Dead or Alive 5 has had multiple iterations; DOA5 Plus was the portable Vita version, while DOA5 Ultimate was yet another console version that incorporated some of the additions in Plus, while also tweaking some gameplay elements and adding some new fights. Dead or Alive 5: Last Round, as its name suggest, will be the final installment of this particular numbered title. And boy is it crammed with a whole lot of goodies.
The easiest way to summarize DOA5 Last Round would be content, a ton of it. Not only is every character from all the other iterations present, but we also get two completely new fighters, Honoka and Raidou. Honoka is a very fast fighter, borrowing a few styles from other fighters but calling her style, Honoka Fu. Raidou on the other hand is a slower fighter, but he packs a mean punch, not to mention he has some crazy reach. Both of these characters feel completely different from one another. While I prefered the faster Honoka, being able to sneak in a few weaker hits to my opponent, a few of my press colleagues favored Raidou's incredible reach, but had to compensate for his low speed by anticipating their opponent's attacks, and guard or parry at just the right time.
DOA has always been an extremely technical fighter, and I admit, I'm horrible at it. Just watching tutorial videos on various combos make my head spin. But with the technical gameplay comes a much more satisfying viewing experience. DOA 5 really emphasized the spectacle, and I can say that even with Last Round, it's just as fun to watch as it is to play.
The nimble schoolgirl, Honoka
Last Round will come with a majority of the previously released DLC, which includes an insane amount of costumes. Over 400 costumes will be available, and 31 of those are designed by fans themselves. New stages that were introduced over the past few iterations are all there, along with two completely new stages; Crimson and Danger Zone.
But most notably, this will be the series' first foray into the realm of next-gen (current-gen), as it will also be debuting on the PS4 and Xbox One. Of course this shift to those two new consoles means that the game will look and play better than ever. It was confirmed that both versions will run at 1080p and at 60fps, while the last-gen releases of Last Round will not. I wasn't told what the framerate or resolution was on those, but I was told they weren't hitting the current-gen resolution or framerate. Last Round will also be coming to Steam, though that won't be until the end of March, to ensure that version is as polished as possible.
Raidou is one intimidating looking fighter
Dead or Alive 5: Last Round will be available on February 17th for Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 4, February 24th on PlayStation 3 and March 30th on Steam. The current-gen versions will cost $39.99 while the last-gen versions will cost $29.99.
And if you're into gorgeously modeled vixens duking it out against one another, make sure to check out my interview with Creative Director, Tom Lee, as he discusses the voluptuous ladies of DOA, and why Team Ninja doesn't plan on giving any of them a breast reduction any time soon.
