Well, the two new fighters are a good a place as any to start. As with all Virtua Fighter games, the new additions aren’t just thrown in to make the numbers up. Both Eileen and El Blaze have their own distinctive fighting style, and aren’t just altered variations of existing characters – something a couple of other fighting games we could mention have been guilty of in the past. Eileen is a young girl who specialises in Monkey Kung Fu, while El Blaze is a luchador who bears more than a resemblance to the WWE’s Rey Mysterio. Typically, Virtua Fighter 5 captures these fighting styles impressively well. Those familiar with Mysterio’s work will notice dozens of his regular moves performed identically by El Blaze, while a YouTube search for ‘Monkey Kung Fu’ delivers a handful of videos confirming the accuracy of Eileen’s fighting technique.
All previous Virtua Fighter characters (barring the long-forgotten Takarashi from VF3) return here, better than ever. For example, Akira has been given a handful of close-quarters knee-based attacks to add to his arsenal, while Wolf possesses an even wider selection of throws than ever before. Characters that were initially similar in the earlier games, like Sarah and Jacky Bryant, and Lau and Pai Chan, have grown even further apart, with the latter pair so different now that you couldn’t tell they used to essentially be the same character in the 1993 original.
Anyone who's played the Virtua Fighter games in the past will be instantly familiar with this incarnation. It's a simple control set-up that uses just one button for Punch, Kick and Guard, yet manages to be immeasurably deep at the same time. Using different direction presses and button combinations provides you with absolute control over your fighter, right down to the millisecond.
You can't beat a bit of girl-on-girl action.
The controls are the biggest reason behind what makes Virtua Fighter work so well. You see, every move you do makes sense due to the way in which each attack has been thoughtfully mapped onto the controller. There’s no illogical direction presses here, and what you press often relates perfectly to what your fighter does. For example – back, forward + P with Akira produces a strong palm attack where he pulls back before thrusting his hand forward. If you pressed forward, forward + P, you would be right to expect some kind of deep lunging attack, and that is exactly what you get, in the form of a dashing elbow. This all sounds obvious, but it’s only when you start practicing with each character that you’ll appreciate how all their moves follow this same instinctive control pattern.
And instinctive control is what you need in a game won and lost through split-second attacks and decision-making. Virtua Fighter’s core gameplay is built upon a "paper, scissors, stone"-esque foundation; whether your attack is successful or not is dependent on what attack you’re using, what attack your opponent is using, and the amount of animation frames in both attacks. Although guarding is an effective way of defending yourself, effective counter-attacking is what is really key. Not the Dead or Alive grab style of counter-attack, but a counter-attack whereby the punch you use is quicker than the punch of your opponent. So if player one attempted a lunging forearm that consisted of fourteen frames of animation, and player two reacted with a quick jab of only, say, six frames, then player two would have the advantage.
With thousands of moves and seventeen vastly different characters, learning what beats what is where Virtua Fighter 5’s depth comes from, and mastering each character will take a heavy investment of time. Not that many people who actually have a job could find the time to reach such a level of skill, but the fact that the depth is there is the important thing. That’s not to say you must dedicate hours of your life to appreciate Virtua Fighter 5. Indeed, to say that this series is too unforgiving for newcomers to get into has always been a big misconception for many years, and never moreso than now, given the thoughtful structure of the new Quest mode.
Quest mode is the meat of the game, and is where you’ll be spending the large majority of your time. Scattered across the main map screen are a selection of ‘arcades’, each with three cabinets possessing AI players of varying ranks, ranging from 10th Kyu to 10th Dan and beyond. Whereas most fighting games (including the standard ‘Arcade Mode’ contained here) simply get harder as you progress, the Quest mode is essentially as hard or as easy as you want it to be. With each ‘arcade’ containing different skills of player, you can pick and choose the level of opponent you face. So Virtua Fighter veterans could happily kick things off in the Sega World North arcade with the higher Dan players, while newcomers would be better off competing with the Kyu ranked fighters in the Sega Arena Coast arcade.
Oh look, it's Rey.
Occasionally you’ll be invited to compete in various tournaments where you get the chance to win some cash or some rare clothing items for your fighter. With each character featuring a total of four different costumes there’s a vast amount of combinations of clothing you can purchase in the item shop to make your fighter look unique. Money doesn’t come easy mind, so it’ll take a lot of playtime to build up a decent wardrobe, but whether or not you see that as a negative trait, it’s a rewarding way of keeping you interested in the game.
