The real problem here though lies not in the controls, but in the camera system. Simply put, it’s horrible. As you near a wall, instead of pulling back and making the wall transparent (as most would expect) it instead comes close to your character. The result is that you disappear, which needless to say isn’t good in a 3^rd person game. You’ll also find yourself getting stuck on a number of objects due to the clunky camera system, which is very frustrating when you have two or three enemies surrounding you.

Overall the gameplay is adequate, but what saves Fur Fighters from mediocrity is the excellent execution in both the sound and graphics departments. The graphics utilize the cel-shading technique that’s quickly becoming all the rage with the kids these days. The result is a simplistic, but highly stylized, cartoon world that really fits the atmosphere and mood of the game. While the look may turn off some gamers, it creates a very pleasurable visual experience. Each of the Fur Fighters (and enemies) is animated well, in a cartoony way of course. Top it off with a lot of visual variety (each of the six worlds is pretty different from the others), and you’ve got a well-packaged game.

Like I mentioned above, the sound is also done well. Each character is accompanied by distinct voice acting, all stereotypically fitting the character they portray (ex: drill instructor Sgt. Sternhauser has a Schwarzenegger-esque voice). What’s amazing is that there is a ton of speech in the game, found both in cutscenes (handled with the game engine, not FMV) and in the general game itself. In addition to the speaking of main characters, each of the different types of enemies has it’s own distinct grunts and sounds (which help you to anticipate approaching enemies before you see them). The sound effects all also sound good, with fairly realistic weapon and ambient sounds. One word of warning however: since Bizarre Creations is a European company, all of the voice acting is done with British accents. If you find that accent unbearable, you’ll be wincing throughout this game.