Slice, Dice and Rice

My dad was always appalled at the fighting games I used to play as a kid. Not because he was offended by the blood and violence, but rather because they weren't very realistic. "How come you aren't dead?" he would ask. "That guy just stabbed you in the gut with a samurai sword." I was reminded a lot of my father's confusion while playing Slice, Dice & Rice, an exciting new fighting game where you can take down your opponent with a single well-placed strike. It may not be the year's deepest head-to-head brawler, but I have a hunch my dad would approve of this slightly more realistic approach.

Inspired by generations of incredible samurai movies, books and comics, Slice, Dice & Rice is a stylish new fighting game where the round is over before it even begins. The gimmick here is that a single hit can end the fight. That's not to say that every strike will get the job done, but a large majority of the rounds end with the first hit. There's no life bar or tag team option here, just that uneasy feeling that you could either win or die at any moment.

Don't let the quick pace suggest that there isn't technique to Slice, Dice & Rice. The characters have a horizontal attack, a vertical attack and a heavy attack. At least, I think it's supposed to be heavy attack, the instruction manual spells it wrong. All three of these attacks can be used both on the ground and in the air, so the idea is to look for an opening and strike. But watch out, because the other fighter can parry, leaving you open to a reversal. It's definitely a lot simpler than Street Fighter V, but has enough going on to lead to some intense battles.

A lot of the charm comes from the ten different characters, each with their own signature weapon. I knew I was going to love this cast from the moment I noticed dueling samurais named Yojimbo and Kojiro. Other characters include a fan-wielding birdman named Tengu, a grim reaper that is appropriately named Shinigami and Benkei, who looks like he comes directly out of Mortal Kombat. Some of these characters are fast, others are defensive and a few have a reach advantage. It's a cool cast.

I like that we get to know these characters through an eight-part story mode. It's not as graphically exciting as what we see NetherRealm and Capcom doing these days, but the extra backstory for each character is appreciated. We get a short paragraph of text, a few lines of dialog between fighters and a couple boss fights. If we manage to go through this mode with all eight characters, we'll unlock the aforementioned bosses for regular play.

Speaking of which, this game really comes to life when playing against other people. For as much as I liked sharpening my skills on the computer opponent, they start to feel a bit robotic after a while. This problem goes away the moment you introduce a second person into the mix. Because it's so easy to learn, I had no problem getting my friends into it and had a great time discovering their very different tactics. The game also has online multiplayer support for fight fans without a lot of friends, though I had a hard time finding people to play against. At least the option is there.

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Slice, Dice & Rice reminds me a lot of a game I reviewed a couple years ago called DiveKick. That was another deceptively simple fighter with short rounds and only a handful of moves. This game has cooler characters and a better theme, but nearly all of the same problems that plagued DiveKick are also on full display in Slice, Dice & Rice.

I hate to say it, but this is the kind of game that goes from fun and exciting to boring and repetitive in just a few hours. For as much fun as it was playing against my friends, very few of them wanted to spend the whole night repeating the same head-to-head fights. This is also how I felt going up against the computer. There comes a point where the action is a little too simple to be sustainable. It's a fun novelty I may return to every once in a while, but it's more of a appetizer than a main course.

While it won't hold your attention like Street Fighter V or Dragon Ball FighterZ, Slice, Dice & Rice is definitely fun in short bursts. The action is easy to pick up and learn and offers just enough depth to stay competitive. I love the art style, the character designs and even some of the stories. This is a theme that is right up my alley, and they absolutely nail the execution. The only problem is that the action wears thin quickly and you'll play through all the content in only a couple hours. Slice, Dice & Rice left me hungry for more.