Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $39.96
Today's Bonus: $0.03 Off

The long running Dead or Alive fighting game series has always been called by most people as "that fighting game with boobs". While the female combatants in the game are drop dead gorgeous with ample curves usually shown in skimpy attire, there has always been much more to the game than that. The original title was released on the original Playstation. The sequel was released on the Sega Dreamcast and then eventually on the PS2 and original Xbox. The 3rd and 4th entries would only be released as Xbox exclusives. When the original version of Dead or Alive 5 was released on both the PS3 and Xbox 360 about a year ago, it was the first true sequel in the series in 7 years. (There had been a volleyball game or two in the series released during the interim).

When I picked up part 5 on the PS3 when it was originally released, I found it to be an extremely fun and polished title that featured a nice variety of fighting styles and some of the best & most polished graphics that I had seen in a fighting game on either the PS3 or 360 up to that point. The game featured a deep and fun story mode and also allowed you to fight either the CPU or other players via couch co-op or online in solo matches or tag matches where you would each pick 2 players and then swap them out throughout the fight. The developers would then released an expanded version of the game a few months later on the PS Vita as "Dead or Alive 5 plus" and now almost a year later from the original release "Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate" on the current gen systems.

Initially, there was a bit of an uproar from fans that the devlopers chose to release this update as a stand alone disc instead of as DLC for people who had bought the original game. They stated that there was simply too much additional content that they wound up adding to do it as a simple patch and DLC. They did however release this new version at a discounted price point of 39.99 which was cool.

If you haven't tried out Dead or Alive 5 yet (or haven't played a Dead or Alive game at all for that matter), the Ultimate edition is the best option by far. First of all, they have brought 5 new characters to the mix in addition to all of the returning characters too. With the main boss of the game being unlocked too from the outset, you get a great 29 characters to choose from. They also have added 5 new stages to this game too and the beach/island stage released for free with the original release as a patch/DLC is included too.

If you already had a save file from the original release, the game will ask if you want to import that save date to retain everything you unlocked originally to the Ultimate edition. While most of the pre-order DLC for the original vanilla release is included on this disc in the form of extra costumes, the other paid DLC isn't but the game will also recognize all of the DLC that you purchased for the original release so fans aren't out more money. I would have been very upset if they had put all of the paid DLC on the disc for free on the ultimate edition but thankfully they didn't go that route to make fans feel completely ripped off.

There are also new costumes exclusive to this Ultimate edition too for all characters. As before, the lovely and curvy female cast get the best outfits that are so revealing, that they're almost nude in some cases which is why the game deservedly earned it's M rating. But all of the fighters feature very deep fighting mechanics and the game is very deep too particularly in its usage of reversals and tag mechanics that are still the best in any fighting game to date. What's wrong with some female eye candy to go along with the proceedings anyway? While it could be viewed as sexist by female gamers, I think that if the gameplay was lacking in any way and not as deep and varied as it is, that they would be right. But in this case they aren't in my honest opinion.

All of the returning modes like the aforementioned story mode are accounted for like the survival mode. A tweaked arcade mode is offered too in addition to a new tutorial mode that walks you through all of the Dead or Alive 5 fighting mechanics to help you get up to speed and fight well in the game. The arcade mode also gives you a high score too that you can try to improve on and also post out online to compare to other player's as well. Multiple difficulty settings will assure that any player will find the challenge that they're looking for when playing arcade mode. The story mode, while cheesy a times, is as deep and well done as the Mortal Kombat reboot story mode too and gives a nice diversion and insight into all of the characters as well as being a nice way to unlock extras should this be your first time playing Dead or Alive 5 in any way.

The graphics have been tweaked a bit it seems and everything seems to just be a bit more crisp, defined and smooth then the original outing. I noticed no frame rate drops on the PS3 when things got particularly hectic and the returning and new stages look breathtaking too. There are multiple times when the game is just simply so gorgeous to look at that you want to stop fighting and just soak in the scenery female and otherwise.

The load times aren't bad when playing off the disc, but you get the option to install game data to your HDD which comes in just under 3 gigabytes. This greatly reduces load times and makes for a much more fluid and fast gaming experience versus playing the game off of the disc.

The title also features all patches and improvements for the original edition included in this one and as of this writing, they already have released a 1.01 patch on the PS3 to already tweak some things further so no glitches should be encountered thankfully.

