Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution

"Fanboys and Casual Gamers alike will be hard pressed not to see the quality of this title"

Fighting games represent the best aspects of party games and competitive games, together. Since their inception with Street Fighter II and later the Super Nintendo, fighting games have been as much about bringing friends together for laughs almost more than for the ability to show who is the better player. I myself cannot easily count the number of casual neighborhood tournaments for fighters I have been to.

Fighting games tend to go in and out of style, based on whatever new revolution a game can bring with it. With Street Fighter II, it was the very inception of the genre. Many milestones have come since then that have further defined and stylized fighters further: Mortal Kombat, Virtua Fighter, Killer Instinct, Soul Calibur, and Tekken. Each of these have left indelible marks that future generations of use as the bar for games.

Virtua Fighter 4 was on its own, an outstanding game. It had taken the strategic and advanced gameplay that favored long-time players, and merged it with faster more intuitive gameplay that allowed newcomers to hold their own against opponents. Ultimately, it was still an incredibly inaccessible game for those not familiar with the series, and also had some graphical anomalies.

Now enter VF4 Evolution. This game combines all of VF4 and a HUGE number of new features to practically allow a person to consider it a separate fighting game altogether. Gone are the anti-aliasing issues. Two new characters bringing the total to 15 total characters (16 if you count a secret ''boss'' character). This game brings unparalleled realism, graphically and kinetically, to fighting games.

Graphically the game is a leap beyond its former self. Gone are the pixelated characters with the jagged edges, giving the game a much needed makeover. Most of the arenas have been revamped, and feature effects not found anywhere else in a PS2 fighting game. Lighting ranges from beams of sunlight through water to blue hued spotlights from moving helicopter and lights behind slow moving ventilation fans. The use of texture and color is superb. A misplaced texture or out of place color is nary to be found in these fights. Compared to the other ''BIG'' fighting game released in mid-2003, Soul Calibur 2, the lighting in VF4Evo appears more realistic, seeming more based off of a real color chart, such as how a persons color will appear different if standing in a red or blue light. Volumetric lighting can be seen on several of the stages. Some ultimately have complained about how much lighting is used in this game, but ultimately the lighting adds to the game and gives each stage a unique atmosphere. Animation has always been spot on in the Virtua Fighter series; and VF4Evo even staggeringly blows its own predecessors away. With the sheer volume of individual movements for each character breaking 200 in many cases; its a little overwhelming to believe that AM2 single handedly crafted or captured every single animation used in this game. Also of note is that the game plays a liquid 60fps; with absolutely no slow down in game play. This game plays so perfectly at this frame rate, such that many players know how many 'frames' they have to pull off some of their movements.

Virtua Fighter has been known for its rather unique character designs; the characters seeming rather vague, but in a weird dichotomy strangely odd at the same time. Of course this trend continues in Evolution. It does not detract horribly from the game, since fighting games tend not to have strong plots to begin with. All of the original cast from VF4 returns; looking largely the same. One notable change is the censoring of Vanessa's 1P costume from the original. Why?, is the logical question, to which there is no logical answer. Two newcomers are added to the cast, both of which have decidedly different appearances. Some players have likened their image to a more ''Tekken'' style character. While that influence can be seen, they are once again, distinctly different, decidedly Sega. Stage design on the other hand, has been second to none since VF had its heyday ten years ago. Now in Evo, in addition to the lighting mentioned previously, stages each have different sizes and varying borders. Some arenas are completely open, and allow dominating players to force a ring out. Some have walls all the way around, and the fight will be completely enclosed, which allows players to corner eachother. There are some variations on this, such as breakable walls, and arenas with walls and holes in the corners, each adding to each stage's unique flavor. Plus each stage has distinct themes. Originally there was one stage for each character. Now in Evolution, there are the same number of stages, plus unlockable training stages, as well as the original VF4 stages. That is a whole lot of flexibility once fully unlocked!

The interface in Evolution is different from VF4. Different, but better. Because it tries less to impress with style, it makes up for it in substance. The menus and interfaces make more sense and are easier to navigate once you know them.

Gameplay. This is a always a point of contention with fighting game veterans. ''Virtua Fighter goes too slow!'', ''Virtua Fighter takes too long to learn!'', ''Nobody plays Virtua Fighter!'' are the frequent cries of those who don't play. Well, say goodbye to the first two of those complaints. The game in general plays at the speed of the two characters fighting, so if the fight is a throwing character versus another throwing character, you can a expect a slower more thoughtful pace. A fight between a fast combo character and another of the same type will be frenetic, with fists and special moves flying around. Ultimately, every character with few exceptions is accessable enough to be used by a first time player. This is an improvement over prior installments where only long time masters could hold their own. One can see how the game incorporated several good elements of other fighters (stances from tekken 3, easy three dimensional movement using the d-pad, etc). This is a fighter that is not afraid to admit to the good ideas of its competitors and incorporate them. The result is a fighting game that represents the culmination of the past ten years of 3d fighting games. It even adds several new concepts, such as attack deflection (sabaki), catch throws, etc. Not to mention that fifteen wildly different martials arts styles are represented. Traditional favorites from Jeet Kune Do and Shaolin Kung Fu to such contemporary martial arts as Vale Tudo and Muay Thai Kickboxing are all manifest, appearing authentic enough to stand aside any hong kong action flick made in the last thirty years.

