Dead or Alive 5

Critic reviews

• TEThe Escapist

  Joshua Vanderwall · Oct 19, 2012

  8.0

  DOA5's graphics keep you immersed during the fight, with each character having very distinctive animations for their style. The cut scene graphics aren't quite as impressive as they should be, though, given the stellar presentation of the actual gameplay. The special moves are fairly low-key combos, with none of the wild and crazy animations seen in more stylized fighting games. You won't be lobbing fireballs from the corner in DOA5. Each fight looks like a well-choreographed scene from an action movie, rather than a string of special move animations.

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• JJoystiq

  Ludwig Kietzmann · Sep 27, 2012

  8.0

  If Street Fighter IV asks for impeccably timed digital mastery, then Dead or Alive 5 begs for analogue thought. There are set combos and air juggles, some of which can be combined into vicious assaults, but you'll find yourself thinking in imprecise, natural terms. Playing Dead or Alive 5 instills a sense of flow, rhythm and position – all important in any fighting game, yet less formalized here.
• PUPlayStation Universe

  Ernest Lin · Sep 26, 2012

  8.0

  Overall, I would say they succeeded in what they set out to do. There is not a whole lot of complexity yet the depth is there. All the new training tools will encourage new and long-time players to keep improving. Despite its shortcomings, DOA5 is the best Dead or Alive period.

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• GTGame Trailers

  gametrailer · Sep 26, 2012

  7.9

  All things considered, Dead or Alive 5 capably reaffirms the intrinsic charm of the series: fast, technical fighting that’s easy to pick up, easy to appreciate, and easy on the eyes. But rather than advance the series into a new level of play, it merely repackages the its strong points rather than evolve them. The addition of new system elements hint at a fighting game that could be more, but the game mostly plays in familiar territory, especially where features are concerned.
• CCOGconnected

  Daniel Kozlowski · Sep 25, 2012

  8.3

  Dead Or Alive 5 is accessible both to casual players and hardcore fans of the genre and it feels very rewarding when given enough time. Underneath all of the saucy attire, it is definitely a frantic fighting game with both depth and substance and one worth playing.

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• CCheatcc

  Angelo M. D'Argenio · Sep 25, 2012

  8.0

  DOA5 lives up to the phrase "fighting entertainment" by being a game that trades mechanical depth for accessibility and flash. It's very friendly to mashing, boasts a very simple fighting system without any hidden mechanics, and wraps every match in a dazzling spectacle. It's almost like a Michael Bay version of a fighting game; you don't have to think about it too hard but that's why it's so entertaining.

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