What was the better series? GA vs SoR

[16bitter]

Anybody know how many regular moves were added to SOR 3? oh none thought so. SOR 3 turns into a special a thon and I absolutely hate it. Give me a 2nd basic combo, give me a running combo, give me a 2nd back grapple attack, give me a grapple mega combo (kind of like a Brutality in MK3 or FF3 to be more accurate). Instead I get 2 variants of the Grand Uppah both of which give me zero satisfaction. Oh wait weapon specific specials once again for the most part don't give me any satisfaction (weapon specific combo's would have been way better) seriously pick up a pipe with Hagger in FF3 and damn it feels good to put together 3 smooth shots in a row with a pipe or Guy with his nunchuks. I think a huge reason for the moves being less satisfying is the damage done is way less then in SOR 2. When you do Axel's offensive special in SOR 2 it is so satisfying in 3 I am always like wtf how do that many punches take out so little health.

SOR3 Hard and complex moves wtf? their not hard at all to pull off (most of the new moves are garbage though)
Final Fight 3 I will tell you why I like it more then SOR 3 Music is better, graphics are way better, the moves are better, the game is better.

Much like its minimal techno score, I feel that SOR3/BKIII is a strong step forward in-series and genre.

The game is very much what Sega were at their height: genre-bending, if not creating, taking a concept and making it both a great gameplay but also a piece of cultural cool. Bare knuckle III, with its purity of conceit, reminds me a little of Jet Set Radio in that it's a great match of style to function, maybe even as function or depth; it's taking the original game's concept (the sexy, stylish streets) and doing its damnedest to purify and synergise

The game's the most functional of the lot, and one of the best of the genre, particularly for its period.

You ask why the specials are the way they are, but I see the point in the game's scope; it's a rhythm issue. Pacing-wise, particularly in the Western release or on the highest difficulty, the game works very well with this system, finding a better gameplay speed -- more frantic -- matched to a more complex structure and strategy (which is also why the run feature is an important update).

What happens is -- as a blender of gameplay, graphics and sound -- the game becomes the most visceral entry in the series, with the best flow of the three games.

On a more direct or segregated level of gameplay, also keep in mind that Capcom was experimenting with the idea of special moves, whether that be the later-FF3 or the release of Aliens Versus Predators around the same time.

As far as the third element I also believe that the game has the best mashup of animation, design and explication of intent from those issues; if you look at the characters and environments, they have a far grittier, more 'realistic' sense and style innately; going back to SOR2, the difference is rather striking, and the prior game looks cartoiony in the contrast. Stylistically, the matter is subjective (redundant), but I think it's clear that as a design strata BKIII comes closest to the ideas underlying the series through these graphics: a kind of romantic grit, a little more noirish than its predecessor.

And if you look at box art, it's either coincidental or telling that the third game looks the closest to all three games' covers. It's more anatomical, grittier and a bit more sexualized. I think it has a striking look, even as its desaturated on color and minimilzed as far as cartoonish flourishes.

It really matches the form-as-function model throughout, with the music being a hugely important pointer as far as what they were trying to do, in my opinion: get closer to the bone so far as those three elements, and thus the central argument of the series.

The game's insular in that sense, as it explores ideas of genre and series more minutely it loses the prior games' broader appeal, but it's arguably the best game -- relative to style and genre expansion -- because of it. Rather like Street Fighter III.

I believe that FF's third entry is a fine game, but I don't think it can match the sophistication of the denouement to SOR.

Genre and gaming as art? It certainly takes a stab at it.

[Da_Shocker]

Zan is the only character who I never really ever play. As I can play with all of the other characters in SoR3 and have a good time. Roo and Shiva are also pretty fun to play with and Shiva has that super cheap punch that beat the hell out of everybody accept the bosses. I will admit that the atmosphere is so-so and the coloring well blame SoA for fucking so much of that game up. But the music really is shitty this time around.

[Tor Landeel]

Ash is the better character of the game. Period.