Reviewed
01.02.2006
Publisher
Tecmo
Developer
Team
Ninja
Format
1x
DVD
Origin
Import
/ Domestic
Available
Dec.
30, 2005 (Japan)
Dec.
30, 2005 (USA)
Exclusive
Yes
Difficulty
Adjustable
Dimensions
3D
View
Dynamic
Side
Genre
Arcade
/ vs.Fighting
Player(s)
1-4
co-op
2
2-16
Live
Options
1MB
save
HDTV
480p/720p/1080i
Xbox
Live
Requires
n/a
Features
DD
5.1
Leaderboards
Voice
ESRB
M
- Mature
Importable
n/a |
| Introduction |
|
> Being an Elite Series
here at Shin Force, the Dead or Alive franchise
is a mainstay in the diet of many hardcore gamers (including myself).
Out of all the current and future known games for Xbox 360, DOA4
is the one I've been most interested in buying. After a slight delay,
it's finally available. Team Ninja continues this excellent
versus fighting series with new characters, backdrops, counters and full
Xbox
Live utilization.
> In all actuality, Dead or Alive 4 is the reason I waited
13 hours in line to buy an Xbox 360. It's not perfect,
but it's definitely an awesome game. Also, I need to recognize Tecmo
for standing tall with the few publishers that keep spitting out the PS2
pill -- Kudos to Tecmo for not wasting this game exclusively
on PS2 like Namco did with Soul Calibur
III. |
| Graphics |
|
> Playing DOA4 on a 32" Sharp Aquos at 1080i
is another definition of Wundermachine. DOA3
blew me away on Xbox,
so It's really no surprise that Team Ninja already have the
Xbox
360's graphic capabilities locked and loaded. Everything
from the smooth animation to the character models, to the perfectly rendered
reflections, to the sheer detail of the textures screams next-gen.
I do think, however, that Team Ninja could have come up with
a more interesting end boss. |
| Control |
|
> DOA4's gameplay is still quite similar to its prequels,
albeit inundated with counters and throws. Mastery of this game will
surely take a while, unless you're just amazing to begin with (unlike me).
The thing I like best, being lazy to learn new moves, is that many of Kasumi's
moves from DOA2
are still available. Of course, that applies to all the returning
characters. The one thing holding this game back from having even
better control is the seemingly difficult to perform Running/Side Step
move. To be fair, I've had a beef with that move since the days of
Dreamcast. |
| Sound |
|
> The sound effects are pretty much standard fare for the series, which
is excellent. There's nothing like the sound of doing a numerous
combos on your opponent against an electrified wall/floor. The original
soundtrack is mainly decent, with a couple of Aerosmith tunes,
some guitar jams and at least one familiar tune from DOA2.
Of course, nothing compares to your ability to access the Xbox 360's
Dashboard (while in a game) and select any music you feel like hearing. |
| Fun |
|
> It's fun to unlock all the extras, like tons of alternate costumes, cut-scenes,
hidden characters, etc.. However, the best way to play Dead
or Alive 4 is in Versus mode. All the familiar offline modes
are available: Story, Time Attack, Versus, Survival, Team Battle, Sparring,
Watch and User. Here are the Xbox Live modes: Winner-Stays,
Tournament, Team Battle, Survival, Loser-Stays, Kumite (Champion Stays).
All that stuff is sweet, but the final boss, Alpha-152, is
an anti-climax though. |
| Bottom
Line |
|
> Dead or Alive 4 has some of the nicest graphics and visual
effects I've seen so far in the Xbox 360's initial lineup.
It's similar to DOA
Ultimate, with Aerosmith tunes, Halo's
Spartan-458 unlockable and new counters/features galore.
The only let down was the end boss, which is basically like Virtua
Fighter's Dural, only she looks like Kasumi and
is called Alpha-152... |
| Ratings |
| Overall:
9.3 | Graphics: 10 | Control: 9.5 | Sound: 8.5 | Fun: 9.0 |
[
MORE
SCREENS >> ]
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![[click] for large image](ss-DOA4-01.jpg)
![[click] for large image](ss-DOA4-02.jpg)
![[click] for large image](ss-DOA4-03.jpg)
![[click] for large image](ss-DOA4-04.jpg)