During gaming’s fifth generation almost everyone compared a 3D fighter to “Tekken” especially when those games didn’t feature hadokens and fatalities. What seemed to be a more accessible version of “Virtua Fighter”, “Dead or Alive” had the gameplay foundation that would create rewarding sequels featuring the defensive minded succeeding thanks to proper timing and educating themselves in regards to combos that could juggle an opponent against a nearby wall that could result in one-sided affairs or impressive comebacks – something that created a room full of laughs & shouting during my middle school years. After four sequels and various spin-offs, the promise of “Dead or Alive 6” taking a more serious approach is definitely obvious from a gameplay perspective; but don’t expect anyone’s sensibility to change when it comes to jiggle physics playing this iteration.
Did I Complete “Dead or Alive 6”?
Sticking to the format seen in previous entries, “DOA 6” offers a lot for the player to take part in from a single player aspect including a branching story mode that features a lack of background for those who haven’t kept up with the franchise’s lore, stereotypical bad acting, and a single fight per character that culminates in a battle against an overpowered boss with the player potentially controlling someone they are unfamiliar with utilizing. The story will take about three hours to complete; less if the cutscenes are skipped. Beyond the typical “Arcade”, “Survival” & “Time Attack” modes is “DOA Quest” – a companion to the game’s extensive tutorial options that features the player taking control of a certain character to complete three objectives with the reward being gold currency & clothing points to unlock & purchase a plethora of items including new costumes for every available character. The grind is on to complete “DOA Quest” and the training center’s “Command” sequences, but the appeal of playing online has definitely prevented those goals from being completed.
Did “Dead or Alive 6” Live Up to the Hype?
Led by “Virtua Fighter”, the genre of 3D fighters features a litany of classic games and stupendous franchises with “Dead or Alive” fitting in both of those categories. Dedicated gamers who understand that the “DOA” series is more than just gravity-defying breasts have long enjoyed the simplicity each game has offered topped by defensive mechanisms that can turn the tides in a heartbeat. Aggressive players may run into a properly timed block or guard that creates a counter attack like Tina arm dragging an opponent. Throws are incredibly potent with certain characters being able to chain throws together when an adversary goes from vertical to horizontal upon impact. Though strikes can be countered they aren’t devalued as a majority of the elementary combos for each character (usually involving hitting the punch or kick button two to three times in succession) is incredibly fast and closes the distance nicely. The biggest addition to both offensive & defensive methods in this iteration is the “Fatal Rush”. Underneath a character’s health is a “Break Gauge” bar that fills up two segments as a character lands & takes attacks. Tapping the “Fatal Rush” button for a successful attack will cause a “Critical Stun” on the opponent that can be used as an opening for an extensive combo or, at the expense of both bars in the “Break Gauge”, a special combo topped by a grandiose attack. “Fatal Rush” also benefits the defensive minded player as a properly timed tap of the button associated with “Fatal Rush” as well as the moving of the analog stick in the opposite direction of their opponent will have a character slip behind their aggressor. Like its predecessors, “DOA 6” is perfect for beginners & returning players alike.
From an offline perspective this game provides a good amount of content to keep the player busy including a story mode that forgoes the typical linear approach games like “Injustice 2” or even “Tekken 7” adopted when presenting their game’s plot in favor of a branching format. “DOA 6’s” story is messy in execution and mostly forgettable with each story fight lasting only a round; making it pretty much impossible to get the hang of a character without extra work outside of the story itself. Thankfully the mode doesn’t ask much of the player, but “DOA Quest” does, as it requires the player to complete 300 tasks across 100 missions in an effort to gain clothing points & gold. “DOA Quest” is a nice melding of character training & grinding, though doesn’t outdo the quality of the game’s extensive Training mode. There are also the typical single player modes for players to quickly get into the action including “Arcade” and “Survival” modes.
Online is a mixed bag. On the positive side, online competition is highly enjoyable with even weaker connections rarely being laggy or timing out. When given the option of playing someone the game actually shows their connection quality including if they’re playing wired or wireless. Unfortunately, “Ranked” is the only option when playing online right now as this game features no lobbies, “Player” mode, or anything else to make it easier for friends looking to play online. Outside of local play it’s pretty much impossible to play this game with a friend. (Update: the 1.05 patch has added lobbies with “King of the Hill” style presentation with multiple modifiers including how many consecutive fights needed to proceed to the next opponent) “DOA” fans who enjoy the costume variety available for every character will be highly disappointed considering the drip feed nature of costume points issued in both offline & online. Even more disheartening is the fact these points are randomized in nature; meaning a player may not get the points necessary for the characters’ costumes they play with the most. “DOA 6” seems to be working with the same template as the previous entry as “Dead or Alive 5” had multiple season passes before the final collective edition was released – meaning to get everything in the game could take years and hundreds of dollars.
Solely on the gameplay, “Dead or Alive 6” is a blast with a great roster, easy to pick up controls & modes aplenty. But the handling of online options and costume unlocking definitely hurts the overall appeal of a game built on fast action & fan service.
Should You Play “Dead or Alive 6”?
“DOA” fans, no matter the generation, will be hard pressed to dislike this game when it’s time to throw down. The gameplay remains fluid, satisfying and, most importantly, accessible without sacrificing the extensive combo & defensive systems. But the want to play with friends online and unlocking all the costumes really turns what should be an overall fun experience disheartening. If you’re a player who doesn’t care about playing with friends or accessorizing characters, but just wants to punch a demon girl in the face with a drunkard, this game is for you. For others who enjoy the fan service the franchise is known for, it may be wiser to wait for the inevitable “complete” edition as this version will feel like a big butt slamming against your face in comparison.
