Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution

"The "Evolution" that leaps over all fighters on the current market."

Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution comes bursting into the scene followed by its predecessor, as an update to “Virtua Fighter 4" with sharpened visuals, new characters with a plethora of moves, improved tutorials for training mode, and deep game modes to have you playing for months. Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution lives up to its name by improving on the faults of the previous game and is an impressive followup to last years game which definitely does not disappoint.

Whats New in The Game?
First off, Sega the inclusion of two new characters creates what can be considered a small lineup compared to that of Namco's fighting franchise, “Tekken”. Two characters joining the current roster is a criminal named Hinogami Goh and a kickboxer named Brad Burns, complete with their own unique movesets. The move lists of all the old fighters have been swapped with new ones breathing new life into the game and distancing itself from VF4.

Gameplay and In-game Modes
The controls are smooth and responsive, enabling you to execute rapid punch and kick combinations to devastate your opponents health meter. It's a very simplistic system; the square button for guard, and the other three shaped buttons on the Dual Shock 2 controller to attack. In battle, you can chain and string a long line of button combinations to attack. This game makes it so that no button masher can decimate a veteran player. Needless to say, this game character's all have an endless amount of techniques in his/her arsenal to unleash. VF4 feels very balanced due to it's battle mechanics. The game also offers many other skills for players to master such as evading, countering, etc. to further improve your ability.

Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution presents a healthy selection of game modes. The inclusion of the “Quest” mode really gives fighting fans a treat. In this new mode, players fight across arcades in Japan to become the best Virtua Fighter. This mode adds an enormous amount of reply value to the game, as there is simply an obscene amount of extras and goodies for you to unlock and items to purchase with the cash you've won from defeating opponents in tournaments and such. Other modes to keep you busy include:

Arcade- A mode in which you basically fight the AI in a series of matches.

Training- A great tool for those beginning with the Virtua Fighter series. It walks you through the mechanics of the game, ranging from the basics to the complex.

Versus- Go head to head with your friends.

And many more!

Graphics
The graphics in EVO is improved from the previous version. Gone is the jagged edges from some models due to the game being antiliased. The results are much cleaner than that of VF4.The fighting area and atmosphere seems almost surreal and the realism of the weather is something that pushes the Playstation 2 to its full graphic capabilities. Texture quality has been improved while the in-game animation is always great. To sum it all up in a nutshell, Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution looks great; far better than other video games.

Audio
The tracks in the game are not at all horrid, but it is nothing to celebrate over. While not as accomplished as Tekken 3's soundtrack, Sega has got the job done well, in a manner in which it suits the game very well. The voices that are heard from the combatants voices are nothing short of spectacular; all of them speaking in their native language. The Chinese speak Chinese, the Japanese speak Japanese, and so on. Adding these little features really creates a nice touch.

Now to sum them all up:

Graphics: Great for its time. Clean backgrounds with detailed character models. 9/10

Sound: With the voice actors adding a much better authentic feel to it, the sound is great. The tunes are pretty decent as well. 7/10

Gameplay: WOW. Fighting at its best. Simple. It's a game for the hardcore fighting fans. The gameplay involves you to master combos and memorize them. The vast amounts of moves and techniques in Virtua Fighter 4 is overwhelming, although it will become second nature. 9.5/10

Replay: Quest Mode+ Training Mode+ Virtua Fighters battle engine = many many many hours of your time. Training mode is the best way to get great in the game and beats literally beats the stuffing out of other fighting game training mode's. Quest mode, deep and fun, allows you to go around and customize your fighter's appearance. Of course it will take a bit to acquire everything, which makes this VF4 a game that will drain hours upon hours of your life. 10/10

Sega has proven to us the Virtua Fighter series is only getting better with every new release. They have improved the series in every possible way, leaping over the expectations of a fighting game. Evolution has made a mark in the void of fighting game fans who have been living off of Tekken and Street Fighter for many years. Despite its history, Sega has finally rebounded. VF4: EVO incorporated the good in VF4, and the great features seen in other franchise's, which adds up to a deadly combination. If you're a fighting game fan, buy this game; it won't disappoint.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/02/05