Choose from eight different fighters, each with their own "spirit animal" to defeat all other fighters and a final boss in Bloody Roar, a hand-to-hand combat game in the same vein as Tekken and Virtua Fighter. Characters have special moves for inflicting damage, and can transform into spirit animals by punching or kicking their opponent. Instant replays highlight the punch or kick that ended the preceding round. Blood is evident in Bloody Roar, but not in the same graphic fashion as the Mortal Kombat series.