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Enjoyable addition for any XBOX 360

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: December 31, 2005
Author: Amazon User

As someone new to the whole DOA series, I have to say I was blown away by this game. The character models are stunning, and the dynamic backgrounds area highly immersive. Fights are fast, furious, and there are many unique moves for every character. Story endings range from the highly humorous to the intense and touching. And the number of new costumes for each character makes playing their story mode multiple times (so far I have 5 costumes for both Kokoru and Hitomi, not sure how many total there are).

Only con? The blisters on my thumbs from the last 6 solid hours of playing!

DOA4's a knockout

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 05, 2006
Author: Amazon User

It's very, very rare that I play a fighting game. The last one that I enjoyed was an Xbox launch title, and it featured a beautiful white-haired assassin on its cover. That game was Dead or Alive 3. Naturally, Team Ninja's fourthcoming fighting game got my attention, and after being pushed back a few weeks, Dead or Alive 4 for the Xbox 360 finally released. Did it meet my expectations? After hours of learning combos and pounding opponents, I can finally say that yes, it's an amazing game.

I always enjoyed the gameplay in Dead or Alive. It mixes playability with technicality unlike any other game out there. Button-mashers can have a good time because the fast-paced fighting allows mindless attacks. Those who memorize combos and time reversals can also enjoy the series, because it allows for that as well. The fighting in DOA4 is as fluid and fast as ever. Punches and kicks are incorporated beautifully into complex combos. Watching your fighter use his or her abilities is almost like watching an orchestrated dance, especially with some of the female characters. Team Ninja put an emphasis on the reversals and throws this time around, so those moves have been made a little easier with improved controls and timing. Once I learned reversals and a couple combos, I was set to go. I went from the button-masher camp to the finesse camp, and an in-game Sparring Mode can turn any newbie into an expert with just a little time.

The Sparring Mode also offers a perfect opportunity to master the three new characters. Kokoro, the geisha-in-training, isn't a very exciting character by any means but she's new regardless. Eliot, one of my least favorite characters in recent memory, has a generic fighting style and an appearance that suggests Team Ninja forgot what gender he was intended to be. La Mariposa is a great addition, and her luchadora skills are perfect in DOA4. I enjoyed using her more than the other two new characters, but some of the fourteen returning characters are fantastic as well. My personal favorites were Kasumi, Ryu Hayabusa (of Ninja Gaiden fame), and Christie, the white-haired assassin and DOA3 cover character I mentioned earlier. Christie was my favorite character overall, but any player can find a character to enjoy. The slower fighters, like Bass and SPARTAN (yeah, the Halo character), aren't as easy to use but they're powerful and can take a few hits. Fast characters like Christie and Jann Lee are the ones I'd prefer to use, but some of them are pretty cheap. Like I said, there's a character for anyone here.

There are a few different game modes, but the list is probably the most generic and traditional part about Dead or Alive 4. Story Mode allows you to unlock ending movies after completing eight stages of fighting with a particular character. Time Attack Mode forces you to complete stages as quickly as possible. Survival Mode, which was my favorite, thrusts you into a fighting ring where a constant, never-ending stream of enemies fight you to the death. By winning battles, your health regenerates, so the goal is to defeat as many opponents while earning as many points as possible and staying alive. I'd say that playing the Sparring Mode and Survival Mode made me a much better player than I ever was before.

Online is where half of the fun lies. Team Ninja did an absolutely fantastic job making a unique online experience. Between each fast-paced battle is a lobby system that allows every player to have his or her own unique avatar. In the lobby, players interact with their avatar's animations as well as typed messages. It's endlessly entertaining to watch a cute little dog trash talk another player. If you aren't fighting, you can observe battles in a full-screen Watch Mode or on the lobby's television set. I simply loved this lobby system. The actual gameplay online is a little laggy, but it's fun and difficult to stop playing nonetheless. To avoid unfair matches, there is a grading system that makes sure that inexperienced players won't be teamed up against experts. This grading system is determined by wins, losses, disconnects, and the like. Overall, I think the online aspect of DOA4 is perfectly done.

Another nearly-perfect aspect of DOA4 is the visuals. I still think that DOA3 is one of the prettiest games out there, but DOA4 blows it away completely. Whether you're playing in high-definition or not doesn't matter, because the beautiful levels and perfectly modeled characters look great on any television set or computer monitor. Each level is bursting with color and life and I really wanted to move around a bit more than the game let me. Most of the locations are layered as well, so fighting can be carried around the playing field pretty easily. The character animation is spot-on, and I think Team Ninja especially shows this with the long and slow throwing moves. From Christie's snake-like attacks to Bass's beefy wrestling grapples, every attack looks natural and, for the lack of a better word, perfect. I mentioned the levels being colorful, but the characters are also adorned with some of the most extravagant clothing items I've ever seen in a video game. Whether it's Ryu Hayabusa's fancy ninja suit from Ninja Gaiden or Zack's Teletubby-influenced costume, I was impressed throughout the entire costume selection.

