Graphics: 6.5
Gameplay: 6
Sound: 6
Controls: 7.5
Replay: 3

Bujingai: The Forsaken City is originally from Japan, as you might be able to tell from the name, and therefore it brings over the usual weird style combined with meterosexual main character. The game is very little known and only has a little amount of hype surrounding it, but after a recent rental I realized that this game probably shouldn't have been transferred stateside. It is just unimpressive.

The games' setting is a post apocalyptic world where demons our roaming the earth thanks to mankind's idiocy with all of our big nuclear weapons (big surprise here, this plot line seems to be in just about every game these days). The problem with this game starts right there. Not only is it a generic and boring setting, but by playing the game you wouldn't even know. The game has absolutely no storyline and provides you with no background about what is going on. You are left wondering, "So why am I here, again?" That question is never answered.

Another big problem with the title is how similar it is to other action games such as Devil May Cry and Otogi: Myth of Demons. The combat system is almost an exact clone of Otogi and the way the game uses orbs is practically the same as Devil May Cry. The game just seems to be a blend of two awesome games, yet comes out as being a bland, boring title with no originality.

The combat system is fairly deep and elaborate, allowing for the old button mashing to do damage or you can take the time to actually learn the combos and then dish out some real pain. This is definitely the best aspect of the game in my opinion because it is surprisingly fun and addicting, especially because of the counter system that was put in. If you time it right you can block an enemies attack and then basically flip the table and deal out a ton of damage onto him. Your arsenal is mostly comprised of your pair of swords and some magic spells that you can unleash throughout the game.

The game has a rating system that is all too common in today's action games. You will be graded on a variety of factors such as how many times you had to continue, how much damage you received, and how long it took you to finish the level. Nothing too spectacular here. Getting high scores is just one of the challenges, however, and in most cases the easy one. The harder one comes in the form of puzzles that require platform jumping that can get extremely difficult and frustrating. The game just lacks the precise controls necessary to successfully navigate the platforms.

The graphics in the game are a mixed bag. The levels are poorly drawn and designed. They are mostly empty and are ugly and flat. The character design is right in the middle, the main character looks pretty decent and has a fair level of detail, and the monsters all look pretty good. The best part about the graphics is easily the special effects. The game just sparkles and shines like few others. Unleashing combos and magic doesn't normally look this pretty. It's too bad that more effort wasn't put into the other areas.

Music in the game is mostly a techno type beat and and has a Japanese style rock to it. It is pretty decent and it matches the feel of the game in many ways. The voice acting is just terrible, like most Japanese to English conversions. The voice acting is just known to be terrible in this kinds of games, and this title doesn't try to do anything else with it. The audio just turns out to be right below average.

There is no replay in this one, so don't go looking for any. This game might be worth a rental for some hack and slash fanatics, but for most it is best to avoid this below par game.