Many fighters have come and gone over the years, but ever since Virtua Fighter hit the ring and revolutionized 3D fighting games, its popularity has endured. Thanks to an incredible level of depth amongst its unique cast, while the game is known to be difficult to master, few games in the genre are as rewarding when all that practice pays off. After five games and multiple revisions, we’ve arrived at Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown, the definitive version of the latest title in this beloved hard hitter. And while it makes some concessions compared to the retail version, this title’s value is hard to argue.
Jean Kujo and Taka-Arashi Join the Fight!
Featuring 19 unique fighters, (two of which are new to the US,) Virtua Fighter has plenty of moves to master between each character. From the easier fighters to master like siblings Jackie or Sara Bryant, to the technical marvels like flagship character Akira, there is sure to be a fighter to fit any gamer’s play style. The game has been reanimated and rebalanced since its last go around, so not only does it look prettier, but the moves look sharper, the damage output has been tweeked and the controls feel a little more forgiving as far as timing. But don’t pick up your pitchforks yet hardcore fans! The game still takes a ton of technical skill to be good at.
Virtua Fighter will help you get better though. And that’s through its many single player modes. Aside from the standard Arcade and Score Attack gauntlets, the Training Mode that VF4 made famous returns, which walks you through each fighter’s move set and slowly builds up your skill. Two modes that are obviously missing though are the single player tournament mode, which has been a staple of the series for years now and the ability to customize fighters. But then again, as a $15 download rather than a full retail release, it’s not surprising that something had to go. So now to build up ranks, instead of winning tournaments, a new License Mode gives players objectives to achieve during a series of fights. Clear these challenges, move up in rank. It’s as easy as that. As far as new costumes, there technically IS a way to dress up your fighters, but you’ll have to shell out extra cash for costume DLC.
Jackie and Sara Bryant Continue Their Rivalry... in HD!!!
Aside from the single player content, the bread and butter of competitive video games is its online component. Especially in a game like Virtua Fighter where timing is key, the slightest bit of lag can completely ruin a fight. Which is why I’m glad to say that my matches were almost completely lag free across ranked and player match. The new room match that adds lobbies to the fights surprisingly didn’t drop in quality either, even with a few different people waiting around. It’s good to see that Sega took this aspect of the game so seriously, especially with how bad lag is on certain big budget, full priced fighters.
So if you couldn’t tell from my glowing review, if you’re a fighting fan, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t own Virtua Fighter 5. The only question is whether or not it’s worth it if you own any of the previous versions. Well, how much value do you place on two new characters? How about the value of the final version of a fighting great that’s been balanced to near perfection? Not to mention that the online community is sure to receive a shot in the arm with this new release. If you absolutely have to be on top of the curve, there’s no question about it, but if you’re a more casual fan who’s perfectly happy with the previous games, there’s no urgent need for it either.
Akira Wants Some Pai...
But for the average gamer who doesn’t have a mock up arcade machine and a room plastered with Akira, Shenmue or Yu Suzuki posters, Final Showdown is still a blast to play. It might take some time to learn and undoubtedly has fewer modes than its predecessors, but the modes it does have will keep you busy for a long time. It moves fast, looks gorgeous and has 19 completely unique people to master. No clones, no similar movesets, nothing of the sort! And at $15 with what feels pretty close to a full retail experience, how can you go wrong? My only issues are the fewer modes and holding out on costumes to turn them into DLC but with the game being so cheap, some extra cash for bonus content is hard to be mad at. I’m incredibly hard pressed to find a reason not to recommend Final Showdown, and is easily one of the premier fighting games in the 3D genre. What else is there left to say? Jump online, download this game and lay a beat down on some mofos!