Metascore
63

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 22
  2. Negative: 3 out of 22
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  1. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    40
    If Sapphire put as much emphasis on the combat as they did on conjuring gritty stories to back each fighter, Barbarian could have been a lot better. [July 2002, p.115]
  2. 61
    A repetitive game with pretty graphics that fails to inspire much of anything.
  3. Indistinct characters, painfully hokey storytelling, poor AI, and a shallow combat system add up to a disappointing experience.
  4. 70
    With just mediocre features, Barbarian weighs in as just an average brawler. [July 2002, p.76]
  5. Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
    40
    The sloppy swordplay and imprecise magic attacks just make the game look like an alcoholic staging of Medieval Times. [June 2002, p.97]
  6. The visuals are excellent, with the interactive backgrounds looking great and reacting perfectly.
  7. Though some of the button-smashing combos are tricky to execute, the multiplayer action is solid, and the quest mode stirs in puzzle solving for antisocial savages who prefer going solo.
  8. The gameplay mechanics are pretty basic and repetitive, and the storylines are so bland that there's not much value in finishing the game with every character.
  9. Play Magazine
    60
    Barbarian wasn't all that I expected it to be, in terms of intelligent in-game evolution, but it delvers a lot of freshness never the less. [May 2002, p.50]
  10. Playing the game is a bittersweet experience. It’s strangely diverting, but all the time you’re thinking of what it could have been with a bit more testing and tweaking.
  11. Much like the original "Legacy of Kain," this title's quest mode has a really cool, creepy story that kept me wanting to see more and more as I took my little demoness through.
  12. Sadly this game runs out of steam way too quickly but it does have a multiplayer option worth the price of admission.
  13. Not worth your time...The problems with Barbarian are absolutely unacceptable for the fighting game that it’s trying to be.
  14. 78
    A sometimes-enthralling mix of swords and sorcery and old-fashioned beat-em-ups, the Saffire-developed fighter definitely deserves a closer look.
  15. A refreshing change from the old 3D fighter molds we see a lot of today. The character's unbalanced strengths is definitely a weak point and can make this a frustrating game for some, so I give you that warning.
  16. The quest mode can get boring once you unlock all of the powers for your character, but you may still want to keep playing it if you enjoy the controls and such enough.
  17. In the form of fine visuals and interesting gameplay, it has some redeeming qualities. It doesn't have the depth or character designs to make it a memorable fighting title.
  18. Yet the action isn’t complex, and most enemies can be defeated within your first attempt by simply relying on rapid button tapping.
  19. PSM Magazine
    70
    LLike an evolved "Power Stone." It's also pretty good. [Sept 2002, p.31]
  20. 50
    If you're looking for a new fighting game, don't mind simplistic controls and having volumes of tedious storyline read to you by a man with about as much vocal intonation as Leonard Nimoy, this is your game.
  21. The most entertaining feature in Barbarian is, without a doubt, the interactive environments.
  22. Game Informer
    79
    Like Capcom's "Power Stone," Barbarian steps up to the plate, and whiffs. [August 2002, p.79]
User Score
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No user score yet- Awaiting 1 more rating

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. JimmyCricket
    Sep 10, 2002
    10
    It rocked Darrell Oville's world. It totally turned him out.