Mila Brings Mixed Martial Arts to Dead or Alive 5

Mixed martial artist Mila is joining the roster of lovely ladies in Dead or Alive 5. As gleaned from her introductory trailer, this newcomer's fascination with fighting stems from her admiration of former pro wrestler Bass (she even has an attack named after him). When Bass' daughter, Tina, visits Mila's diner, it sets in motion Mila's quest to track down the legendary wrestler. How does her MMA style translate in the DOA universe? You can see for yourself below:

As an MMA fighter, Mila is a hybrid character who combines quick strikes with grapples. The crux of her arsenal is the takedown, a diving tackle that pins opponents to the ground. From this position, she can follow up with either a trio of punches to the head or an arm-snapping hold. However, what makes the takedown such a crucial technique is not the follow-ups, but the execution.

Several moves will lead into, or can be canceled into, the takedown. One of these is the switch step. Performed by pressing crouching diagonal away plus hold and kick, switch step begins by having Mila take a step away from her opponent. From here you have three options: she will automatically follow up with a low kick, which can be chained into three punches; you can cancel the low kick by pressing hold, leaving Mila a step away from her opponent; or you can press throw to cancel into a takedown.

Mind games such as this are at the heart of this fighter's play style. She wants her foes paralyzed by indecision, unable to determine if she will go for a hold or a strike. Another great tool is her one-two mid kick, performed with two punches then forward plus kick, which can be canceled during the last strike into a takedown. With this combo, the trickery can be taken even further by cancelling the takedown into another punch or kick.

Of course, in some cases a takedown needs no introduction. Mila will dive straight for the kill if you tap forward twice and throw or if you press throw during a sidestep. Outside of the takedown, her arsenal is fairly straightforward. Rising knee, executed with forward plus hold and kick, hits quick and lifts your opponents off their feet--great for extending combos. Upward diagonal forward and punch performs Mila's jumping punch, a forward-hitting attack that's good for closing distance.

Dead or Alive 5's five-star breakdown of Mila's fighting style awards her four stars in strike, throw, and hold; three stars in power and moves; and two stars in speed. She does not have the longest combo stings or the most powerful grapples, but she is adaptable. Her play style is meant to condition her opponent to expect one thing, which she then cancels into a takedown, or a feint, or a kick to the head. You can try out Mila, and the rest of the Dead or Alive 5 roster, when the game is released later this month.