I guess the big question is this; if somebody already owns the original vanilla edition, is it worth picking up the Ultimate edition for another 40 bucks? If you are a fan and/or love deep and extremely well done 3D fighting games, that answer is a resounding yes. If you bought the original version and it either lost your interest or you just didn't care for it, there's nothing really radically different about the Ultimate edition that's going to change your mind as it's what came before with just much more added to it now in the form of new characters, stages and modes. I feel that it is worth picking up for people who already got the original vanilla version. There's much more new stuff than first appears and it's just so much fun to play and each character has so much depth that you could pick just one character to master to the best of your ability and never get bored. Well worth picking up and enjoy those swimsuit outfits for the female cast while you're at it! ;)

Click Here to Read More Reviews >>

I am a big fan of this series, for all the reasons people buy games.

Story: This is story much like a soap_opera, in the regards that there is no one protagonist or antagonist. Everyone one is a good guy and a bad guy (except for Ryu) for what ever personal motivation drives them. Knocking the other person out, for getting in your way, well that's an acceptable measure for achieving your cause, after all this is a fight game making it a competition. Being a game with 25 characters I am not going to go into details for all but, some characters see vindication from the DOA Corp. for personal violations against them, while others perform out of a sense of duty, some just come to fight and win, while others are trying to save the world. The beauty of this is that you can pick your favorites.

Visuals: The most stunning visuals and high resolution models of the highest quality I have ever seen, they rock the PS3 technology, but also keep in mind, they were rocking the first generation consoles long before with the best visual qualities of that time, and making it all run smooth, check out DOA3 and Ninja Gaiden Black to see what I mean. These guys just out do the industry standards in this regard. (if someone wants to rebut this, give me an example of something better)

Gameplay: Smooth transitioning, easy to learn. This is probably the only fight game you learn easily, jump right in with the best of them and have a winning chance, Unlike many other fight games that have strong unbeatable characters where you don't ever stand a change against someone good, DOA gives you a balanced system where acrobatic little girls can go toe to toe with big brutes of men, and there are several characters that are comprised of strength and speed balance which also puts them on equal footing with fighters of a different style. So many characters to choose from, there is someone in the lineup just made for you.

Content: many different modes to play, Arcade, Time attack, Survival, Team battle, etc.

The only thing I wonder about is the price, why would the better more inclusive version sell for $20.00 less than the version that came before it. The game that came before it had less characters and less content, anyway, I am happy to have paid $20.00 less for a better version of the DOA5 release, (DOA5 Ultimate).

Buy it, Enjoy it.

Buy Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate Now

I've been a fan of DOA since the beginning and have enjoyed all of the installments (including last year's DOA5). However, nothing could have prepared me for this game. DOA5 Ultimate like the title suggests is the greatest addition to the series to date, packed with all kinds of modes, costumes and more characters than ever before (sorry, no Tengu here folks). At a retail price of $40, I'd recommend fans and newcomers alike to check out what is potentially the best fighting game this year.

Read Best Reviews of Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate Here

DOA5 came out almost a year ago after a 7-year hiatus most likely due to company issues and the leave of Team Ninja leader, Tomonobu Itagaki. So it was a big surprise that DOA5 ever came out at all with a loss of interest from the community and a steady decline of 3D fighters. Despite this, Team Ninja has managed to squeeze out a great new installment that is developed with the intentions of being a hardcore fighter that casuals can also enjoy with the inclusion of amazing visuals, animation and character balance.

DOA5U is major update to that of DOA5. Including move tweaks and tool additions for every character, new characters, new mechanics, new levels and a smoother netcode to the games online.

Hardcore fans will be happy to learn that Leon and Ein from previous DOA installments have returned. They are both great additions, and despite only having a few changes; they both work incredibly well in this installment and blend in well with the other characters. Jacky is here for Virtua Fighter. He's a great addition as well, and is as powerful as any Virtua Fighter fan may expect. Rachel and Momiji are also new to the roster from Team Ninja's critically acclaimed and panned Ninja Gaiden franchise. Both of these characters will be tough for previous players to adjust to as they both have strange tools in contrast to the rest of the cast.

