Game: 'Dead or Alive 4' :: Wessex Scene Online

Game: 'Dead or Alive 4'

29th March 2006

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I’m going to be blunt. Beat ‘em ups are lazy. Each sequel is only a slightly touched up version of the last and any shortcut that can be made often will be. It comes as no surprise then that ‘Dead or Alive 4’ is just another sequel.

Following on from the success of ‘DOA3’ and ‘DOA Ultimate’, we see Team Ninja following the trend. Fans of the series will instantly notice that ‘DOA4’ is depressingly similar both technically and aesthetically to its predecessors. Not even the menu system was worth a redesign, or even a colour change. There are no new modes and the total costume count has decreased. But this doesn’t make it a bad game. Far from it.

Graphically the game is beautiful, although is not a major step up from the look of ‘DOA Ultimate’. Some of the costume detail is astounding and the environments feature even greater interactivity than before, including members of the crowd that will duck out of the way of a particularly painful attack and dinosaurs you can jump over. The blossom trees of Kyoto are mesmerizing. The characters still have an animé feel with smooth plastic skin and psychotic eyes that often look out of place. Oh and of course the boobs still bounce. A lot.

The fighting itself has a heavy reliance on reversals or ‘holds’ where if correctly predicted, a well-timed button press can turn an attack into punishing revenge and you’d better get used to it. The AI is undeniably smart, constantly countering against repetitive techniques. It simply doesn’t feel human and is ridiculously unfair as the computer flawlessly counters your every attack with the game’s hardest key combinations and don’t get me started on the travesty that is the boss.

‘DOA’ is meant to be played against humans and it is here that it excels. Always entertaining and often surprising, the online play is solid although a lag free game is hard to find (This should be fixed in updates).

If you’re after a challenge, the flawed AI of ‘DOA4’ will certainly provide one but may put off some beat ‘em up fans, and I wouldn’t recommend it to those unfamiliar with the genre. Persevere through the single-player modes and you’ll be rewarded with a well rounded multiplayer experience. 8/10 - Robert Kemp

Publisher: Microsoft.
Developer: Tecmo.
Format: Xbox 360