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Deathrow pits two teams in a no-limit, total aggression, ass kicking arena battle, where only blood shed, devastating moves, and opponent tossing will get you the win. Well, there is that whole “put the disc in the goal” thing, but that really isn’t where the fun is.

Deathrow should definitely have an explicit lyrics sticker on the cover, but it doesn’t. Instead, pay close attention to the ESRB rating and content advisory. This game should probably have a ‘No Pansies’ sticker too! Your momma isn’t going to approve of the verbiage, but when does she really approve of it anyway. The players in Deathrow drop F-Bombs like the U.S. drops Smart Bombs on Al Queda. It’s the new era in games and Deathrow: Underground Team Combat sure does push the envelope. Don’t think for one second that little Billy should get this game for his birthday. This game brings it all to the table, raw and uncut.

Deathrow: Underground Team Combat takes you on a crazy ride through a futuristic rugby type game. You will yell, scream and bleed. Did I mention that you will bleed? Not just a little, but a lot! The goal here is to make your opponents lose more bodily fluids than you do. The game isn’t for the light at heart, by any means. The language is suitable for Slim Shady, but I don’t think he would even let his little daughter play the game.

Deathrow is an intense sports/fighting game that rewards the fast and violent victories over the slow and meek. Well-rounded graphics makes this an amazing play. I actually notice blood squirting out of the mouth of teammates and opponents. You might even see some blinking and expressions of emotion, such as, pain, happiness and bleeding. It isn’t Mortal Kombat, but it is blood, none-the-less.

So what about this game that you are suppose to be playing? Well, the setting of the game takes places in Los Angeles in the year 2197. LA sure looks a lot different in the future, but the cops still act the same! You will have to experience that for yourself. The game is played with a halo, or metal type disc. You play 4 periods with eight players on the floor; four on each squad. From the beginning foul-mouthed comments to the final buzzer, it is non-stop action. Rules are an option. Does the word option seem somewhat strange to anyone else? Its true! Its damn true! You can play with rules, no rules, or customize to your own specific rules. In my personal opinion, playing without rules is a great way to experience the game. Besides, rules were made to be broken!

There are multiple leagues. Each league contains four teams. During Conquest mode you need to beat them all. Sounds like fun. Great. There are multiple things that make Deathrow stand apart from other sports type games, I mean besides all the killing and bloodshed. When was the last time you had a drug test on Madden 2003? But seriously, we all know that multi-million dollar athletes would never risk taking drugs. But in this game, you get to see a great example of what it would be like if an entire sports team was amped up on something. To give you an idea of the teams, we have the likes of: The Convicts (name says it all). I wouldn’t exactly call these men, law-abiding citizens. Then of course there are The Protectors, who are more like the police you might find in Los Angeles during the Rodney King beatings. Are you getting my point here? This game is created for that individual going through assault withdrawal. Take your frustrations out with this game and not on your girlfriend…

Your main goal will be to take your team from the pile of cow dung, to the top of the mountain. Now here are a few things that will happen along the way. You might play well enough to earn some sponsors and you may even catch the eye of some prospects desiring to be part of your squad. You earn credits, much like money, to be used to heal your players during and after games. You can use your credits to sign new players to your squad and to train current players. This should be done with some regularity if you plan on getting very far. Unlike some other games sports games I’ve played that include a ‘training’ option, you actually see the results of your training efforts in Deathrow.

It takes a bit to get adjusted to the gameplay, as this isn’t a title you can’t just pickup and be good at like some other sports games. There are two different views that you can play the game in: Sports view and Action view. I’m an action view type of guy myself and to be quite honest, you haven’t played this game until you have played action view. In action view you sometimes get a little Matrix type experience. You’ll love it. The game will slow way down, ala ‘Bullet-time’, just to show your player trying to break someone’s arm of the other team. It’s a beautiful thing.

The controls are a little hit and miss at first, but once you get a handle on things you’ll be beating training droids, sea cats and several other opponents with ease. The graphics are better than I would expect from a game like this. This game wasn’t exactly advertised like Halo, but the graphics alone make this a game worthy of the same type of attention. Don’t get me wrong. This is no Halo, but it is deserving of your utmost attention. And if you don’t give Deathrow your undivided attention while playing it, then it will demand it of you by GETTING your attention, even if that means giving you the finger. That’s right son. The same finger your momma whoops you for using.

In closing; Deathrow is a game that at first, didn’t seem to deserve my quality time, but when given a fair chance, was well worth the experience. Time tells all in this game. Don’t experience everything up front. All except for the fine graphics, the designers make you work for everything you experience. I enjoyed playing Deathrow and continue to do so. There is a longevity to the game and something almost sinister that keeps calling your name to “play me one more time”.