Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate (DOA5U) is an upgraded version of DOA 5 Plus for the Playstation Vita and DOA5 for the PS3, both of which were released within the past year. Like the title suggests, DOA5U at its core, is a Game of the Year Edition featuring several DLC packs, some new features and gameplay tweaks to round out the package.
The first place you'll probably want to visit is the Tutorial, which is so deep that it can be overwhelming. There are over 35 tutorials covering everything from simple combat moves to complex combos. You can literally spend hours learning every nuance of the game's combat system. I'm intimated by most fighting games as they don't offer in depth tutorials and force you to keep going back to the instruction manual to learn the combat system or descend into a button-mashing hell of trial and error. The tutorial system is fantastic and it's nice to have an area to practice the game's combat moves.
DOA5U introduces five new characters to the game giving you a total of approximately 30 to choose from. Four of the new characters are from Ninja Gaiden, while the last is from Virtua Fighter.
A new addition to the combat system are Power Launchers. Power Launchers allow you to knock your opponent up in the air for longer combos. The only catch is that the Power Launcher can only be used once per round when your character's health has dipped below 50%
A lot of the game's levels are multi-layered, featuring several sets within a level. This allow you to knock an opponent into another set and within each set you can knock opponents into objects. While this is done by many other game's, I've always loved this feature as it keeps the levels from getting stale.
The game's story hasn't changed a whole lot from DOA5, so those looking to upgrade and stick to offline play maybe a little disappointed.
There is a new mode called Survival, which as you guessed, sees you fighting an onslaught of enemies with one life bar. There is also an Arcade Mode that sends you through a ladder of AI opponents we've seen so commonly in other fighting titles. A major new addition to the online play is that Tag Battles can now be played online. You and a friend can play together and take on two other opponents. The online performance is good, provided you have a good connection. As more and more high profile titles are released this season, the online community might not be around for very much longer to keep the online play above water.
Also released alongside Ultimate is DOA5U: Core Fighters.
Core Fighters is a free to play game featuring only a handful of characters. You can purchase additional fighters for four dollars a piece. You can also purchase the story mode for $15.00. As I mentioned before, the story is just passable so your funds are better spent elsewhere.
The DOA series has always looked amazing and DOA5U is no different.
I still remember being in high school in the early 2000's and seeing countless commercials of DOA Xtreme Beach Volleyball and thinking to myself how amazing the game looked back then.
Sex appeal has always been part of DOA's marketing strategy and Ultimate remains unchanged. There are new costumes, animations and character intros to highlight certain character attributes. There's actually a whole video -- maybe not just one -- on YouTube that's dedicated to the game's "boob physics." I always find it interesting when developers talk about the technology behind their game's, but to see a whole video dedicated to DOA5 boob physics is hilarious.
DOA5U packs a lot of content and ultimately (no pun intended) feels like a Game of the Year Edition that's become such a norm in the industry. That's not to say it's a bad game, but those who own DOA5 may not get a whole lot more out of this title. At the same time, it's a great deal for those who didn't play DOA5 or are new to the series.
- Siddharth Masand
Follow @jokeman23
The Good:
- Training mode is extremely detailed, so players of any skill will feel welcome
- Great overall package for those new to the series or DOA5
- Tag Battles are a great addition to the online play
The Bad:
- Story is forgettable and same as previous DOA5
- Those who own DOA5 may not get much out of this title
Score: 7.0 / 10
