User Reviews (1 - 11 of 114)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

If you need one review to change your mind, make it mine

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 22
Date: March 21, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Short and sweet is the way this article should be written, and instead of writing some long winded review I only have one word...WOW! Everything from the complexity of the game down to the graphics is top notch. Don't waste your money renting this for yourself or your children, just buy it. Whether you are a fighting game buff or just a lover of good video games, don't be the last kid on the block to own this videogame.
The gameplay is the finest I have seen in any fighting game(and isn't this the most important aspect of a fighting game). The sound is on par with the videogame and unless you had hopes of buying the VF4 soundtrack(which would probably be an utterly disappointing cd), I think you will see it fits the tempo perfectly. The graphics are amazing, from the free flowing clothes to the facial expressions, it should be downright illegal to produce a game of such quality...this coming from a videogame fanatic that grew up on Mario Brothers and NES : ) Kids are so lucky today and like the review at gamespy said anyone that complains about slight jagginess or small imperfections needs to seek some psychological help because this is a truly beautiful game.
To sum it up, this is the best fighting game to come out for several years, and it ranks in my top best 3 ever. It boggles my mind how people like _A gamer from the United States_ who wrote a previous article before Vf4 was ever even released, can be so biased towards a particular system, thus giving games an insufficent review. Why he believes GC and Xbox are next gen consoles and the ps2 is not is beyond me. Just because a company is the first one to produce a system of that magnitude doesn't mean it should be chastised. Regardless of everything else it all comes down to the fact that this is a well made game and any person will be extremely pleased with his/her purchase. Thanks!

Every Inch Soul Calibur's Equal

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 23
Date: March 26, 2002
Author: Amazon User

A bold statement, but true in every sense of the word. The Year of the Fighter has started off with a big bang with the home release of Sega's Virtua Fighter 4. With a new Mortal Kombat game on the horizon, not to mention Tekken 4 and Soul Calibur 2, fighting fans have a lot to look forward to in 2002. However, the race may already be over - VF4's competitors have a gigantic mountain to climb.

Graphically, VF4 is a masterpiece. You won't see any multi-tiered environments a la DOA or flashy effects like Soul Calibur. The Virtua Fighter series has always been grounded in reality, and the newest incarnation is the most realistic fighter yet. The characters are modelled with compelling accuracy and astounding, lifelike animation (no fireball casting here) - clothing wraps around limbs, flaps in the wind, and flows with breathtaking movement. The arenas are spectacular creations: Pai fights in an underwater aquarium with sea life swimming outside its glass walls, and Jacky battles on the roof of a skyscraper with several circling helicopters creating some amazing lighting effects. You might find sand or snow underfoot, or be knee-deep in water. You'll be in a cage surrounded by a shouting crowd. You'll see leaves softly falling, or birds overhead. These are perfect places in which to battle. Most of the arenas contain incredible animation, and although they don't really affect the gameplay, they make the fights that much more involving. Walls can be broken in some places, and ring-outs happen, but not as often as in Soul Calibur. The dreaded PS2 "jaggies" are present, but they're only noticeable if you're looking for them. The combination of realistic fighter animation and beautiful environments make VF4 the current best-looking home fighter.

As amazing as it looks, however, the gameplay of VF4 is what vaults it into Soul Calibur territory. The controls consist of three buttons: punch, kick, and guard; and the d-pad. That's it. The PS2 controller allows you to map button combinations to a single key (i.e. P+K+G = R2) if you so desire, which can make pulling off more complicated moves easier for beginners. Each character has literally hundreds of individual moves at his or her disposal; throws, reversals, rising attacks, combos, etc. There are only 13 fighters, but they are all perfectly balanced, and each is very different from the other. Lei-Fei is a Chinese monk who features several stances; Kage is a ninja who sports airborne throws; Lion uses Mantis Fist style; Wolf is a pro wrestler. Button mashing won't get you far against a VF master or the higher difficulty CPU settings. You're required to explore your fighter's capabilities, using strategy for victory. It may seem overwhelming at first, but the game's perfect control makes maneuvering your fighter second nature after a few matches. The Virtua Fighter system is deceptively simple, and as you get used to the timing of a side-step followed by a vicious counterattack, a perfect reversal of an incoming combo, and throwing, you'll discover how much attention Sega paid to it. Unlike past VF games, beginners can get the jist pretty quickly, but the artistry of the fighting engine becomes more apparent over time, and rewards the patient.

