Dead or Alive 5 has come out at the perfect time on the new generation of consoles. We currently have a lack of fighting games available across both platforms, giving Dead or Alive the upper advantage, even though it’s a re-release. DOA 5: Last Round offers all the previous features that were available with the previous releases of the title. The online is still as solid as I can remember with no noticeable issues or lag, which is always welcome. Ranked and Lobby battles are still present, this is essentially the same game that was released on the PS3/Xbox 360 with minor tweaks, mainly in the graphical department.
The visuals have improved quite a bit, the characters look more beautiful than before, especially the ladies. The stages have also had some tweaking, with the revamped edition of classic stages such as Crimson and Danger Zone. Fans of the series will be very happy with these additions.
The same large roster that appeared in the previous DOA 5 instalments makes their return, with extra characters. 34 fighters are now at your disposal due to the title having all the additional DLC fighters and guest fighters from Virtual Fighter. If you are looking for a title with a lot of characters to master, this is easily the title to pick up. Two new characters make their appearance with the return of the 1st Dead or Alive boss Raidou, who is a ninja, there are many ninjas however, but Raidou is in his cyborg transformation. Another new fighter arrives by the name of Honoka; sadly, she’s not worth trying out as her move-set is very similar to other fighters.
If you are looking for the same fun you may have had previously with the initial release of Dead or Alive 5, look no further. The game offers a lot for returning players, with upgraded stages, new stages, extra costumes and fighters. Last round is one of the most enjoyable Dead or Alive titles and the series is going in the right direction (other than the storyline, that is all over the place in my opinion, but who cares). Even with all the added content, there is more content available via the PSN/Xbox live store. However, a lot of the content is overpriced and really doesn’t offer any value for money. Unless you really hate the costumes the game provides you with.
For those that are unsure about Dead Or Alive 5 both the PS4 and Xbox One stores have a free-to-play version available. The sampler is known as Dead Or Alive 5: The Last Round: Core Fighters. The PS4 version of the Core Fighters includes four fighters (Ayane, Hayate, Kasumi and Ryu Hayabusa) along with a few games modes that are available to be unlocked via micro-transactions. The story is locked along with the online features. However, the Xbox One situation is different, even though the F2P model is available for free and consists of the same four free characters as the PS4; you cannot micro-transaction any extra modes, so you will have to purchase the full game instead of purchasing content bit by bit.
Dead or Alive 5 Last Round is a great addition of the previously released Dead or Alive 5. The graphical upgrades are noticeable and welcomed. The amount of fighters and stages offers a lot of variety to play; giving you countless hours spent mastering each character. The extra costumes are also a nice touch. Sadly however, the two newest additions to the roster aren’t exactly thrilling. The online works smoothly, with all the features from the previous release. Its worth upgrading too if you love Dead or Alive 5 as this is the version you must buy.