Dead Or Alive: Xtreme 2 Review

For hardcode gamers - most of whom are young, male and hormonal, of course - any game that features polygonal saucepots with breasts that jiggle and bounce is something to be cherished. And when a title comes along that allows you to woo said strumpets and dress them in a series of increasingly provocative swimsuits, it’s sure to be an essential purchase for the long, lonely winter nights. But for anyone else who has a life and the chance to interact with real women, Xtreme 2 is just plain creepy.

Earning the money to buy new ‘clothes’ for the digital damsels involves playing a series of beach games, and that’s where Xtreme 2 really loses its way; while there are a wide variety of challenges to master – including volley ball, pool-hopping, riding jet-skis and butt battles (which are exactly as crass as they sound) – all the minigames are stilted and painfully simple, and earning enough cash for that glittery thong or string bikini soon becomes an excruciating chore.

There’s no denying that the girls are beautifully realised and look fantastic - and there’s a certain guilty pleasure in the FHM-style photoshoots where you can snap the ladies from any angle and marvel at their pendulous ‘soft physics’ - but the voyeuristic thrills soon become stale and the pitiful game that lies beneath isn’t worth Xtreme 2’s hefty price tag.