Tag mode has received a huge make-over if this is your flavor. The biggest problem with this mode is that it doesn't play like solo mode, this makes for a weird adjustment period. Some may argue that it should be expected but tag mode can put you into some very compromising positions with lengthy guaranteed air juggles against lighter characters in the game. Those that play solo mode regularly will need to do a decent amount of training to carry their skill over to this mode. Thankfully you have some options this time to help you out with that:

Survival tag has returned, and it's a good way to practice combos against 100 opponents on the higher levels. Items have also returned. You can collect items that will heal you, and extend your multiplier bonus after a force tech or a KO. Tag mode also has a ranked match online option, and you can also tag up with a friend online in a player match lobby. Team Ninja clearly put a lot of focus in tag this time around, and it's an impressive mode with very rewarding tag throws and air-juggles. Those that get good at this mode will feel very good about themselves.

Training is highly recommended in this title, and you have a lot of fun ways to do this now. You have your basic free training, command training that teaches you all of a characters moves, and also combo challenge -a mode that will teach you how to pull of some very nice combos for your respective characters. This is fantastic for newcomers so everyone can utilize a nifty character too. There is even a tutorial mode that teaches you all the basics of the game, and also explains some fighting terms.

The graphics haven't changed much from last year's installment, but this is fine. DOA5U is a great looking fighter, with superb and perhaps unmatched animation. The game is a real treat to watch or play, and features some beautiful levels and variety. Some levels will destruct and change level design completely with insane danger zones. A lot of these levels were inspired from the Uncharted franchise. A set-piece falling and changing before your very eyes.

Environments mean a lot to serious DOA players because of how dramatically they effect the way the game is played. Your character will slip on ice, your combo will either drop or go higher on a slope, the water will make you stumble, you can break a foe through an object for a guaranteed extension to your combo, your foe can fall off an edge for extra damage or can be power-blowed into a chopper, a circus clown man-cannon or a giant boulder on the move and inspired by Indiana Jones. It will require more brains than fists to get far in your fight if you expect to survive. These environmental matches can lead to exciting moments, and it's a big reason as to how DOA is different from other 3D fighters released today.

People that enjoy dressing up their characters before a fight will be happy to know that there are more costumes, more hairstyles and more accessories. They continue to get dirty and sweaty (optional) as the fight progresses, and it's interesting to see how they turn out at the end of a match.

Mechanically the game has changed quite a bit. Every character has a new bounds move that will force their opponent to slide across the floor for a short time. When you put your opponent in a bounds you get a guaranteed follow up attack or combo depending on your precise timing. Also new to Ultimate is the Power Launcher. After losing 50% of your health you can charge an attack that will launch your opponent into the sky. This gives you the chance to set your opponent up for quite the combo and can save a match.

Also new to Dead or Alive is customization to background music (BGM). Dead or Alive 5 had a decent, but sub-par soundtrack in comparison to previous installments. With Ultimate we now have new soundtracks, and a plethora of tracks from the past games: DOA3, DOA2, DOA4 and even DOAD. You can select tracks for each individual character, or each stage, the choice is yours. The game sounds amazing, all the beautiful animation is backed up by the sounds of eloquent punches, thunderous slaps and tormenting kicks. The game also has quite a bit of good vocal talent, the victory poses and taunts are quite humorous and enjoyable.

If you were not a fan of last years online mode, it was probably because you did not enjoy the lag you received throughout a good portion of your matches. Thankfully, Team Ninja has smoothed the netcode surprisingly well. If you dismissed online last year, you might want to check it out this time around. There is also a new rank that surpasses that of S+... and that's "U". U for Ultimate I suppose.

Overall, Team Ninja has created quite a nice extension to their Dead or Alive franchise, and this game should be checked out by the hardcore (with a growing tournament scene) and the casuals, because everyone can have fun with this game and it's one of the flashiest 3D fighters in years with a good chunk of depth to back it up.

Want Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate Discount?

Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate expands on the nearly addicting gameplay of Dead or Alive 5. This includes a further refined version of the commands that were very well polished to begin with. Other additions are all of the options, from a movie viewer, to music settings(not just volume), you can even adjusting things like breast animation(to fit with your preferences). The new characters are all exceptionally deep in their combo commands, their designs have little details on their outfits that indicate how much time Koei, Team Ninja, and Tecmo worked into them. The same can, and should, be said about the breathtaking environments and visuals.

All in all I'd say this game has earned its five stars, and then some