Act of Fighter

In its day, SoftStar was considered one of the premier software design companies in Taiwan, and specialized in arcade style video games. Act of Fighter was an excellent side-scrolling beat ’em up with a plausible story line and smooth, easy movement through the scrolling engine.
The premise of Act of Fighter was pretty standard for Chinese-based games. The hero of the game vows to avenge the death of his brutally murdered father by fighting his way through hordes of lesser enemies to eventually meet the big boss.

There is enemy upon enemy besetting the hero, each of them consisting of a very colourful little animated thug. The backdrops are detailed and are also colourful, adding interest for the gamer.
There are numerous levels and stages within the levels. While the actual game play becomes somewhat redundant, the levels are all different and varied. It definitely becomes tougher as the user progresses through the levels. This, on top of the clunky controls, make it a no-go for the inexperienced gamer. The controls are very learnable, but they do not seem to follow the conventions of other similar beat ‘em ups, such as Tough Guy, and there is confusing learning curve until the commands are sorted out. The game also does not feature many opportunities to amend an error, as there are few chances to continue and the character dies quite a lot.
There is a lot of Chinese influence in the game. There is very little text, but what appears is in original Chinese. The background shows historical Chinese architecture, and the hero fights in some form of martial art that is likely Chinese in origin. The characters also dress in the classic anime style. If anything, the influence of Chinese culture enhances the game and makes it more interesting. The inability to decipher the text is, in no way, a detriment.
In summary, Act of Fighter is a fast-paced, action packed scroller that is difficult enough to keep even the most advanced gamer on his or her toes. It features colourful backgrounds and a great Chinese theme. It is fun and exciting and is very much worth a download. It should keep gamers busy for hours on end and features great replayability and adventure.