VF4 features several modes. Arcade mode pits you against all 13 fighters with progressing AI difficulty, and Vs. is for multiplayer. Pretty standard stuff, although there's nothing quite like a human vs. human VF match. Its replayability is infinite, and it works best when the two combatants are of relatively equal skill levels, making fights a match of wits as much a match of reflexes.

One new addition is Kumite Mode, a tournament of sorts. Pick a character, and fight an unending stream of CPU opponents, progressing in rank along the way. The better you do, the harder the enemies. Perform well, and you unlock customizable items like sunglasses, jewelry, and headgear. It's like a souped-up Survival Mode, and is highly addicting. You can eventually take each fighter through the entire Kumite Mode - a daunting task that will take many, many hours to complete. The higher difficulty levels are brutal, and require mastery of your character.

Training Mode is a fantastic creation. It's split into three sections, one of which allows you to practice combos to get your timing down. The second lets you practice against a CPU dummy, which can be set at several difficulty levels. You can even program the dummy to perform a specific combo to practice countering or evasive tactics. The third section contains different challenges that teach you the basics of the VF universe. This mode is highly recommended for beginners, as it teaches the skills necessary for success. It also gives you a glimpse at how deep and refined the VF engine is, like peeling back a layer to find many more underneath.

AI Mode allows you to train a "blank slate" fighter yourself, and set it lose against your friends or even in Kumite Mode. It's a novel idea, but isn't quite as compelling as the other modes. Still fun to play around with, though.

Virtua Fighter is a more involved, strategic game than, say, the Marvel vs. Capcom series. It relies on technique rather than flash, in both gameplay and visuals. It's been made more accessible for newcomers (after all, this is the first time a VF game has appeared on a non-Sega console), but still retains the complexity of previous installments. VF4 is a labor of love. In comparison to Soul Calibur, the extras and flashiness of SC are balanced out by VF's incredible fighting system and Kumite Mode. Some may argue that DOA3 is prettier, but Tecmo's series doesn't come close to the sim aspects of Virtua Fighter. Sega has drawn first blood in Year of the Fighter, and it currently sits beside Soul Calibur as the best fighting game available.

Arguably the best fighting sim of all time, Virtua Fighter 4

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 17 / 25
Date: February 13, 2002
Author: Amazon User

The Virtua Fighter series and me always had a rocky relationship. The first game was the one that introduced me to 3-D fighting, while VF 2 was revolutionary in almost every aspect and firmly placed fighting games as my second favorite genre, second to RPG ofcourse thanks in part to the Final Fantasy series. The third Virtua Fighter game was confusing at best. Cool graphics for its time but the extremely deep fighting engine took a while to get used to. And now here we are with Virtua Fighter 4.

From what I have played at the arcade, Virtua Fighter 4 without any doubt, is the best looking 3-D fighting game ever. I thought it would be at least several months until someone could best the graphics of Dead or Alive 3 on XBox. But, man, were my predictions way off. The gameplay is still pretty deep, but surprisingly easy to get into, even easier than VF 2 in my opinion. And with the inclusion of enemy AI in the game that actually picks up your fighting style and patterns, and counter your moves with the appropriate response, this game can never be the same twice.

