An excellent and worthy addition to the DOA fighting series.
The new characters have grown on me, and I have quickly come to adore them. Kokoro is a geisha-in-training who loves to practice Ba Ji Quan in her spare time. Her fighting style is not as flashy as some other characters, but she is physically strong and has a nice moveset. Eliot is the only apprentice of Gen Fu, but his moveset is rather different than his master's. His throws are weak, but his strikes and counters deal good damage. La Mariposa (Lisa from DOAX) is the third wrestler in the game but fights much differently than Tina and Bass. She utilizes Lucha Libre which mixes Capoeira with wrestling moves.
There are some downsides to the game however that prevented me from giving it a perfect score. First off, the AI spams counters quite a bit. I have tested it out and nearly every time I start a match in story mode, I initiate a throw on the computer and it's often a high counter throw. Sometimes, the computer just starts countering in the middle of a chain combo. I have found ways to counter this. An aforementioned throw will initiate high counter status, and good juggles will prevent opponents from being able to counter at all. The final boss Alpha-152 was rather frustrating at first, but she is incredibly predictable. One simply has to remember the types of moves she uses to either counter her or high counter throw her. The last nitpick I have is the amount of costumes. They are not nearly as numerous as DOA2 Ultimate, which I found disappointing. But I like many of the new ones, and there are returns of favorites such as Kasumi's schoolgirl outfits.
Dead or Alive 4 is not perfect, but it is one of the best fighting games around on the Xbox 360 and in general. The characters have been greatly improved fighting-wise and graphic-wise as well. While a sequel to this is uncertain at the moment, I am increasingly enjoying my time playing this latest installment. I highly recommend it to hardcore gamers and newcomers as well. I can guarantee that one will find enjoyment in one aspect or another of the game.