A reason to buy the XBOX 360??
Fast forward a few years. Last year, Team NINJA let loose a genre beast known as Dead or Alive Ultimate. Ultimate was Itagaki’s way of saying, ‘’Microsoft rocks my world, and in return I want to bring every installment of the Dead or Alive series to the Xbox to express my dedication.’’ Ultimate was a double-pack boasting a graphically revamped Dead or Alive 2, and a port of the Sega Saturn classic Dead or Alive 1. The main selling point for Ultimate was its online play. Some fans were disappointed though because it wasn’t exactly a step forward, rather a rehash of two old games. And that’s where we come to Dead or Alive 4.
Dead or Alive 4 is the all-new sequel to the Xbox’s critically acclaimed brawler. This edition of the series couples the online play of Dead or Alive Ultimate with the character selection of Dead or Alive 3 and painstakingly snuggles it all together to create a fanboy’s dream. This is the game you’ve waited years for, and take my word for it, you will not want to pass it up.
Gameplay:
Dead or Alive 4’s story is a complicated ordeal. Helena’s dad, Fame Douglas, has died, and now it’s time for the kinswoman to take over DOATEC. Strange forces are brewing, and an evil scientist enters the picture and generates a dangerous Kasumi clone by the name Alpha-152. The fighters aren’t merely entering the Dead or Alive tournament for fame and riches this time around, but for a much more significant and heroic reason – to destroy this mess of a machine, save the organization, and break the demonic stranglehold that has been placed on daughter Helena.
The Dead or Alive series has always received a good amount of flack by the hardcore throng for being too easy, too simplistic, and focusing too much on graphics and beautiful character models. Team NINJA promised with the fourth rendition that the gameplay would be taken to another level, both in complexity and difficulty. Let me be the first to say, they weren’t kidding. The AI has been set on attack and conquer, and there are more combos and modes than one could even begin to comprehend.
Right from the start, there are sixteen characters ready for battle (six unlockable), including three new contenders – Kokoro, La Mariposa, and Eliot. No particularly new styles have been introduced with these new characters, but each have an assortment of distinctive moves. Kokoro’s style is similar to your faster, yet grab-efficient characters such as Christie and Zack. La Mariposa, if you couldn’t already tell by the outfits, is a wrestler and has a very comparable fighting approach to Tina. Eliot is my favorite new brawler out of the bunch. His master, Gen Fu, taught him well. His style, in a way, is akin to his master’s, but in reality it’s much quicker and assured.
The combat in the Dead or Alive series has always been based on its lovable counter system, and this installment is no different. You can counter low, mid, and high attacks. Pretty much every move can be countered, except for a few exceptions such as Jan Lee’s unstoppable high lash out, and maybe a few air attacks. This whole countering obsession has never been so utilized. Before, countering a boss was unfeasible, but Alpha-152 can be countered and grabbed just like any other fighter. However, you’ll have to think quickly if you want to pull off a successful reversal on this devil. This deadly Kasumi clone will teleport and do peculiar, almost inescapable assaults forcing you to use up those unlimited continues more than anticipated. This boss is without a doubt the most frustrating in franchise history, but a skilled player shouldn’t have too much trouble. My advice is to be cheap and continually use the same sudden combos so she won’t be able to set up some strange teleport laceration. And when you knock her down, run over before she hurries to get up. With these small tips, anyone, skilled or not, can be prevalent against Alpha-152.
Now that we’ve covered the offline portion, let’s move on to the heart and soul of the package. Dead or Alive 4’s online play is similar to last year’s Ultimate in several ways. One way being in the modes of play. Winner-Stays, Loser-Stays, Kumite, Survival, and Tournament have all returned. Tag and Team Battle can be applied to these types of play as well to make things more compelling. I was a little disappointed that no new modes were added, but when you have a selection such as the one present, there’s not much to complain about. There is, however, an interesting new lobby system. In addition to this, Zack’s Shop makes an appearance for the first time since DOAX. It’s certainly not as stocked as the one in DOAX, but there is still a hodgepodge of things available for purchase. After earning money by winning matches, you will be able to obtain large screen TVs where you can watch fights from the lobby, acquire new outfits, and gather a variety of unique items.
All of the modes and depth found in the online section of Dead or Alive Ultimate can be seen here, but one thing I wish wouldn’t have carried over is the lag. Yes, I know, it’s sad. It can unquestionably be a major problem. The fighting system can be abused when there is lag. Adversaries will be able to read your mind like an open book if you or your opponent is not on a smooth connection, or if you’re facing someone in another country. This will obviously result in a great deal of frustration.
It’s that complete, satisfying, and rewarding gameplay that gamers want when they slap down sixty bones, and candidly, there aren’t many games out there for the Xbox 360 that will deliver this aside from Dead or Alive 4. Sure, the online has some lag, and Alpha-152 can be a pain, but all things considered, Dead or Alive 4’s gameplay is absolutely amazing.
Graphics:
Beautiful environments, staggering character models, smooth and fluent animations… this is the best looking game currently available on the Xbox 360 in every aspect. The computer generated endings (which can be watched at any time after unlocked in theater mode) are mind-blowing. They not only look amazing, a number of them are actually pretty darn well produced movies – some definitely better than others. Hayate and Bayman sport the best, while Hitomi and Kasumi have the worst (not necessarily visually). These CG productions really wet my mouth for what’s to come for the console. I get goosebumps when pondering about what Team NINJA has in store for Ninja Gaiden 2. Eek!
The in-game offering is no slouch by any means. The characters possess more depth than ever. While there aren’t as many breathtaking outfits at your disposal as there were in Ultimate, the apparel that is present looks stunning. We still haven’t quite reached the point in video games where character models will look CG-esque, but Dead or Alive 4 is as close as we will get to that point in a good deal of time.
As mentioned, the environments are gorgeous. Not just ‘’hey, that’s lovely detailing they used there on the surroundings,’’ but ‘’whoa, can games actually appear this lifelike?’’ There also aren’t just three or four places to duke it out in either, there is a plethora of available arenas, several boasting multiple layers and wonderfully done destructible structures. If you’re a graphics whore, this game has your name written all over it. Truth be told though, this is Team NINJA, and I didn’t expect anything less than astonishing.
Audio:
Finally, gamers are able listen to Elton John’s ‘’Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting’’ while playing a fighting game! For those who aren’t keen on using the custom soundtracks feature, the actual audio and music is superlative. It’s not just that techno garbage anymore it seems, rather some more rock-ish tunes. The sound effects have been amplified seven fold, too. Jan Lee’s annoying, ear-piercing voice sounds exceedingly clear, and Hayate’s deep, sultry voice is more provocative than ever. Wait, what? Moving on.
Controls:
Dead or Alive 4 has never had too many problems concerning its controls. The game gives you the choice of either using the analog stick, the d-pad, or if you have the money, the all-exclusive, all-inclusive, limited edition arcade stick. So, whether you want to be a slick next-generation gamer and use the sleek analog stick, kick it old-school and use the good old, conventional d-pad, or want to reminisce the days of yesteryear with the super-hot arcade stick, the choice is yours.
Replay:
Here is where Dead or Alive 4 shines like an eagle gliding across the vivacious blue sky. Not only do you have an unbelievable amount to accomplish offline, such as unlocking costumes and characters, obtaining all the videos in theater mode, and honing your skills in sparring mode, but you can take this sick puppy for a spin online and double – check that – triple the fun to be had with this title. Itagaki stresses the fun factor in his games, and that’s something to be applauded. Dead or Alive 4 is enough to tide gamers over to the next batch of quality games, and then some