If your a PS2 owner who is a 3-D fighting game fan, whether a casual one or hard-core extreme, you owe it to yourself to get this game. The PS2 has been seriously lacking in this genre. But with Virtua Fighter 4 and other fighting games hot on it's heels, expecially Virtua Fighter 4, the drought is almost over.

My two cents

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 19
Date: March 31, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I am a 24 year old gamer. I've played all of the fighting games from Karate Champ to Street Fighter (1, 2, 3, EX, Alpha) to Mortal Kombat (1,2,3,4) to the SNK fighters (Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown, King of the Fighters) to Virtua Fighter (1,2,3) to the Tekken Series, Soul Blade / Calibur, and the Dead or Alive games. I own a PS2 but have no bias against an X Box or Gamecube, I'll probably buy them both when they give me good enough reason (like Grand Theft Auto 3, Final Fantasy X, Metal Gear Solid 2, and Gran Turismo were for me on the PS2). I also OWN THIS GAME (the domestic version), for whatever that is worth. I just wanted to get that out of the way so that you may see how my view of this game may apply to you.

The Virtua Fighter series has always been my favorite 3D fighting series (Super Street Fighter 2 might be my favorite all time though). I have played Virtua Fighter 4 in the arcades and thought that it was great. I don't have anything personal against Namco, but Virtua Fighter was always the deepest of them all and I love flexibility which is abundant here. I've seen too many people walk up to Dead of Alive and Tekken (including myself the first time I played both) and frustrate people who actually try to learn the game by frantically hitting buttons. This has always been less prevalent with VF and it remains so with part 4, even with the simplified (from VF3) controls.

First of all the graphics are great. Did I mistake the game screen for a window in my wall? No. Are they better than Dead or Alive 3 on the X Box? Naaaaaah, but they aren't a whole lot worse. People kill me with their nit picking over graphic detail. Many of these people are zealots who just want to put down the PS2 in favor of their machine. Ignore these people until they grow up. There is nothing about this game that would disappoint any reasonable video game enthusiast. The backgrounds are simply gorgeous, and the characters are very nicely rendered. DOA3 is the only thing that compares.

There are 13 characters in the game, which might seem skimpy to Tekken fans. Personally the "hidden" Tekken characters never did anything for me since they were all mainly rehashes of the ones that you start out with. VF4 takes a different approach in that you can make your own characters (all based on the core 13), and as they progress through the game you can win adornments and colors for them to truly make them unique. Right now my Sarah Bryant has a funky colored suit with hexagon earrings and a set of designer sunglasses. Rumor has it that you can unlock secret moves as well, giving you character more... character.

I thought that I would miss the uneven territory from VF3 but VF4 makes up for it with a straightforward and elegant fighting engine. It was admittedly cool to take the level into consideration when forming strategy (and apparently somebody liked it because Tekken 4 and DOA2 both ripped it) but the engine in VF4 is so refined in regard to attacks, counters, and just overall timing (all with 3 buttons no less), that I was over it in no time. The fights feel like honest to goodness battles. This game is truly what it says, a fighting simulator. Sure there are a few reality-defying moves (read: Kage) but that sacrifice is acceptable in light of the immense entertainment value of the game. And there still are a few walls to bust down with the carcass of your opponent.

The sound is very appropriate. Sound effects are standard fight fare but you may be amused at little bits of trash talking that come from the likes of Jacky and Sarah (Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap! "Go back home!"). The music fits it perfectly, but they aren't going to make you swoon like... say the Metal Gear Solid 2 score. The tracks are varied to go along with the locales and personalities of the fighters so I'm sure that some will like some tracks over others. As far as I'm concerned, as long as it doesn't annoy me I'm cool. And I'm definitely cool.

Random notes: It's good to see that not EVERY female fighter is the game is wearing a G-String or exposing gratuitous parts of her body. The Asian women are dressed very classily and the developers even resisted the urge to give their outfits ridiculous splits up the side, even the black woman (who looks like Storm from X-Men on steroids) who in her 2P outfit looks like sheýs about to hit the gym, has a very covered up 1P outfit. This is welcome, and no, Iým not a female... The deforming snow and sand are cool (nothing that wasn't in DOA3) but the stage where you walk through the water is probably coolest to me... Man I'm glad to see Sega back in the game!