Audio. Its hard to blame Virtua Fighter for its awkward dialogue or the loud whooshes and blammos when punches and kicks connect. More accurate would be to blame the image the game is trying to live up to. Kung Fu Flicks! Traditionally chinese chopsocky movies were filmed silent, EVEN IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE! So the sound was always dubbed in later. The result was the powerful attack sounds that lack any kind of 3-d positioning and dialogue that lacked any real emotional inflection. Excuses aside, the voices are fundamental enough, veterans may actually expect Jacky to sound like a tuff guy with Bart Simpson's lungs and Jeffry to sound like the missing link. Newcomers however, will probably use the dialogue as cheap humor between fights. The fighting sounds are also powerful and well placed. You don't find any moves where the sound seems overpowering or lacking. The music is well done in this game, and usually matches the theme of the arena. Several reviews have pointed out that most fighter games have an overabundance of guitar rock music. I won't hesitate to say that it is in the game, but it is just a minor theme. More often appearing are subdued techno or drum'n'bass lines. You hardly notice the music unless its before or after a fight; but for the most part the music accelerates the gameplay and fits each stage well.

Plot. The weak point. The achilles heel of fighting games. ''They fight, therefore they are'' may as well be the intellectual high point behind fighting games. Unfortunately the one honest weakness this game has is a lack of a strong plot. All story arcs seem to be simply excuses for the fighting itself. The notion of a plot is disjointed when compared to the gameplay itself. No character or stage ever, ever has any visual or auditory connection to the mystical plot this game states in the manual. No signs of J-6, Dural's creators, etc. Again I could say this is because the game is trying to emulate martial arts movies. Honestly who watches Drunken Master or Once Upon a Time in China for the plot? Do we as viewers really care? What do we talk about afterwards? How interesting it was that Jackie Chan followed so and so all over China, or the really cool fight scenes where he seemed to do superhuman feats of agility while looking drunk? While these are all valid, and do somewhat explain the current curse lain upon fighting games in general; they do not excuse it enough to allow me to give this game a perfect score. Such a score would be reserved for a fighting game that managed to somehow accrue in its players a sense of identity with the characters and a NEED to solve their issues. No fighting game yet has managed to adequately resolve this; perhaps it is the next 'evolution'?

Depth. Imagine a well. A really really deep well. Better yet a chasm, or the waters in the Marianas Trench. That's DEEP. That's only a slight exaggeration of how much depth this game has. The training mode is the best yet in a fighting game, starting with basic attacking and turning you into a crazed ninja like one of those training camps in a James Bond flick. There is a quest mode where you travel to various arcades and fight different 'players'. You fight to accomplish different quests, to accumulate rare orbs, gain money to spend on items to customize your character, and even compete in huge 32 player or more tournaments. This mode is amazingly complex and fleshed out. You can spend days and weeks on end with just one character to get all of the many items and trinkets you can. No other fighter can compete, with the sheer variety of things you can find for your characters. Right now I have a monk with red and grey robes and red surfer hair. My Goh wears a clown mask and has a patched jacket (hence the name Doink).

The artificial intelligence is incredible in this game. It was actually modeled after the tactics of the best Japanese players. There are actual moments in play where it feels like you're fighting someone who thinks like you, not some monolithic Deep Blue that knows your every move. You will still find it hard at first, because apparently the average Japanese player is better than me (or I am a *lot* worse than I thought).

Replay value? A quick breakdown of different ways to enjoy this game. Versus Mode allows for almost infinite fights with your friends, Arcade allows you to enjoy the game the way it was originally released in the arcades. Training is fleshed out to the extreme, covering everything from movement to how to take advantage of your friend looking at his watch. Quest mode allows for almost limitless play, fighting other 'virtual' players and gaining rewards to customize your character.

In the end what does it all mean? Rent or buy you ask? For $20 dollars you will be buying the best fighting game on the planet. That is a bold statement, but few games can compete with the whole package delivered by VF4Evo. Learning the moves and knocking your friends around can be enjoyed for a good many weeks without even scraping the surface of this gem. And under that surface for the player who looks further, they will find a whole package ready to take them from beginner to master. Only weakness it ultimately has is in the plot. But who cares about plot in fighters anyways? I'm faster than lightning!!

Graphics: 10. Best on PS2 as of yet, therefore a ten. No graphical weaknesses. Great art direction, animation.

Sound: 9. Uses stilted dialogue and whoosh-bang sound effects. Still superior product with appropriate music and powerful combat sounds.

Gameplay: 10. Evolution has set the standard for control. For those who master it, the character will respond like a finely tuned automobile made of quicksilver. The moves are realistic, the characters balanced. The game reeks of polish.

Plot/Story: 4. Somewhat of an arbitrary number really, since plot is so secondary to the nature of the game. Still a perfect ten is for a perfect game. Since the plot leaves room for improvement, it is no 10.

Replay Value: 10. Unsurpassed in the realms of practice modes, extra modes, a quest/mission mode, and also the ability to collect items to customize your character's look.

Overall: 9.5/10. This game deserves the subtitle ''Evolution''. It is an evolution of fighting games. It fuses the better elements of Soul Calibur, Tekken, and Virtua Fighter; and the result is a faster yet still demanding game. You will find your first victory in the simpler games rewarding as you accustom yourself to the play, and that feeling will follow you as you customize your character, learn how to play better, and go up in the ranks of the 'virtual' Virtua Fighters. An incredible game at $50 dollars, and a steal at $20. This game is probably going to be the best kept secret this year, as big label games with less under the hood take in more praise and cash. Oh well, no one ever said public opinion was good, right?

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/05/03