Dead or Alive Ultimate

"Dead or Alive Ultimate; the reason why there is an M rating for games"

One immediately thinks of the Dead or Alive series for its women, donning several risque costumes, and the button mashing system all incorporated into the fighting engine. The DOA series has always been about ladies beating the living stuffing out of each other with a few male characters thrown into the mix. The latest DOA release, “Dead or Alive Ultimate” continues this signature appeal by offering exquisite visuals, easy learning curve, and depth that fans constantly look for in a game. But unfortunately, the core gameplay has remained generally the same and is far from innovative. DOAU is simply DOA2 with beefed up visuals and online play which gets old, quickly.

Graphics: 9.5/10
Sound: 5/10
Replay: 5/10
Gameplay: 6/10

Lets start with DOAUs visuals. It screams to be praised

Superb. One of this games best aspects. The fighting all takes place in lush landscapes; everyone of them extremely detailed. Ninja went out of their way to add an extra “oomph” in the arena backgrounds. Snowy terrains, an opera stage set on fire, everything is just great. Simply phenomenal. Character models look realistic and move smoothly when attacking. The interactions between stages are excellent. Falling from rooptops, slamming into electric walls; all integrated into the fighting engine. Costumes for every single character in this game are un-lockable to alter your fighters appearance. The introduction really shows the power of the XBOX.

The sound department on DOAU. Oh no! My ears are somewhat bleeding!

Bah, this game falters in the audio department. I mean, why would everyone speak Japanese? I would like it if developers were to make it so that individuals would speak their native tongues. The English speak english, japanese speak japanese, and so on. It just adds a bizarre feeling to the beginning taunts although the already-there Japanese voice overs are done very well. Another thing I'd like to point out is the poor sound of impact when a character is being smashed into a wall. It really takes away the realism. On the positive note, some walls that you can be smashed into make a really cool noise (i.e. electric walls/explosions) and the sound of being glass being shattered always add a nicer effect. The beginning CG scene begins with a track by Aerosmith, “Dream On” which really fits the scene and plot. The other tunes are not memorable, though.

Replay Value......*gasp in audience*
Before discussing the gameplay, I would like to comment on the sub-par replay value this game has. It's the stale gameplay that makes this game, monotonous and tedious to play. Sure, there's hundreds of costumes waiting to be unlocked and a variety of mode to be played, but the lack luster gameplay simply does not beg for you to come back. After buying the game, I simply could not give it another go without friends to play. Although the downsides, there are just so many unlockables that it will make your mind boggle. It's the gameplay that doesn't compliment the replay value

Now, for the nitty gritty details..... the gameplay!
The gameplay, the deciding factor in which a game shines or blows. Unfortunately, Dead or Alive Ultimate falls into the latter category. No I am not saying that DOAU sucks in every aspect, just the cookie cutter type gameplay. The fighting plays out rather quickly. Because of the way its played, even inexperienced players can often defeat “veterans” by simply mashing a string of buttons together in hopes that he/she can perform a combo. The DOA series definitely has an easier learning curve, but it does not offer more satisfying rewards given to the more hardcore players unlike other fighting games. In the fast paced action, you are allowed (similar to all the other DOA games) to reverse just about all the kicks and punches that are thrown at you. This requires a bit of skill and luck; luck being the dominant one. Attacking seems to be the best option in this game, and blocking is nearly non-existent due to the reversals.

The games artificial intelligence isn't what you would consider, “hard”. Upping the difficulty level simply makes the AI reverse your moves at a higher rate. It can be extremely frustrating, but it doesn't exactly make it impossible to beat.

DOAU serves up several types of modes. All of the typical fighting game modes are there, such as Time attack, survival, etc. but thats not necessarily a bad thing. People would probably be complaining if all of those cliche-ish modes weren't included. DOAU gives us these modes, but done in a different fashion. The fast-paced survival mode is unique. A tag-team mode allows you to choose two fighters and go through a series of battles similar to that of Arcade mode.

What do you know? This is available to play on XBOX live. Does it make it any better though? Actually yes. DOAU gives you a good amount of flexibility on creating a custom match for yourself via lobby system. Lag is semi-noticeable, but not enough to make it frustrating. Online, you are given the opportunity to fight players similar to your skill level. You are given a letter grade, then rise as you fight more. This provides an even playing level for both players and weeds out the better players from the “newbies” (although anyone can win in this game...). Overall, playing online definitely adds flavor to the game with its tons of option to choose from, enhancing the fun factor.

Conclusion:

The aspects that distinguished the series has return in this game. The sex appeal alone is why the DOA series is still alive. To the fans, DOAU is definitely the best game in the series yet. It's a great game to play with your friends, but it hardly lives up to its title of being “Ultimate”.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 03/09/05