The best 3D fighter ever made for the PS2, from someone who originally wanted to like SoulCalibur and Tekken more.
At first, I disliked VF4:E, mostly because I wanted to dislike it. But also, I found the deceptively-simple three-button layout, the comparatively conservative fighting styles of the characters, and what I felt was bland character design boring. Giving the game a bit more of a chance before I sold it, I soon discovered the well-balanced intricacies and range that the fighting system really has to offer. I learned that the characters' balanced fighting styles truly make for a more satisfying fighting experience than other 3D fighters. I found that the characters' personalities do come out in VF4:E, through costume customization, win poses, and fighting styles. And... I discovered Quest mode, which I will soon describe. Through these features and more, VF4:E completely won me over.
Above all, this game's (and its predecessor's, VF4) most brilliant stroke is that it revolutionized and revitalized the fighting game genre by breaking the standard pattern of fighting 6 to 10 matches against different opponents, culminating in a boss fight or two, before running the credits. In its stead--or at least as an alternative, since you can still play this traditional arcade mode in VF4:E--is introduced the Quest mode (called Kumite mode in VF4, with less features). In this mode, you play a Virtua Fighter player who goes from arcade to arcade playing hundreds of other Virtua Fighter players, winning gold and prizes along the way that can be used to customize your fighter's appearance. Your character can also enter tournaments, complete side quests, acquire statistics, progress through ranks, and collect emblems, creating many new incentives for continuing to play a single fighting game over and over again (before you know it, through thousands of matches). This metaphysical shift in in-game identity, from "being" your fighter to "being" the player who controls your fighter, vastly opens up the replay possibilities of fighting games. I cannot emphasize enough how ingenious a move this is. Without it, I would have stopped playing VF4:E ages ago, as I've inevitably stopped playing all other fighters that have come before it.
Despite my initial feelings to the contrary, the range of characters in VF4:E works excellently well. All the characters from the past Virtua Fighters are back for more (except for Taka Arashi, the sumo wrestler, abandoned after VF3) and two new characters have joined the fray. Goh Hinogami, a shadowy judo-ka who looks as though he is part-zombie, comes in with some crushing judo throws and grapples. And Brad Burns, a slick Muay Thai practitioner from Italy, can throw some vicious fists and kicks.
And, speaking of fists and kicks, the "feel" of the fighting in this game is tuned finer than any other 3D fighter around. Punches and kicks penetrate hard--the accompanying sounds adding to the apparent intensity of the strikes--so that the opponent blocks, parries, staggers, takes a hit, and falls like a solid being rather than a flimsy, wire-frame doppelganger. Despite the more over-the-top fighting styles of other 3D fighters, I find VF4:E has many more "Ooh, that looks like it hurt!" moments because of its attention to such details. The game's graphics are sharp and lovely. Though by no means the greatest graphics that the PS2 has to offer, there is a superb unity of design and no real shortcoming interferes with the pure, fighting goodness. The arenas are well-detailed and diverse from Japanese temple settings and dojos, to underground fighting cages. The characters are smooth, expressive, fluid in motion, with no jaggies and very few moments when parts of characters go through other parts of characters (a bigger issue in SC3). The game's framerate is irreproachable, with no slow-down at any point, so the fighting goes on without any fears of interruption. It is a smooth, eye-pleasing ride.
The sound is what it needs to be. Honestly, I tend to turn off the music in fighting games. I find the current trend of guitar-heavy electronic BGM simply irritating. Not since Street Fighter II have I really enjoyed any fighting game soundtrack. The voice acting is good enough, with a mix of English and Japanese-speaking characters (although Lion's voice is possibly the most annoying voice in the world), and the sounds of the punches and kicks as mentioned above, contribute to a satisfying fighting experience (even the VF series' signature "whooshing" spin-kicks).
So, what you get with VF4:E is this: the best 3D fighting game for the PS2. Its fighting mechanics give a great gameplay experience. Its Quest mode gives unprecedented replay value. And all other aspects of the game make for an irresistible, complete package for any 3D fighting game fan.