It's frightening how close we were to settling without this game in the domestic Dreamcast library. Due to the lack of network play in the United States, VOOT's original developer and publisher, Sega, made the ill-fated decision heard 'round the world, announcing that they would not publish VOOT stateside, and instead would drop the ball to let a third party pick it up. All hope seemed lost, as American Dreamcast owners searched for high-rise buildings to leap from and/or opted for the services of mercy killers. Lo and behold, however, Activision swooped in to save VOOT from the unforgiving limbo, and the single greatest achievement in anime-styled giant robot combat was en route to becoming an A-list title in the United States...right? Well, not so fast. As it turns out, our Far Eastern brethren enjoyed the benefit of a mighty fine peripheral known as the Twin Sticks, which duplicate the controls found in the arcade edition of VOOT. As of yet, the US has not seen any such peripheral, and it is the opinion of many that if you're playing VOOT with the Dreamcast controller, you may as well be steering an automobile using a set of handlebars. The icing on the cake? It seems that our domestic version would also arrive with no network compatibility.

So now the dilemma on our hands isn't whether or not we can PLAY the game, but whether or not we can ENJOY it. Which brings me to my next point. I'm more or less unscathed by the absence of network play, but I've been playing VOOT sans Twin Sticks for the last few days (and nights), and I feel that reviewing it with that in mind will keep me from leaving you, the readers, at a disadvantage. I've paid for the game myself, as I'm sure several of you have done or will do at some point, and know that there won't be much spare change left over for a set of import Twin Sticks. If nothing else, try to think of it as me placing myself in your shoes. Moving on....

Though certainly no slouch in the graphics and style departments, both chapters of Virtual On have shown us that gameplay is what sits atop the series' pedestal. VOOT's gameplay is fast, frantic, and oozes strategy from every pore. If you expect to go at it by charging your opponent with guns blazing, don't be surprised to find yourself swallowed up by the flames of defeat rather quickly. Timing, precision, and anticipation are the order of the day, and knowing yourself as well as your opponent weighs heavy on your chances of coming up triumphant or trampled. VOOT is a one-on-one "versus" game, but it's not a fighting engine; or rather, it veers far from the vein of most fighters. It encompasses a system of play that is wholly its own, whereas most fighting games place a considerably high premium on button combinations, VOOT focuses much more on knowing when and in what situations to perform various movements and attacks than it does on button memorization. And along with so much depth comes the long lasting and immense challenge that it brings to the table. Playing in the lower difficulty levels does anything but guarantee a quick romp through the game's ten single-player stages. Even on the easiest setting, you'll have to know what you're doing at all times, and no matter which way you slice it, there's never much room for error.

For the most, VOOT's controls are quite intuitive. The default setting places the basic left and right attacks on the DC pad's left and right triggers, respectively. Pulling both triggers simultaneously fires off the center attack. The Y button is used to jump, X and B for dashing, and A for crouching and guarding at toe-to-toe combat. The D-pad is for directional movement, and the joystick will rotate your virtuaroid left and right, with a downward movement set aside for "special" attacks. It does seem a bit overwhelming at first. After all, as my esteemed colleague Unkle Mickee so observantly pointed out, you're attempting a plethora of movements and attacks using only your thumbs and index fingers. But fear not, via enough play time, your hand/eye coordination should eventually get settled in. Granted, it doesn't reach its intended potential without the Twin Sticks, but it's nowhere near as much of a chore as many would have you believe.

Gameplay junkies have nothing to fear as its quite apparent that this game's concept was created with gameplay taking precedence as the primary ingredient. While VOOT moves at such a breakneck speed, there's not much time to take a breather and scope out the scenery. Inevitably, we'll always have those who are starved for visual and stylistic consumption, and VOOT doesn't alienate those folks either. The game's virtuaroids are wonderfully designed by the legendary Katohi Haijime, whom you may remember as the same fella behind the mecha designs found in Gundam.

Graphically, VOOT is no doubt stunning. There may not be as much attention to detail as depicted in Soul Calibur, but the virtuaroids look and animate in splendid fashion, while maintaining exceptional intricacy. VOOT also has some truly breathtaking environments, some of which can demand your attention even in the midst of an aggravated shoot-out. Outer space platforms pointed towards the facade of the planet earth, an immense elevator juxtaposed against a swollen sunset, and a massive hovering carrier stationed above a thick layer of cottonlike clouds are all ideal settings for the epic battles that await you. Not enough, you say? Might I add that VOOT runs at a silky smooth 60 frames per second, without the slightest hint of slowdown (save, of course, the replays). This is especially remarkable, since the game's pace is so relentless; those with the most rigid nerves can be thrown for a loop.

To conclude, I believe a well-placed question is in order. Remember the days when you could immerse yourself in a game such that you'd find yourself pulling the controller towards the far end of the screen in a futile but valiant attempt to shift the momentum in your favor? I thought so. With Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram, that euphoric experience is given life once again. Lack of Twin Sticks and netplay aside, Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram's hellafied gameplay, beautiful graphics, excellent array of mechs, and unrivaled depth have made it my top Dreamcast release so far this year, decisively dethroning Dead Or Alive 2. If you pride yourself on being a "true" gamer, I strongly urge you not to sell yourself short and give VOOT a well-deserved shot.

· · · Soakrates