Indeed, the netcode appears to be very stable, and the matchmaking is both fast and simple. It's not that the game has to innovate, essentially being a re-release in the first place, but it would have been nice to have something that adds a bit more value to the overall package.Īs it stands, playing through Last Round's predictable single player modes can feel stale, but thankfully, the online offering is solid, if similarly banal. The release's story mode remains nonsensical and hardly worth a second look once it's over, while the other modes on offer fail to really stand out. Competitive players can turn off the additions if they wish, along with the action-orientated camera angles, but for everyone else, they provide an extra pinch of excitement to battles that are already fast and satisfying.ĭead or Alive 5's core is absolutely solid, then, so it's a shame that the title's let down elsewhere. You can be kicked off the roof of a skyscraper, punched over the edge of a waterfall, or even smashed into a moving train. As such, it's even possible to do a bit of button mashing once you're used to the aforementioned rhythm and still come out on top.īolstering the brawler's flamboyant style are some nicely designed stages, most of which come with their own environmental hazards.
Suddenly, off-beat button presses become the norm as you stun your enemies into submission, and as you begin to really wrap your head around a character's abilities, more advanced combos come naturally. While there are still combo strings and various stances to master, most players will start off simply hammering out the easier combos which require little more than tapping the same face button in quick succession, but in time, it becomes apparent that breaking up the flow of these blows is more beneficial. It all sounds a bit vague, but the process is a strange one to describe. Making the most of attacks that put your opponent into a stunned state, you'll be able to follow up with powerful special techniques or keep the pressure on with another combo. The key to success when playing online or at the higher difficulties is having a good grasp on the rhythm of your chosen combatant's moveset. Take, for example, the game's stun mechanic.
There's still a decent learning curve if you're interested in the finer points of battle, but even these are arguably far easier to understand than concepts found in similar releases. That's not to say that the brawler's overly basic, though.