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General: Dead or Alive 4 features 3 new characters, lush interactive environments, and some interesting extras. DOA4 is definitely a new age 3D fighting game, sure to impress the likes of many by it's gorgeously detailed and interactive environments, and of course the big breasted babes that kick high... But does it impress fighting gamers looking for strategic, technical gameplay? That's your call.
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DOA4 is no doubt one of the best looking fighting games around. The animation is certainly smooth, but I personally still prefer Tekken 5's style of animation. The punches and kicks in DOA just don't "hurt" quite as much as in Tekken 5 in my opinion, and certain character stances and general animations are just "awkward" in DOA. The martial arts in DOA are also not quite as authentic as in Tekken, if that means anything to you... Well, being a martial artist, it does to me. I just cant play a game with characters that have BAD technique! Shame!
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As far as the animation goes, it's a mixed bag. Sometimes it seems like all of the characters have "gumby legs," while walking around or running... I dunno, it's just weird. The way characters jump over walls and over tables and such look exceptional however. The throws and hit effects look exceptionally painful as well... The way characters get knocked down and roll backwards, and then smash up against the wall is particularly well done in terms of animation, and this effect is also done much smoother than in Tekken 5 for example. But how does the gameplay hold up?
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The new environmental interaction is great. Fighters can roll over tables or leap over walls and keep fighting... Very innovative. The hand to hand gameplay engine is fun for a while, but the countering system is still broken!!! Counters are still very easy to pull off and don't require much skill besides timing with your opponents kick or punch, but at least there are a few different kinds of counters you can do now. The combo system isn't bad, and if you anticipate your opponent, some combos can be escaped. It's definitely a cool change of pace for 3D fighting games, but is this over-the-top action what real fighting gamers are looking for?
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Manufacturer: Tecmo
Platforms: Xbox
360
Release: 2006
Characters:
Bass,
Ayane,
Hayabusa,
Hayate,
Jann
Lee, Brad Wong, Hitomi,
Christie,
Kokoro,
Elliot,
Lisa,
Kasumi,
Gen
Fu, Leon, Zack,
Spartan-458
Related Games:
Dead
or Alive, Dead or Alive 2, Dead
or Alive 2: Hardcore, Dead or Alive 3
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Closing Comment: Honestly, DOA4 is more bark than bite. It's one of the prettiest fighting games out there, but not one of the most technical or fun fighters out there. DOA4 presents a unique gameplay experience in it's own right, and it shouldn't be missed. But as far as fun and gameplay goes, Tekken 5:DR takes the cake. Sorry Itagaki, as great as you think your DOA is, I still prefer Tekken. And just for the record, Tekken's characters could kick DOA's characters asses any day of the week. ~F.Yagami, Webmaster of TFG
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