Every once in awhile, a game will come along that forces you to wonder just how it ever made it into your house or even outside of Japan. God Hand, the final title released by the extremely talented and soon-to-be sorely missed Clover Studios, has me asking both. What seems to be an inconspicuous beat-'em-up on the outside gained a ton of points with its silky smooth fighting system just to lose them to a horrendous camera and moving system from the vaults of the PSOne. Wave after wave of ugly, look-a-like baddies took a couple more points off, but then the off-the-wall and overtly Japanese storyline hypnotized me into showering points back onto the score (we all must fear and respect the poison Chihuahua).

As you can probably tell, I am conflicted, but it's in this conflict that God Hand will shine for some while appearing obtuse to others, making it extremely difficult to recommend without meeting each potential player personally. But if you think you can look past the terrible camera and moving controls and find enjoyment in a game that has a wonderfully fun fighting system and a poison Chihuahua, then by all means give it a try. For everyone else, don't worry - no one will think bad of you for leaving this review and game for dead… well, maybe Capcom, but you'll have to take that up with them.

God Hand opens with one of the oddest cut scenes I have seen in a long time, and indeed maybe ever. Our supposed hero, Gene, enters a desert town with partner Olivia in tow. Ahead of them is a group of beaten, scruffy, dirty ruffians looking for a fight, which are hotter than Olivia, according to Gene. Then it ends and the real game begins. The later cut scenes actually do push forward a story, but in such a nonsensical fashion that you'll never be fully prepared for what happens. Gay wrestlers, the aforementioned poison Chihuahua, a Mexican Buddha-look-alike named Elvis, a two-person rock band sporting One-Man-Band drums (I know what you're thinking and yes this does include wearing cymbals like a bra) - and the list of undeniably brain-boggling characters continues after that. Be prepared to always be unprepared, and to love every minute of it!

The gameplay in God Hand is much like the story and characters - you can never really be prepared. This is most obvious in the fighting system, which is completely upgradeable and customizable to your tastes and sense of humor. Using the Combo Tree, you can map out your entire fighting repertoire, which is constantly added to by earning and buying new moves. This includes both your standard button-mashing combo and your finesse moves. With over 100 different moves to choose from, you can create an out of hand combo pretty quickly, with moves such as the pimp hand, triple elbow, pay up, kangaroo kick and plenty more. Those moves are nothing compared to the super powerful Roulette Wheel moves though, which include the One Inch Punch, La Bomba and the Daisy Cutter. If all that is not enough for you, after building up your God Hand meter you can release the power in your right hand and smash faces with lightning fast speed and ungodly strength.

Executing any of these moves is just as easy as assigning them, thanks to a brilliant fighting system. There are no crazy button combinations to remember, as all attacks are executed with speed by either just pressing a button or holding one direction and pressing a button. Beat a joker with your lengthy combo or send them flying with awesome power attacks. There are very few moments as gratifying as dropkicking a guy into a storefront and have the awning fall on top of him! But it's not just power moves, as the right analog stick serves as your means for evading, allowing you to circle your enemy as well as back flip away when necessary. Within one or two enemies, you'll be punching, kicking, dodging, slapping and back flipping your way into a world of fun!

The enjoyment of fighting takes an instant hit once you try to move Gene with the left analog stick though, as the camera is connected and controlled by the left analog stick - uh oh. This leads to some quick-moving, motion sickness enabling moments. At the very least, the action is constantly jerking around unless you keep your fingers off the left stick, but that leaves you open to attacks, as there are only so many scenarios that the evade stick can handle. Moving Gene is like moving a remote controlled truck, as he rotates in wide circles and has trouble moving in anything other than straight lines. Without the evade stick, this game is close to unplayable, so thank goodness for its inclusion. If you were still around Clover Studios, I would ask "why, oh why did you do this?!"

The presentation is at a level you would expect from a game published by Capcom, with some sharp textures and detailed character models making for above average graphics, and one catchy, off-kilter soundtrack that will have you turning the volume up. But it's by no means perfect, thanks to some awful level design slapped with plain textures, a lack of character model variety and putrid voiceovers. This odd presentation mix, along with the control and camera problems, begs the question of under what circumstances this game developed, as the inconsistencies are befuddling.

If you have decided that you can play through God Hand, you will find plenty of replay value. If you focused solely on the story mode then you could finish the game within ten to twelve hours, but if you spend time finishing all the bonus stages hidden throughout the story mode's levels, play around in the casino and finish all the stages in the Ring Battle, you could easily add at least another ten hours to your experience. It's not the deepest game of all time, but there is plenty here to keep you busy.

Much like many of the dubbed anime movies released in the early Nineties, with ridiculous voiceovers and outlandish Japanese humor hiding intriguing stories and characters, it will take a certain type of person to dig past the bad to reach the good - hence all the polarized reviews that God Hand has received. If you are up for the challenge then by all means give this game the time of day - it just might surprise you, despite itself. Maybe.

Reviewed by Tony Peters for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).