Dead or Alive 5: Last Round Reviews
I'm not the world's biggest fighting game fan. Those fighting games that I do enjoy (Blazblue, or Persona 4 Arena, for example) always offer something beyond the fighting mechanics to hook me in (narrative and characters, in those two examples). The fact that I've been playing Dead or Alive 5 for years now, and keep coming back for each new release (and continue to buy the DLC) is therefore proof that what is on offer here is something more than a simply entertaining fighting game. It might be decadent, and looking at the screenshots in this review will tell you if it's a decadence that make you uncomfortable, but the gameplay behind it is rock solid and perfectly precise. I can't see any scenario where I'm not still playing this for however long it takes for Koei Tecmo to get around to Dead or Alive 6.
Dead or Alive 5 Last Round is a magnificent 3D fighter that anyone who loves this type of game should play, at least once. It's very accessible to newcomers, but it also has an insane amount of depth and content to satisfy even the most demanding player. Unfortunately, Team Ninja chose to disrespect its newest creation and mar its reputation by offering to the PC gaming community a port that is not only very problematic, but also inferior to the current-gen console versions - and while there is hope for it to get improved via future patches, it's impossible to not stop for a second and simply wonder, "What were they thinking?"
Overall Last Round is a good example of a solid current-gen remaster; the final edition of Dead or Alive 5 offers enhanced visuals, plenty of DLC, new content while maintaining what was great about the original.
Dead or Alive 5: Last Round is a must-buy for both hardcore fans and fighting game enthusiasts who are looking to get into the series.
Dead or Alive 5: Last Round is the final version of a game released in 2012. That means it includes three years worth of available DLC, but it also means the graphical improvements weren't as grand as they could've been. DOA5 is still a solid fighter, but a lack of ambition, focus on DLC, and severe bugs in the Xbox One version means it's not amazing.
Dead or Alive 5: Last Round doesn't add enough to tempt new players while doubling down on bugs. The core fighting is as fun and frantic as ever, but it's hard to fully recommend to anyone but die-hard fans.