Being the fifth entry in the franchise, Dead or Alive 5 really has to be something special. So how does this title hold up? Is it everything that DOA has been and more?
I’ve played every entry into the DOA series since I was first introduced to it on the Sega Dreamcast with DOA 2. While there was an obvious cheesecake approach to the character designs, what I played was a really solid fighter, one in 3D. While there had been other 3D fighters, Marvel vs Capcom 2 was tearing it up in the arcade. It was difficult to see 3D fighters take off, until I played as Kasumi.
What I’ve always been impressed with was DOA’s ability to simplify and streamline the Fight System. Being more then a bit of a Capcom-nut in my Street Fighting days, I was all too familiar with the 6 button layout. With DOA you can expect 4 buttons each with self explanatory names. For all the DOA newbs, there is Block, Throw, Punch and Kick. Some buttons have multi-purposes that can be performed while holding down an additional button. What really makes this game fun is the counters, holding back and Block allows you to counter an attack. If you hit the throw button while you’re just about to be thrown you can counter. It sounds simple enough, but that’s where the strategy in combat come into play.
New to the title is the Power Blow: while holding Punch and Kick and a directional button you can charge an attack that can not only do a large amount of damage, but it sends your opponent flying. If you time this right, you can also aim your opponent towards the stage danger areas. Like previous DOA titles, your environment affects the fight, there are still plenty of areas to knock your opponents into, but they’ve been given a bit off a face lift. This time around, instead of just knocking your opponent down the stairs or into an electric fence, they’ve added explosives or environment triggers. For example, when you hit an explosive, a beam may fall into the match, changing up your strategy and positions.
The game also features a fully flushed out story line that while may be confusing at times, really gives you not only a tutorial on how to play, but also a larger understanding of all the characters. It’s broken down into a timeline style where you switch from each of the 24 playable characters. Also during each stage there is a Bonus Mission that unlocks titles. These titles can later be used in the Online Portion, giving your profile a bit of personality. If you unlock enough of them you can get a secret character. If Story isn’t up your alley there is still Arcade, Survival, and Time Attack. New this time around is the ability to select your level of fighting before you go into combat. Previously you would have to dig around in the options for this. Each mode and gameplay style allows you to unlock costumes. Keep in mind you can’t play Rookie Mode – Time Attack 4 times with the same character to unlock 4 costumes. The idea is that you grow with that character and learn how to use them, so you would instead play Time Attack with the same character and increase the difficulty.
Graphics
The graphic engine has also been given a rather large upgrade. First is with the lighting department, in previous titles there seemed to be a large amount of over saturation when it came to color. While this looked nice and flashy, it detracted a bit from the realistic nature and detail going into the game. DOA5 departs from this, offering a more refined lighting engine. This includes particle effects including steam, dust, and other background elements. The characters themselves have also been given quite an upgrade, so that costumes and hair flow smoothly. Then there is the latest addition of dirt and sweat. As your character fights, they actually sweat and react to their surroundings. Yes, this includes t-shirts and water.
Sound
DOA5 doesn’t disappoint. With all my fighters from Japan, I prefer the Japanese audio. There is of course an English option as well, giving you your personal preferences. The actual soundtrack is a little forgettable, there are a couple of tracks that sound neat but nothing ground breaking. Though in terms of SFX I was pretty impressed. Everything seemed to have a nice sound to them. The environments always felt rather large and expansive.
Overall
I was certainly impressed with DOA5, it’s a solid entry into the franchise. However, I wished that there were some extra options in terms of how many rounds, and that they’d turn the cheesecake down a bit. If you are looking for a solid fighter that gives you plenty of replay value mixed with a ton of unlocks, you’ve found your game.