El Blaze's difference in wrestling discipline makes him a speedier and more fluidly animated alternative to larger brawlers like Jeffry and Wolf.įamiliar gameplay, familiar controls, and (mostly) familiar characters – what's new? The most striking difference is of a visual nature, from the enhanced presentation to the flat-out beauty of the environments and the characters that inhabit them.
VIRTUA FIGHTER 5 PS3 PRO
El Blaze is a Mexican Lucha Libre fighter who naturally strikes up a rivalry with Wolf, the ponytailed pro wrestler. Eileen is a young girl trained in the art of Kou Ken, which is represented in her monkey-like antics and fast movements. Joining the 16 existing characters (including longtime boss character Dural) are Eileen and El Blaze. The complete cast of characters is back in Virtua Fighter 5 save for Taka-Arashi, the sumo wrestler mercilessly abandoned following his lone appearance in Virtua Fighter 3. As with the previous PS2 entries, the face buttons are tasked with the basic punch, kick, and guard commands, while the shoulder buttons hold the various one-click combinations that lead to extensive attacks and counters. Not that I would recommend using the analog stick with a fighter of this sort, but it is odd to see a next-gen game that relies entirely on the d-pad. As expected, motion controls have not been included, but more surprising is the lack of analog support. Purists will cite the absolute need for an arcade stick, but I find the standard SixAxis controls to be more than competent. Additional care was paid to the speed and balance of the game, resulting in the smoothest experience to date, but casual fans may struggle to find anything terribly significant or noteworthy. The biggest changes are in the past, though, as Virtua Fighter 5 is ultimately very similar to the balanced brawling of Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution. Virtua Fighter has always been lauded as a deeper fighting experience than any of its competitors, but the gameplay has still gone through several significant overhauls in the last 14 years. Without online play or any attempt at an in-game narrative, Virtua Fighter 5 comes up short in the value department.
VIRTUA FIGHTER 5 PS3 UPGRADE
Aside from the obvious (and quite considerable) visual upgrade and a number of minor enhancements, Virtua Fighter 5 does not feel like a significant evolution from its immediate predecessors. Regardless of the reason, here's the result: Virtua Fighter 5 is an excellent fighting game that builds upon the very strong foundations of Virtua Fighter 4 and its half-sequel, Evolution.
VIRTUA FIGHTER 5 PS3 FULL
Most importantly (for Sega), Virtua Fighter 5 just might dash those embarrassing memories of Full Auto 2: Battlelines and Sonic the Hedgehog for PlayStation 3. The market for next-gen brawlers is surprisingly sparse – even the Xbox 360 can claim only the year-old Dead or Alive 4 as its singular genre entry.
As the first fighter released for the PlayStation 3, it not only fills that particular void, but it also serves as the first worthwhile exclusive to hit the system in the three months since it launched. The release of Virtua Fighter 5 is perfectly timed to fulfill several important needs in the next-generation gaming market.