There might be no indication of which chapter corresponds to which lesson, but it certainly tells you which ones you haven't completed. So no, its not difficult to find and go back to complete the missions you've missed (or ignored).
Dead or Alive 5 Review
Game Emblems
The Good
Dead or Alive 5 is a deceptive game: behind all the gorgeous women and explosive areas rests a dynamic and enjoyable fighter.
The Good
- Complex and hard-hitting fighting mechanics
- Stable online play
- Smooth character animations.
The Bad
- Poorly executed educational mode
- Sorting replays is a chore.
The Dead or Alive series has always had an enthusiastic appreciation for the fairer sex. Dead or Alive 5 is no exception. Katsumi, Hitomi, Tina, and the rest of this top-heavy cast have returned as full-figured as ever. But DOA5's exaggerated brand of beauty is only skin deep. It's the foundation of solid fighting mechanics that gives this game its true appeal.
Combat in Dead or Alive 5 is divided into strikes, holds, and throws. These attack types form an rock, paper, scissors relationship: strike beats throw, throw beats hold, and hold beats strike. Strike has a good chance at beating hold as well, since the defending player must execute the correct hold with perfect timing. Strikes also have the greatest potential for damage because you can combo them together--while the majority of holds and throws end with a hard knockdown. This damage potential is further enhanced by one of DOA5's two new techniques, the critical burst.
Critical bursts are a new tool designed to extend combos and guarantee damage. Visually, they are almost indistinguishable from normal strikes, but successfully landing one puts opponents into a helpless state. From here, attacking players can finish out their combo unhindered by the possibility of a hold. The second new technique is the power blow. You can perform this highly cinematic attack only once per round, and only when you are below half health. Landing the power blow triggers a brief combo, and then the recipient is slammed into the environment, which deals substantial damage.
Moment-to-moment fighting in Dead or Alive 5 carries with it a satisfying feeling of weight and brutality. While difficult to perform consistently, holds grant quick-witted defenders an active way to influence the fight. However, being on offense has a definite advantage. The addition of critical bursts gives skilled fighters a means to maximize damage, making matches more lethal than ever before. Throws and holds have their uses, but are simply not as potent as punches and kicks.
Dead or Alive 5 still has plenty to offer for those unconcerned with the relationship between throws and strikes. In a fighting landscape filled with meters, gauges, and hyper combos, Dead or Alive 5 masks some of its complexity with a minimalist appearance. Take the critical bursts discussed earlier. There is a very subtle visual cue that indicates when you can successfully perform one; however, it is so slight that you would miss it if you didn't know to look for it.
Without a cluttered HUD, this fighter draws the eye toward its outrageous visuals. What starts as a friendly sparring match between friends could easily end up causing a massive train car pileup or a raging oil fire. Dubbed danger zones, the environmental hazards can give you an edge (so long as you're not the one getting your head slammed into an electrified barrier), and their over-the-top violence adds some extra excitement to the fight. These design choices let newer players pick up and enjoy the game, while still feeding seasoned fighters the information they need.
For players new to the Dead or Alive series, the best place to start is the game's Story mode, which doubles as its main educational mode. In brief, series veteran Helena has assumed control of DOATEC, a corporation that does something and is hosting another tournament to celebrate. Each fighter has his or her own reason for entering, but it's difficult to keep track of when (and why) events are happening. The plot is entertaining in its ridiculousness, but not so much that you stop laughing at the story and start laughing with it.
By
Maxwell McGee, Editor
Maxwell McGee earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Arkansas, and has contributed to The Escapist, GamePro, PC Gamer, and more. His introduction to video games was Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Sega Genesis, and he has never looked back. He welcomes your feedback through the site, or Twitter.
43 comments
I will buy this game to hear this:
I will buy this game for hearing this:
Okay seriously i didn't wish to post this before but this review is totally out of sync with reality.I mean when i FIRST played the game i was expecting it to be simply good (due to GS initial Review)but then i was surprisingly blown away by the new gameplay additions and the astonishing graphics along with the fresh new character design and magnificent storyline.I have been playing this game for almost 2 months now...It is literally one of best fighting games i have EVER played.So how in the name of god is this REMOTELY inferior to Tekken ??It didn't even worth that 7.5...It worths at least 8.5 or even 9 in my book!Cause everything was done perfectly and the Educational mode was anything but poorly executed...So explain to me how could you possibly rate this game simply 7.5 while the only valid bad point is honestly the one about Replays which may be tedious but really: WHO GIVES A F*** ABOUT REPLAYS MAXWELL? I don't know what's wrong with you but Gamespot ought to post an Update on this review remunerating some things.This Review had a serious Impact on Metacritic and it was definitely unfair.SC 5 for example was certainly a 7.5 and this comes from a DIE HARD Soul Calibur fan but this????The same rating as SC V?? Shame on you Maxwell...I really cannot fathom what was going on in your head while rating this.
