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In Memory
Sean Pettibone

Reflecting a changed gaming world in its own unique way, Dead or Alive 5 tries to contemporize the long-running fighting franchise with a slightly grittier tone than previous titles have offered players. While there are still some of its ‘natural beauty’ stages scattered about, most of the game’s stages take place in darker domains such as abandoned oil-rigs, a gritty boxing gym or a war-torn alley. There’s also a circus stage, which seems oddly out of place, a trend that seems to only grow stronger as you go deeper into the game. One big difference this time around is that while DOA titles have always had an X factor in their attractive female combatants, this aspect of the game has been de-emphasized this time around. They seem to be attempting a more ‘street’ feel this time around, which is evident in the new characters with their grittier back stories. It’s a strange approach that doesn’t always work as smoothly as you’d expect and comes across as a bit desperate at points. From a technical standpoint, things look smooth and crisp, with an excellent camera system that doesn’t block the action or get in the way. There are some decent lighting effects and some nice cut-scenes, but nothing extraordinary. The game’s models and engine remain sleek and it characters are richly detailed, but they’re still a bit fantastical in their design. This makes them seem out of place in the more realistic environments Tecmo was aiming for. As usual, the weird voice-overs and hard rock soundtrack create a kind of street-level feel that add to the game’s overall excitement.

DOA 5’s character roster includes most of the familiar characters from previous games, with favorites like Kasumi and Jann Lee joined by some newcomers including Mila, a street boxer and an English brawler named Elliot. The game’s overall balance is fairly good between the old and new characters with different styles for each. Each character has their own set of moves, combos and specials, which brings some depth to the gameplay, but they don’t exactly balance – some are much easier to use than others. The level of you skill is a key element in pacing the battles, depending on your ability opponents will either fall quickly or put up quite a struggle. There are a few other hidden characters, who will be outlined later, and while the novelty of having opponents from a rival series is interesting, they don’t add much to the game’s overall feel.

The basics haven’t changed so the key strategy in DOA 5 involves using attacks and counters to defeat your opponent in a series of matches. Players have a standard selection of punches and kicks to use in attacks and can use different special attacks to inflict greater damage. You can block and counter an opponent’s moves and use other techniques such as running and jumping in some circumstances to increase your chances of winning. Like Tekken, this is a game of momentum, where you can string together multiple attacks and create an almost unstoppable series of attacks that will leave your opponent unable to respond, quickly draining their life bar and finishing off the match quickly. Depending on which mode and difficulty you use, the opponents you face will either put up quite a fight or go down without much effort. In addition to your standard moves, you can also utilize the game’s environments, which once again feature those trademark danger zones. In case you’re not familiar, these are areas such as walls which can electrocute and then drain an opponent’s life force significantly when you slam them into them, giving you quite an advantage. In addition, some of DOA 5’s stages feature break points, where a fighter can plunge off an oil rig or derelict building’s edge. Suffering these falls create an incredible amount of damage almost instantly and gives the battles dramatic, almost cinematic feel at points. Unfortunately, this approach only puts the flawed implementation, from the choppy dialogue and uneven plot into greater relief, making the game feel a bit inadequate by today’s standards.

The game offers players many different modes including the standard arcade, time attack and survival modes, but none of these really bring any innovation. How these standard fighting game modes work should be self-explanatory at this point, and there are variations within each to extend your options. One of the more interesting aspects of the new game is its more elaborate story mode, which unfolds over a series of different mini-games that gradually show you how to play the game, and some of the new tactics that you’ll be using. It also lets you explore each character’s backstories and get a feel for their motivations. Not quite as effective as Tecmo was aiming for, since it’s a bit strange and incoherent in places, but it wins points for giving the gameplay a different feel. It can be a bit tedious at points, but most players will only need to get through it once in order to unlock the hidden VF characters. The game also includes an extensive online mode that allows players to battle it out online and unlock extras such as costumes and character accessories. The game also features extensive support for trophies, which is fun if that’s what motivates you.

Players can choose to play either alone or against a friend either online or on their own console. Most of your time will probably be spent with DOA 5’s main arcade fighting game. This is a traditional fighting game features two distinct styles of play this time around. You can either choose to fight as a solo character or play in a tag-team match where you select from two different characters. You can alternate between them with the press of a button, with the match only ending when both characters’ life bars have been depleted. This gives a different style of play to the series and makes for a welcome addition this time around. With all these various modes in place, the game features a surprising amount of depth, but the game also offers a few changes under the hood to keep the gameplay from becoming stale.

DOA 5’s controls feature a slightly tweaked version of the familiar interface from previous games. The biggest new addition this time is its Triangle system which gives different moves different priorities. For example, a throw move has a lesser priority than an attack move, and won’t connect with as much force, allowing the opponent to counter it quickly. Kicks and Punches rank higher than throws and holds, which gives you an idea. It makes the game less defensive and you need to be aggressive when you fight. The triangle system comes into play when you’re countering an opponent’s attack and works fairly intuitively. It’s a small change, but it definitely makes the game play much faster, and reduces the ability to turtle. Aside from this, DOA 5’s controls stay true to the previous games, and those familiar with its style should have little trouble adapting. The addition of the 3 Virtua Fighter characters s brings a different style to the game as well, and while they’re fun to use, they don’t really fit in with the rest of the action, and come across as kind of gimmicky on balance. Suffice it to say, the implementation of this department leaves a lot to be desired and points to the game’s overall uneven quality. Taken together, its many flaws undermine Dead or Alive 5’s appeal significantly. It lacks the polish of rivals like Tekken Tag Tournament 2 or Capcom’s recent releases. While it’s a fun button-masher for a short period of time, it lacks the depth and challenge players have come to expect from fighting games. Its attempts at modernizing the formula feel forced in many instances, and the story mode, supposedly one of the game’s main draws, is badly implemented, making it more a chore to endure than something to anticipate. In the end, Dead or Alive 5 is unfortunately emblematic of a series that seems to have lost its way.   

- Michael Palisano

Grade: C