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Rag Doll Kung Fu, when it was originally released on the PC via Steam, was one of the better indie titles, and players to this day are still playing the game. Developer Qi Studios, which is actually just one guy, Mark Healy, creator of the game, has released a new, updated version for the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network.

In case you didn’t know, Rag Doll Kung Fu (the PS3 title is Rag Doll Kung Fu — Fists of Plastic), is a rag doll based fighting game where the characters behave like rag dolls, responding realistically to combat by use of physics, something very few other fighting games do. Fists of Plastic isn’t anything like the original game, it’s build on a brand new engine and features all new visuals, and is a PS3 exclusive and a download only title — it can be downloaded for only $10 on PSN.

Those $10 don’t get you much though, as Rag Doll Kung Fu has a rather short single player campaign. Called “challenges”, which vary from surviving for a period of time against an opponent, to using specific attack skills to defeat an enemy. While the challenges are great fun and serve as a way of getting familiar with the game, it doesn’t have a story of any form. Because of the realistic physics, the gameplay is different from other fighting games. In Fists of Plastic, you have to time your attacks and defends, instead of just pressing a button. Players can also use the surroundings to their advantage, climb ledges, rooftops etc., which brings a great depth to the gameplay. However, the challenges can be completed in less than an hour, which leads us to the multiplayer part…

The game offers four player multiplayer, which is great fun, however, the multiplayer portion is strictly offline-only. Also, because of the limited amount of selectable characters and settings, even the multiplayer portion gets boring after a while. It’s great fun… For a moment. Online multiplayer in this game is more wanted than in any other, as the offline modes and multiplayer is simply too shallow.

Technically, the game shines. It looks gorgeous (think Little Big Planet), and its style suits the gameplay perfectly. The music is also inspired by old Kung Fu movies, further creating a memorable atmosphere.

Overall, Rag Doll Kung Fu — Fists of Plastic offers a great visual and unique look, however, it’s very shallow and could really use an online multiplayer mode. The game feels more like a tech demo or actually, just a demo than a real game — despite the $10 price tag.

The Good:
Charming visuals

The Bad:
Shallow
Lack of online multiplayer

Overall score: 5/10