr 2002, p.147]
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Awards & Rankings

50
#50 Best GameCube Game of 2002
22
#22 Most Discussed GameCube Game of 2002
26
#26 Most Shared GameCube Game of 2002

User Reviews

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User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 27 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. CavyMomma
    Jun 20, 2023
    10
    I remember spending hours playing this game. At first I wasn't sure I liked it but by the time I got to the final boss I was hooked.
  2. XV_
    Mar 11, 2020
    8
    Generally, 3D fighters of the Game Cube era (and sometimes this era) have a hard time with its speed and combo system, Primal Fury is not onlyGenerally, 3D fighters of the Game Cube era (and sometimes this era) have a hard time with its speed and combo system, Primal Fury is not only good at it, but it also comes with a nice and pretty presentation.

    Primal Fury kickstarts with a rad anime cinematic that centers around the starting rooster, and gives you a general idea of every character just by the looks of them, this gives us a really great topic, character design, every playable character is amazing, from their stylistic choices to body language, you can have a pretty good guess of their personality just by looking at them, their beasts counterparts are also extremely well designed, which takes us to the real deal of this game, the difference between this fighting game and the others is the possibility of transformation into a beast form, which make you more powerful by a certain amount of time or conditions, think of it like a Super Sayan form, you can also transform into a second form called 'Hyper Beast' which is more powerful but it takes from you some hp and is pretty limited but more powerful.

    Overall, the balance between characters is good, at least from an amateur point of view, there are some characters that deal more damage but doesn't have a lot of range, other ones that have more delay or are more tricky to do combos, speaking of combos I liked quite a lot how the combo system is pretty friendly and you can set a lot of combinations and maintain things fresh. One of the things that I really liked was that every character has an animated ending, the bad part is that they tend to be very brief and also can feel a little out of context (maybe for fans of the past games it can make more sense?), another little issue is the number of characters, they're only 16 and some of the can feel a little similar.

    All in all, you'll have a great time playing Primal Fury, you can have fun playing it solo, at least to unlock endings or characters, and also have a good time playing locally. Maybe is not a masterpiece but certainly is a very good game.    … Full Review »
  3. shootingstars99
    Sep 23, 2019
    9
    I love this game. I'm not sure why Bloody Roar didn't catch on like Dead or Alive and Tekken did back in the day. Bloody Roar is a great gameI love this game. I'm not sure why Bloody Roar didn't catch on like Dead or Alive and Tekken did back in the day. Bloody Roar is a great game with a stand out feature of every fighter having an animal form that gives new heights to the combo potential of a character. There are all the modes you could ask for in a 3D fighter here, and plenty of fun to be had with the combat system even today. The only thing I could have asked for was an in-game command list, because there was not one. Other than that, finding custom combos and discovering your character is a blast!… Full Review »
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