Despite the compelling single-player campaign, a fighting game lives and dies on the quality of its multiplayer. Thankfully, this has always been where Virtua Fighter has shone the most. Character balance is arguably the most important thing to get right when it comes to taking on human opposition. One overpowered character or a few ‘cheap’ moves is all it takes to sour the experience, but commendably there are few problems of this nature here. The new characters fit in effortlessly, while the existing characters remain on a level playing field, despite new additions to their moveset.
In fact, apart from the understandable lack of online play (the developers strongly feel the game wouldn’t be the same online due to latency issues that would break the intricate ‘frame’ counter gameplay, and who are we to argue?), the only real criticism of Virtua Fighter 5 is regarding the AI. Not that it doesn’t put up a challenge; it’s more than a match for your skills, no matter what your rank is. No, our complaint stems from the lack of variety in fighting styles it uses. In Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution, the AI would often demonstrate different tendencies from fighter to fighter. You really couldn’t help but be impressed at the huge range of styles employed by the AI in that game, ranging from 'Turtlers' (overly cautious players, and players who simply run away) to those who attack constantly and those who change their style in the middle of a match in an attempt to confuse the player. In this respect, Virtua Fighter 5 feels it has taken something of a step backwards.
Graphically however, the series has taken a hefty leap forward, and is arguably the prettiest game of the PS3 launch line-up. The character models are superb, especially in terms of facial and clothing detail - one look at the textured fabric used on Lau’s original costume will have you drooling. Although under certain lighting conditions they can occasionally look a little ‘plastic’, for the most part they’re a joy to look at. The backgrounds are equally as impressive, with plenty of environments ranging from the usual appearance of Jeffry’s beach stage, to the caged wrestling ring that greets El Blaze’s arrival.
Gimme five!
Not only are the majority of the stages beautifully designed, but they each pack in small touches that really bring them alive. The snow that crumples under your feet on Wolf’s mountain stage, the lightning that violently flashes in Goh’s dojo and the muddy water that ripples as you fight in Eileen’s arena are just some of the examples that show there’s plenty of eye candy here. In terms of animation, it’s only a slight improvement over Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution, but that’s more of a compliment to how well the game moved in the first place.
The sound effects are probably the weakest area of the game. For the most part it sounds just like Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution did, which - although adequate a few years ago - certainly lacks punch now in the days of digital 5.1 sound. The voices used are pretty much the same as what was in the previous game too, so expect dreadfully cheesy American soundbytes for every non-Japanese fighter, and ultra-cool sounding Japanese dialogue for everyone else. Despite sound being arguably the least important factor in such a game, it’s disappointing that more effort isn’t put into bringing this aspect of the title up to the same level of quality seen elsewhere. Thankfully, the music makes up for things, as this entry to the series features the best selection of tunes since Virtua Fighter 2.
Despite AI-related complaints and the lack of an online mode, it’s with great ease that Virtua Fighter 5 can be declared the greatest 3D fighting game ever created. Its depth is unparalleled, and the diversity of its fighting styles overwhelming (in a good way). Graphically, it's stunning, while the vast amount of unlockables in Quest mode provide players with the motivation to invest hours and hours of play. But as good as the single-player game is, Virtua Fighter 5 shines brightest against human opposition, and it is here where the game really earns its stripes. If you’re playing alone, then this isn’t an essential purchase, but if you’ve got a friend to do battle with, then it's vital you pick up Virtua Fighter 5 with your shiny new PS3.
Sounds like you were greatly impressed by the game, too bad I'm not much of a fan of side on fighters. I might give it a rent though, when PS3 games are available. Sweet, and great review. 
Sounds like it's your killer app for the PS3.
) as soon as they get restocked in play asia, I'm an Akira player and well without sticks its pretty much pure frustration. I agree that it is a bit of a step down from VF4 EVO in regards to offline features, the training, while still good can't hold a candle to EVO and the AI seems to have taken a dive but the gameplay is perfect (as expected). This game is so good that I'm sure I will not have a problem buying a second copy for 360 later this year (hopefully with Version C and some online features).
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