There isn't much to complain about here. Besides some annoying deaths (like when I'm pushed up against a wall), occasional online lag, and cheap characters (Zack and Jann Lee, I'm talking about you), Dead or Alive 4 is one of the best games I've played on the Xbox 360. Whatever Team Ninja did during those weekly delays, I'm happy about, because the final product is exceptional.

(NOTE: This review is also posted on GameFreaks365.com, where I write reviews on a regular basis)

Great game.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: February 19, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I'm not sure where the negative reviews are coming from. I'm just a casual gamer here and I'm enjoying it a lot. The graphics are great. The storylines are fun. Even the online gameplay is pretty good. It took a few minutes to figure out what was going on with the lobby, but overall it is a pretty creative idea. The lag problems can be attributed to bad connections, I haven't had any real problems with it. No complaints about the AI. It you are spending 45 minutes on 1 opponent, I think its about time that you go into sparring mode and practice your combos and counters...yes...you can counter. You just have to take the time to learn how. This is definitely not a button masher. It takes technique, which I appreciate, because over the years ,indless button mashing has become a tad boring. For that I applaud them. This game was well worth the money spent. Don't let the negative reviews sway you.

screw everyone else

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: July 08, 2006
Author: Amazon User

ok
this game is absolutely amazing
the people that haven't liked this game have been either people that cannot comprehend the concept of multiple-hit combos and blocking, and people that do not appreciate the amazing graphics that are apparent throughout this game
if you liked DOA 3 or even the first and second one, i promise you will fall in love with this game

amazing game but......

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: January 30, 2006
Author: Amazon User

ok overall this game is beautiful with fully interactive environments and amazing graphics. This game is NOT button masher friendly to play this game you really have to know what your doing or else it is insanely hard even on normal its very hard. i only suggest getting this game if u know what your doing if not pick up another game.

Graphics are great, but gameplay not so.....

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: June 28, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This is my first time playing Dead or Alive. I'm not a big fan of Tekken like games so I'll try to be fair as possible. I can appreciate any fighting game that doesn't allow to much "button mashing". What frustrates me is how this game is ridiculously TOO ACCURATE in the fighting scheme the makers of this game has employed. I can read the manual so many times and even the online guides, but I barely get rewarded in trying execute self defense moves, especially the simple blocking. I don't know if it's the game or my joints on my fingers arent loose enough, but i swear that i barely get to do a counter hold on any combo..no matter how hard i time it well. What frustrates me more is the blocking mechanism...it barely works and when it does it usually get overrided with a ridiculous "blow" or "kick" that launches you up and down to the ground. And when do try to get up, it's hard to evade a cheesy low attack...you just have to absorb more until your lucky enough to reply with a little combo of your own.

I'll stop the ranting. Would I recommend this to newcomeres of Dead or Alive? No. Most likely you'll be more frustrated than having fun. I can't speak for the rest that have played this series for a while.

tecmo and team ninja does it again ...now on the xbox 360 .... a winner!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: December 31, 2005
Author: Amazon User

this game is fantastic .... the graphics are phenominal very detailed backgrounds..(loved the dinosaur background..) all the classic combos and characters are there..especially my favorite kasumi :) they also added a great new character named Kokoro..as well as ryu hayabusa the hero from all the original nintendo ninja gaiden series...this is action packed and will having you coming back for more..lots of great costumes and movies to be unlocked as well...a winner get this game it really shows off the x box 360

FIGHTING FUN

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: January 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Dead or alive 4 has great graphics and game play that you whold expect from xbox 360. Now with that out of the way it is fun once you get the actual game play together and stop button mashing. Each player has a unique style which can be masterd and perfected rather easy. Yes...those of you who want to turn down the heat and play on easy............stop crying you can not do it and that is why you suck you can not expect to get better or even compete with others if you always walk with a crutch. The online play is flawless and fun. When jumping over fences and you can counter your enemy. The environments are enteractive and lush and beatiful and fun. So if you want a fighter with good graphics and game play that is not hard to play pick this up.

beautiful game graphics and play

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: January 04, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I just have to say is that this is the best fighting game I have ever played PERIOD. The counters are easy and cool as hell. Graphics are beautiful and story is cool. GET THIS GAME WORTH EVERY PENNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't get this game...

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 7
Date: February 06, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I wanted to get this game since I first heard about it, but 10 minutes into playing it I realized how boring the series has gotten. Not only that but the AI is VERY poorly done. The game doesn't offer much in the way of content; a few costumes here and there and a laggy and glitchy online mode. The story line is slim to none; they have you fight over a cabbage at a marketplace for instance. My advice to anyone who is on the fence about picking this title up would be to save your money for something better, this game will only frustrate you and become stale very very quickly. Of course if you're a fanboy of the DOA series you will get it and say it's the greatest thing to hit fighters. But if you're a casual gamer I caution you to avoid this title.

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