Review: Dead Or Alive 5

I was concerned that the loss of the spiritual leader of the series, Itagaki-san, would have a negative effect on the quality of this latest outing. I also considered that, given that he left under a cloud of allegations of sexual harassment, I wondered if the remaining staff would have a boob rebellion. Well, the over-compensating breast physics, shower scenes, gratuitous upskirt/down-top camera views and loose fitting or skimpy clothing are all present (if questionably correct) but I am pleased to report that the quality of the game has been maintained – if not improved upon.

While I accept that the DOA series might not be the darling of the competitive fighting scene, I have always appreciated some of the nuances of the series; such as the ebb and flow of the rock/paper/scissors combat system and the danger presented by the massive falls you can take throughout the environment. Granted, those falls might not be the most realistic, but aside from just being fun, they also made me feel that I was fighting in an actual environment and not just on top of a background.

What truly adds to the feeling of being within an environment whilst you fight are the ‘Danger Zones’ – the explosive areas generally at the edges of levels – and, new in DOA 5, the inclusion of ‘Cliffhanger’ moments. A ‘Cliffhanger’ sees one fighter being placed in the unwanted situation of dangling precariously from a ledge (such as the edge of a cliff, natch) whilst their opponent is bearing down on them – this gives rise for an opportunity for the aggressor to strike or throw the practically helpless dangle-ee, but the victim also has the chance to counter. This usually has fairly explosive consequences and is another nice addition to the environmental dangers presented by the detailed, interactive level design.

The fights in the story mode are not too tough, but the inclusion of bonus missions (such as ‘catch three low kicks or perform a certain combo’) should add some longevity or replay value to this mode.  The story mode fights start easy and get progressively harder, but should be applauded for the great job they do of introducing all of the game’s nuances and deeper tactics. My one criticism here is that it is all too easy to win the fight without quite achieving the bonus objective – and an easier way to instantly retry each level would have been appreciated.

Other modes in the game such as Survival and Time Attack have become mainstays of the series, but can be played on varying difficulty levels and as either a single combatant or as a two man (or abnormally large breasted woman) tag team. Similar options are available in the arcade mode – and it was in this mode that I was pleasantly surprised by one noticeable absence – that of any form of boss character.

It has been a long-time bugbear of mine that fighting games still retain the arcade machine-originated, coin guzzling tactic of having you fight a overly powerful character that fails to play by the rules set out for everyone else. It all too often makes the main game a frustration to play and, while I admit that it may rob these modes of the feeling of finality, it is an antiquated notion that I am glad to see abandoned.

While there is quite a lot of gaming time to be had across the various different modes, it is fair to say that any fighting game in the modern era of gaming will only stand up to the test of time if it includes multiplayer modes. Whilst I did not test the online portions of this game for the purposes of this review, DOA 5 includes a number of options, notably the ability to host tournaments for up to 16 people. For me, multiplayer in fighting games is always more fun when you can see (and possibly punch) your opponent; DOA 5 obviously includes a local multiplayer mode and allows you to fight as a single fighter or as a tag team – or to team up together if you are feeling a little more co-operative.

Followers of the DOA series will probably notice that two characters have not made a return in DOA 5; Leon is a bit of a loss, given that he and Bayman were the two characters who excelled at counter attacks, but I can live without him much more than the loss of Ein whose straight-out powerful offensive attacks made him one of my favourite characters.

But, to look on the bright side, these AWOL fighters have made way for some new faces in the character roster. The two new additions – Rig and Mila – are both strong and interesting fighters. Rig is a powerful, quick Taekwondo master from Canada and Mila is an upcoming MMA fighter whose fighting style is a nice mix of a wrestling and powerful strikes. Both play well and feel like worthy additions to the roster, especially given the real world emergence of MMA as a recognised fighting style.

I have also always felt that DOA did a better job than most fighting games (although many would argue with the exception of Virtua Fighter) at accurately representing the characters’ fighting styles. No-one does drunken master style better than Brad Wong! Not even Jackie Chan himself! Three characters from the Virtua Fighter series are also available to unlock; Akira Yuki, Sarah Bryant and Pai Chan.

Whilst I like the Virtua Fighter series, I’m a little unsure how I feel about them crossing over. Akira is very technical fighter, but he appears a bit too slow, especially as his lacklustre speed isn’t balanced with the benefit of overwhelming power. Sarah, if anything, feels over powered, but certainly does not feel out of place with the rest of the DOA ladies – she strikes and counters well with a mixed martial art and grappling style. Pai Chan is weak, but what she lacks in power she makes up for with speed and technical striking.

One of the major additions to the DOA fighting engine is the inclusion of a ‘Power Blow’. When you have taken enough damage, your health bar will glow red – this indicates that you can charge and then release a heavy attack (the ‘Power Blow’) capable of doing a large amount of damage. It gives the chance for a fighter to stage a comeback, but also leaves you exposed when charging. The ‘Power Blow’ nicely helps to mix up the combat a bit, but I found that AI opponents are a bit too good at pulling them off, sometimes doing so in windows so tight that you seriously doubt whether a human would be able to do so if placed in the same situation. When you’re not on the receiving end, however, the slight slow down and accompanying black-and-white effect makes for a satisfying killer strike.