The first thing that come to mind about the Dead or Alive series is fanservice and jiggle physics. While that is still true to an extent (especially considering Ultimate and Last Round adds more fanservice to appease the fans), there is more to this game.
Learning how to play the game is easy. The tutorials for each character is straight forward and teaches most of their moves and basic combos. However, like most fighting games, some characters have complex inputs – such as Ryu Hayabusa's Izuna Drop – that most people will not bother with.
Furthermore, while the game is easy to learn, and players will likely breeze through the lower difficulty levels, a player new to the game trying to take on legend difficulty out the box immediately will result in a curb stomp battle.
Graphics wise, the characters look great and more realistic than previous games, where they had a more anime-esque look and feel in previous entries. (Some may see this as a negative though, as some preferred the anime style.) The costumes are amazingly detailed. The characters sweat and get dirty, which I am sure adds to the fanservice factor. The stages are fun to play and are interactive.
Replay value is like any other fighting game – it mostly depends on player versus player, and there is both online and local multiplayer for that. The storyline will provide some entertainment and challenge – even if you believe the story is ridiculous. (And some of you will.)
If you bought the original Dead or Alive 5, the main reason to upgrade to Ultimate is the new characters, as the costumes are so-so, usually edits of previously released costumes (albeit well detailed).
Overall, I give the game an 8/10. It is fun to play, and a good introduction to fighting games.
Fanservice aside, it is a good fighter
Note: This review is for Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate/Last Round for the PS3.
The first thing that come to mind about the Dead or Alive series is fanservice and jiggle physics. While that is still true to an extent (especially considering Ultimate and Last Round adds more fanservice to appease the fans), there is more to this game.
Learning how to play the game is easy. The tutorials for each character is straight forward and teaches most of their moves and basic combos. However, like most fighting games, some characters have complex inputs – such as Ryu Hayabusa's Izuna Drop – that most people will not bother with.
Furthermore, while the game is easy to learn, and players will likely breeze through the lower difficulty levels, a player new to the game trying to take on legend difficulty out the box immediately will result in a curb stomp battle.
Graphics wise, the characters look great and more realistic than previous games, where they had a more anime-esque look and feel in previous entries. (Some may see this as a negative though, as some preferred the anime style.) The costumes are amazingly detailed. The characters sweat and get dirty, which I am sure adds to the fanservice factor. The stages are fun to play and are interactive.
Replay value is like any other fighting game – it mostly depends on player versus player, and there is both online and local multiplayer for that. The storyline will provide some entertainment and challenge – even if you believe the story is ridiculous. (And some of you will.)
If you bought the original Dead or Alive 5, the main reason to upgrade to Ultimate is the new characters, as the costumes are so-so, usually edits of previously released costumes (albeit well detailed).
Overall, I give the game an 8/10. It is fun to play, and a good introduction to fighting games.