DEAD OR ALIVE 6
“YOUR AUDIENCE IS MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP KEEP THE ACTION GOING.” This venerable fighter is more than just a roster of pretty faces
Discover just how Super the new Break Gauge mechanic can be in play.
You could cut through the tension with a kunai… or, in the case of our staff writer’s fighter of choice, a wakizashi; it’s Kasumi versus Ryu Hayabusa, ninja versus ninja, Kinghorn versus Taylor-Kent. Kasumi is fast but Hayabusa hits harder and our games editor is desperate to make a comeback after a series of defeats. He’s been gracious but frustration simmers beneath his steely surface. He bides his time for when his colleague’s overconfidence tips into carelessness and BAM! The match point is his… though the kraken helped.
We climbed aboard the pirate ship back in OPM #154, destroying its decking, raiding the below-deck booty hoard and wrestling with the kraken. But the latest build we play offers far more than those ship-shaped shenanigans. The no-frills fun of an electrified wrestling ring is joined to the down-anddirty delights of a back-alley arena. On these mean streets your audience is more than happy to lend a hand to keep the action going, pushing fighters who breach the spectator area back into the ring and the waiting fists of opponents. Many stages have unique traits, but the one that’s got its talons in us is the abandoned dino park. This silliness isn’t the only thing making a reappearance for the sixth outing.
BRINGING SEXY BACK
In an interview with IGN earlier this year, game director Yohei Shimbori drew attention by
announcing a ‘less sexualised’ direction for the series’ cast. Fans of the franchise shouldn’t worry, though; the sexier aspects aren’t gone, with Kasumi’s trademark blue and white dress still a costume option and the series’ infamous ‘jiggle physics’ back, but to an almost subtle degree. The key difference is in the approach, with a lot of the sexiness slightly more optional than in previous games. Kasumi’s default costume now is a full-body battle suit lined with light armour, offering both protection and coverage… though it’s still a skin-tight catsuit with combat heels. In normal play it can become torn and more revealing over the course of a match, though this outfit destruction can be turned off. There are still a number of, ahem, ‘flashy’ costumes but there are plenty of more practically minded, combatready outfits as well, though we’ve yet to see every alternate outfit that’ll be on offer. The build we play also offers the option to turn off blood effects. The rep from Koei Tecmo explains, as we play, that these options to tone down certain aspects exist not just to appeal to as many people as possible but also in keeping with an eye towards eSports.
IF IT AIN’T BROKE
The developers’ desire to make the sixth instalment a game for everyone is the reason behind its biggest addition. The series’ first super meter, the Break Gauge, fills with each blow landed by or against a fighter as well as when you block. When it’s fully charged newbies can stand up to more experienced players and unleash the Fatal Rush, a series of devastating blows, just by repeatedly tapping u. The same button can also unleash the Break Hold counter when you move backwards, or the big, beautiful Break Blow when you move towards your opponent. During a Break Blow, the camera zooms in as the strike connects with the unlucky target, often exploding, tearing, or shredding whatever they’re wearing (assuming, of course, you didn’t turn the costume destruction option off). Whether it’s the swirling fists of Helena Douglas’ pigua quan fighting style or Ayane’s lethal pirouettes, more experienced players will find plenty of martial artistry to draw them back in. The leading ladies, in particular, are slicker than ever though still feel familiar, and against each other or Kasumi make for intensely fast fights.
Even in the early build we play, the roster features a diverse array of fighting styles and movesets. With characters that require a bit of a wind up, like Bayman, scuffles are no less engaging or tense, especially as the super meter has the potential to whip the carpet out from under you. Besides your favourites, Nyotengu returns as a pre-order bonus and Kasumi clone Phase-4 is part of the deluxe edition. There’s also new fighter Diego joining the main lineup. He switches things up by packing steady punches from the tougher parts of New York. He’s also a secret softie as he verbally dedicates some of his special moves to his Mum. And therein lies much of what keeps us coming back for more from Dead Or Alive 6: between the melodramatic plot involving super ninjas, young business execs who also enjoy a scrap, and dinosaurs, the series has a charming heart at its core… and that’s the real reason we’re staring, honest.
“THE SERIES’ FIRSTEVER SUPER METER, THE BREAK GAUGE, FILLS WITH EACH BLOW LANDED.”