1 Like @rhymesmatter Excuse me, but this game is objectively inferior to Tekken: it has less (4 times less) fighters, less styles, grants unholy advantage to experienced players over noobs, has no tournament value, only friend party value (which Tekken, of course, also has). Also, provided that DOA5 has realistic, life-like characters and styles, the characters have much less personality and the battle has much less possibility than in Tekken.Tekken is a FATHER of fighting games, even MK and SC are inferior to it.
1 Like I played both games and they're good in some ways. Mr. McGee is no gamer for sure, he just loves getting paid by CBS. Admit you suck at Dead or Alive 5, Maxwell. I bet you can't commit a parry using Jann Lee. Foolish liberal media these days.
1 Like This review works although I would rate it better even though it is just a little improved over Dead Or Alive 4.
see @Maxwell_McGee game trailers gave the game 8.5. just saying. http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/vwbqwj/dead-or-alive-5-review
your poor review wont change my mind for buying this beautiful game. its deserve more rating points compare to tekken . coz it have better graphic and much better combat system . so HELL YEAH . i will buy it anyway
1 Like the tut worked into the story mode has worked great for me,,,it seems such a easy way to teach you the mechanics and enjoy a story mode kick ass and watch them jiggle
2 Like I really like boobs...
I didnt even need to read the review...
A part of me is ashamed of myself
5 Like Now THIS is a game I would literally shove down my pants. Not even joking. Why? Well...boob physics...that's why. Boob physics. Sweet, sweet boob physics...
Oh, and the fighting is great, too.
Same here as well. Though the game certainly is good and fun and reminds me of the good old DOA 2 I kinda are a bit disturbed that when you fight VS CPU in VS you can't determine the difficulty o_O
@mikeyMKII Same here! Mostly because the sequels weren't released on Sony consoles as I only had the PS2.
3 Like wow that doesn't sound right at all. the reason for a low score are not really justified imo. i give the game a 8.5 for replay value, the bomb ass levels, the different modes, graphics and fighting mechanics
2 Like "Poorly executed educational mode Sorting replays is a chore."
Seriously, THAT is enough to take away 2.5 points from the game? Something smells fishy here...
@Xpyder What's funny is that educational mode is executed pretty well. I am brand new to the series and I just go into training and select command mode and I am learning fast.
4 Like You act like a game deserves a 10 right out the bat and then they deduct points.
It doesn't work like that.
3 Like @Crystal_Dream I know! but citing some stupid negative points makes it look like it does(work like that)!
@rhymesmatter @sidious360 im not really into the "numeric score removal" thing, i just think scores should reflect more than sum of advantagens - disadvantages, some games are just much better than the sum of its parts...
@Xpyder @sidious360 Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning also got a 7.5 but 38 Studios were shut down...The point is that the game is magnificent as i am playing it right now.I love the eye candy, i love the game mechanics even more and the story mode was excellent.There are people out there that get turned off by scores that do not meet their standards and that's a shame because they effectively lose the chance to enjoy wonderful games and at the same time they create the possibility of IP abandonment or in other words if the game doesn't sell satisfactory Team Ninja might also get shut down and there will be no DOA nor NG ever again.People should use their heads more and GameSpot should FINALLY remove the numerical scores COMPLETELY so that they will allow those people to think and so that great companies like Team Ninja can continue to exist and bring such beautiful games
@sidious360 @Xpyder @Crystal_Dream Im not arguing with that, i know 7.5 is still a good score
1 Like @Xpyder @Crystal_Dream 7.5 is considered good remember 5.0 is average its just gamers think a game has to be 8.5-9.0 to be good...
2 Like This review lacks too many information for his purpose, like cast of fighters, customization options, replay value, if there are any fighter development, any comment about music and sound effects... It seems was rated based on demo version.
7 Like "Sorting replays is a chore." There's that complaint again. You know what Max, maybe the replays think YOU'RE a chore!
This comment has been deleted
9 Like just wondering, in what way does sorting replays affect the actual rating of the game, coz to me such a thing isnt as important as the game itself being good or not. i havent played the game myself since it hasnt been released on my side of the world yet so i cant exactly comment on anything else
4 Like @emodack Let's wait for other reviews too. Not saying GS is not trustworthy, but I do feel that this review is not as fair as it should be. I mean VF5 was good, but It thought it lacked content, and it got 8.5, so let's just wait first.
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Dead or Alive 5
Not Following
- Publisher(s): Tecmo Koei America Corp.
- Developer(s): Team Ninja
- Genre: Action
- Release:
- ESRB: M
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