[The Duggler]

There's an Q & A interview on gamespot revealing some interresting stuff:

The good: (based on my opinion)

This year we have created a completely unique and original create-a-player system that ties directly into the story of the game. No one has ever done create-a-player this way, and I'm sure people are going to think it's very cool.

The main modes are story mode (single-player), battle mode (multiplayer), and online for PS2.

So, we implemented a lot of secondary strategic elements, like interactive crowds, environmental hazards, and the ability to use the world as your weapon. Everything in our gamespace serves an interactive purpose--if you see something, then you can use it to fight with.

We break the fighting styles down into five basic classes: martial artist, streetfighter, submissions, kickboxer, and wrestler. Within each of these basic classes there are many substyles, so a martial artist may use karate, capoeira, tae kwon do, etc.

And of course, we've got a ton of new match types with varied objectives in this year's game

GS: How are the graphics being improved in this year's game?

JH: By leaps and bounds--over twice the detail at four times the resolution. We have a ton of visual effects that have been specifically designed to complement the characters and action. Hair flows naturally, both blood and sweat spray on big attacks, jewelry "blings" as it catches the light, and every location in the game comes to life with all the little details you'd expect.

The bad:

Both AKI and EAC wanted to create a fighting system that was revolutionary rather than evolutionary

The first thing we did was to simplify the controls to make them more intuitive.

The overall focus of the fighting system is fun, over-the-top action rather than a simulation of technical fighting.

And some new screen shots (The ugly... (Canyarion))