Team Ninja returns to the limelight in Dead or Alive 5: Last Round. In this incarnation of the 5th installment in the series we are given what looks to be a true ultimate package, with record-breaking numbers in the series and massive collections of costumes, videos, music, and much more – but is it enough to buy the game a third time around?
If you’re new to the series, Dead or Alive is a 3D fighting game developed by Team Ninja – the same people behind games like Ninja Gaiden and Metroid: Other M. Other than the improved graphics and bump up to 1080p at 60 FPS, the game introduces two new fighters, two new stages, and a new Soft Engine that makes each fighter’s body even softer.
DOA5LR brings in 2 new players: Honoka and Raidou. Honoka is an 18 year old Japanese schoolgirl who has borrowed some fighting moves of other characters and incorporated it into her own fighting style she calls “Honoka Fu”. Raidou is actually the series’ first boss brought back to life as a cyborg. He is the biological father to Ayane (one of the female ninja fighters in the game) and appears to have no memory of his past life, but retains his hunger for power. The 2 fighters join the roster of 34 total fighters available – the most the game has ever seen in a single installment.
Additionally, they’ve brought back 2 new fighting stages: The Crimson and The Danger Zone. The Crimson was a stage introduced in DOA2 and has since been updated to current-gen graphics. When comparing the original to the new version, it’s definitely a beautiful remake. Not to be outdone, The Danger Zone makes a triumphant return to the series. A typical arena on the outside, but on the inside holds exploding floor panels that launch your opponents in the air for additional damage and combo juggling. These 2 stages create a final pool of 31 stages – another DOA first!
What makes this fighting series stand out is its fighting system. The core aspect of the fighting game is based on a triangle system and consists of strikes, throws, and holds. Strikes are comprised of punches and kicks, throws perform a grab attack, and holds counter opponent strikes with the player’s own moves. In this triangle system, Strikes will beat attempted throws, while throws will defeat attempted holds, and finally holds triumph over strikes. Knowing when to use the right type of attack is paramount in this game and can mean all the difference when trying to get the victory.
DOA5: Last Round is definitely stunning. From a sunset overlooking a shanty rooftop, to a shimmering waterfall in the distance, each stage looks absolutely beautiful. Each fighter looks their best and Team Ninja has definitely prioritized on the games’ greatest assets. Fighters will gather dirt, mud, bruises, sweat, and other markings on them over the course of each battle which helps reinforce how realistic and intense your bout really was. Of course there are some fighters that make you question its realism, but when you have ninjas and fighters surviving several story falls you’ll tend to overlook this note.
The gameplay remains as solid as it was from before, with many of the typical game modes making their return, including tag team battle. Story Mode seems to follow a linear story fashion, as you take the role of different players throughout the DOA world. If you’d rather stick with your main fighter, you can always return to Arcade Mode and battle it out tournament style. Online Mode definitely leaves much to be desired. It’s quite hard to find proper matches with the least amount of lag possible and it can take away the epic-ness of a match. Still, it’s very functional and the ability to accept online challenges from opponents while playing offline games adds a sense of arcade that we don’t often see in home console games and reminds me of holding your place in line with your quarter or gaming token.
The game’s new Story Mode’s an interesting take on the DOA world, but its depth is what one can expect from a fighting game. Team Ninja is usually not the best when it comes to storytelling, leaving short text paragraphs to give background on a fighter and awkward segues into fights that can be considered laughable. Still, it is a valiant effort and I’m sure some people can find charm in its Anime-like humor and seriousness mixed in.
What I believe will be the most underrated aspect to DOA5:LR is the ability to customize nearly every aspect of the game, from choosing the fighter’s hairstyle, to their costume, to even what type of music plays when you fight a certain player. The amount of costumes for the fighters in this game is unparalleled – if you can think of a costume, chances are your player has it made (it’s even more tight-fitting than you can imagine). In fact, one of the more interesting game settings in the game is the ability to modify the “Breast Motion” from no jiggling to “Last Round” mode which turns it into any pre-teen boy’s wet dream.
While we’re on the subject, let’s discuss the elephant in the room. This game, like its predecessors, has gratuitous amounts of sexual content, from skimpy costumes down to the aforementioned breast physics setting. When you’re the outsider looking in, this game may seem like an over-the-top sex-themed fighting game. Heck, you may remember a certain DOA3 commercial that hinted the game is much more about the scantily clad women fighting than the actual fighting in the game. It’s like marketing League of Legends solely on the female champions and nothing about the strategy in the game.
What’s lost in the new media translation is how intricate and intense fighting matches can get. The triangle system allows for newcomers to understand the concepts well and hold their own against veteran players, but still complex enough to allow advanced players to unleash devastating moves on their opponents.
While the DOA series may be widely known for its sex factor, to diminish it would be like mopping up Mortal Kombat‘s blood and gore. Hopefully Team Ninja can jump on the tournament bandwagon and push for more pro players and establish itself as not just another fighting game, but a staple in the fighting game world.
For about $40 USD, this game’s a solid buy for newcomers and old fans wanting to return to the DOA series. The customizations, costumes, and jiggling mayhem will definitely have you coming back for more. While the majority of the changes in this game are cosmetic, this latest version of DOA gives me that good old master collection feel that fans have been waiting to see.