When Sega first released Virtua
Fighter 5 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, it entertained the masses with
its slick animation engine, quality 3D backdrops, and elegant fighting
style. The 360 version came with extensive online fighting options,
making it a clear-cut winner — for the time being — with players who
earned their skills in the arcade. Since that time, fighting games have
moved on extensively, between Capcom’s crossover brawling affairs and
Midway’s rebooted Mortal Kombat. Now Sega is eager to get back into the
ring with a new version of Virtua Fighter — one that offers a number of
new options and a much cheaper price. We recently got a chance to try
it out at the company’s Digital Day event in San Francisco.
First
off, most of the options that were in the original game are present in
the Final Showdown expansion. You’ll find all the modes included, along
with a Practice Dojo. Here, you’ll attempt to complete objectives and
master moves using one of the game’s numerous characters. It’s a great
mode to simply pass the time with or perfect your skills before you head
online to take on the world.
Yes,
for the first time in the series (the original game didn’t offer it),
Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown will bring online play to the
PlayStation Network. (It’ll be compatible with Xbox Live Arcade as
well.) The game will introduce a great new matchmaking feature, where
you won’t always be paired up against those who could thrash you in a
heartbeat with the drunken Shun Di. Instead, it carefully examines your
skill level and pairs you up against someone with an equal set-up, so
you stand a better chance of winning the match. You’ll still have a
fight on your hands, though, so be ready.
Virtua
Fighter 5: Final Showdown’s cast of characters is quite the delight. A
lot of old favorites return, including the leather-clad Sarah Bryant,
still as sexy as ever; the traditional brawler Akira, who also appears
in Dead Or Alive 5 (obviously, he’s much more natural here); the crazy
Shun Di, who powers up with a new move every time he takes a swig from
his bottle; and the returning Taka-Arashi, a Sumo wrestler who first
debuted in Virtua Fighter 3. A new character, Jean Kujo, also joins the
fracas, bringing a number of charge moves that make him devastating.
For
a downloadable fighter, Virtua Fighter 5 looks razor sharp. The
environments are somehow better than in the previous retail version,
though the animations continue to be spot on, from Sarah’s spin kick to
some of Shun Di’s more ridiculous grabs. It’s a polished engine, and
the best Virtua Fighter we’ve seen to date. The audio is still what it
is, with voices that either fit a character or make them sound worse (at
least Sarah sounds nice) and decent background music.
But
gameplay is the main draw here, and we’re happy to report it’s
completely intact. During the demonstration, Sega broke out the deluxe
fighting sticks to show just how dedicated the game is. It feels just
right, between setting up Sarah’s lightning kick attacks and Wolf’s
crazy wrestling moves. We didn’t have a problem executing any of the
moves, even in the thick of a versus battle. Granted, your performance
may vary if you’re using a regular Xbox 360 controller, but fighting
fans will feel right at home here.
Virtua
Fighter 5: Final Showdown is yet another awesome release in Sega’s
digital library, and one that fighting fans will definitely want to save
some time for when it debuts this summer.
Source : www.gamezone.com
Posting Komentar