Dead or Alive 5 Last Round Review
Dead or Alive 5 Last Round
Publisher: Koei Tecmo Games
Developer: Team Ninja
Genre:
PEGI: M
Comments:
Koei are perhaps the only developer to have massively embraced the idea of porting their games to next-gen consoles en masse. Dynasty Warriors 8, Samurai Warriors 4, Warriors Orochi 3 and now Dead or Alive 5 have all made the leap with mostly positive results. Mostly positive, because although there’s nothing specifically wrong with the shiny, new versions of these games, there’s no exactly a whole lot of improvement either.
Dead or Alive 5 Last Round is still as fun as always. I wouldn’t presume to tell a fighting fan too much about the nitty gritty – that’s much better handled by an expert in that specific field – but that’s the beauty of franchises like these: if you want to mash the punch button, you’ll probably do okay, although it won’t be nearly as entertaining.
The fights are smooth and the graphics decent, although the character models themselves are a little bit disappointing. While the extra pixels are much appreciated and the smoother framerate will be much appreciated in a game where frames actually matter, it doesn’t look a million miles better than the Xbox 360 version.
If you were expecting a complete overhaul – which was never really on the cards anyway – you’ll be disappointed.
This is made up for by the sheer amount of unlockables on offer. Hundreds of costumes clothe a wide roster of characters, so there’s plenty to do if you enjoy the franchise. There’s not been an awful lot added over previous iterations – two new characters and a handful of bonuses – but to see it all lined up is great.
The fights are enjoyable enough, best enjoyed when you’re playing alongside a friend. The online mode was all but inaccessible, with fights not really appearing no matter what options you have selected, but it’s no worse than in previous entries.
You’re able to pick fights against the computer across a number of difficulty levels, or you can play through the story. It’s impossible to follow thanks to point of view shifts and quick location changes between fights, but it was never going to be a classic.
Included in the costume packs are a number of sexy lingerie designed to make you feel extra aroused when kicking the crap out of your opposition (like you need it!). These exist and you’re unlikely to be able to just ignore them, so whatever your take on that sort of thing, it’s worth bearing in mind when you make a purchase.
The controls are harder to pick up than Street Fighter, so know that if you’re completely new to the genre that there will be some sort of learning curve ahead of the awesome moves. Thankfully the barrier of entry is incredibly low in terms of bashing things, which frankly is what most of us want to do anyway.
Conclusion – Dead of Alive 5 Last Round
Last Round is a decent release for people that either want to carry on playing Dead or Alive 5 in a new environment or who missed out last generation. The port isn’t magical, you’re never going to think it’s a next-gen developed title, but it’s passable and the additions are nice too.
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Article By Mat Growcott
Mat Growcott has been a long-time member of the gaming press. He's written two books and a web series, and doesn't have nearly enough time to play the games he writes about.
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