We CAN Kick Butt With the Best of Them!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 22
Date: January 27, 2002
Author: Amazon User

From the first previews I saw for Virtua Fighter 4, it looks to become a favorite of mine right up there with Tekken 2, Soul Blade and DOA2. With smooth exquisitely detailed graphics and an enhanced AI, this is supposed to be the thinking mans or womans fighting game. But there was one factor that made me know I HAVE to buy this game, and her name is Vanessa. As far as I know the first black female in any fighter game. And it's about damn time! It may come as a shock to most game developers but yes we DO play and enjoy fighting games too! And it's great to FINALLY see us represented in the games, so please keep 'em coming!

The pinnacle of fighting games so far

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: September 25, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This game embraces what a fighting game should, strategy, fast reflexes, and practice. It does not reward brutality, and it spits in the face of an over-aggressive player. This game relies on the gamer's discipline and knowledge. Sun-Tzu made the general statement that knowing yourself and your enemy is the only true path to complete victory, and that knowing only yourself will always lead to defeat, since the enemy will always remain unpredictable. This is one of the few fighting games in which you must not only be able to understand your own strategy, but also to acknowledge the strategy of your opponents. I believe that this is the greatest fighting game ever made, and that mastery of this game will make every other fighting game seem like child's play.

The Best Fighter Released in a Long, Long, Time.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: March 22, 2002
Author: Amazon User

The drought of fighters for the PS2 is now a little easier to handle due to Sega bringing their top franchise to the machine.

Words do not do this game good. It's very hard to explain why this fighter is the best but I'll try.

It comes down to one thing in the end......Gameplay. And let me say the gameplay is the best for any fighting game to date. It's deep due to the amount of control each person has over their fighter. There's ring outs, side steps, counters, fully 3D movement with ease, walled arenas, great combos, throws, and reversals.

The is also great looking. Sega's AM2 can do no harm when it comes to devloping games. Everything from the fighters to the stages are great to look at. The only note would be the AA problems that are hard to pick up, but there.

There's enough for new comers and expert gameplayers of the series to enjoy here. Let me say, this is my 1st forey into the VF series and I'm glad I made the jump and the dission.

EXCELLENT game to play on the ( PLAYSTATION 2 )

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: March 24, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Virtua Fighter 4 Made By: SEGA OF AMERICANA is a EXCELLENT game to play on the Playstation 2 game console

I give it 5 Stars "Highly Recommended" THIS IS REALLY WORTH TO BUY & play on the Playstation 2 game console

SEGA OF AMERICANA makes great games for all game consoles (Keep making great games for all game console) and KEEP THE GREAT JOB UP SEGA OF AMERICANA

Totally Awesome

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: March 24, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I have had this game for roughly three days and I am still shocked. This game is so amazing. It is accommodating enough for new players to feel comfortable learning, but complex enough to keep even the most avid fighting game player busy. I usually compare my 3D fighting games to the tekken series, and I must say, I think that I may have found a new standard.

It is true that there may be a few places where the physics could have been reworked in order to make it slightly more realistic (matrix jumping for instance) but when you get into the game, however, you won't even notice these problems. The gameplay in this game is superior to DO3 without question, and it is just more fun to play.

I recommend this game to gamers who enjoy taking the time to learn new fighting styles in games. This game does take time, but it is very, VERY satisfying.

kicksbut!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 27, 2002
Author: Amazon User

this game is awsome. the graphics are cool, and the fighting is so real. i love it. if your trying to decide wheather you want this or not this game is easily the right choice. with 13 cool characters and millions of moves this game never gets to boring.
It rocks!!!!

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next 

Actions