Virtua Fighter 5

In 1995, Sega released a game that would go on to become the standard for all future fighting games: Virtua Fighter. It was the first 3D fighting game, and the first to introduce a sequential combo system.

In the coming years, all existing franchises – including Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, which had singular (non-combo) and minor juggle attack methods – added a sequential combo system. They left their cartoon and digitized roots in the past, opting for polygon-based characters. Countless 3D fighters were born, giving way to a new generation of gaming. Virtua Fighter, with its brilliant ideas and revolutionary gameplay, had forever changed the fighting genre.

Twelve years later and the series is ready to return for its fifth installment, this time on the most powerful console available: PlayStation 3.

Remaking a Classic

The most striking difference between Virtua Fighter 5 and its predecessors is undoubtedly the graphics, but I’ll save the poly praise for later. Hardcore fighting fans are most curious about the gameplay. Has it changed? Is it more advanced?

Those of you who first played the Virtua Fighter series in the arcade or on Sega Saturn shouldn’t be surprised by the lack of change. Change does not mean better, mind you – only different. Therefore it is unlikely that if you weren’t a fan in ’95 that you’ll be a fan in ’07. Those who were fans, however, should board up their windows and turn off their phones in preparation for the series’ best sequel.

The Perfect Combination

Virtua Fighter 5 does not leave behind its primitive attack layout for modern times. Two attack buttons are all you’ll have access to: one punch and one kick. There’s only so far a game can go without adding more buttons, but the developers have given a strong argument to the contrary. You will perform more moves with those two buttons than you could have ever imagined. Nearly every combination (PPK, PKP, KPK, etc.) is used along with the D-pad and guard button.

Need to learn some moves? Read the manual, access the in-game move list (via pause menu), or play the tutorial. The tutorial is a great resource that can be finished in a couple of minutes. Unappealing moves may be skipped (you may pause the game and select a different move to learn at any time). But you’re better off learning as much as possible. Virtua Fighter 5 isn’t as massive an undertaking as Tekken or Mortal Kombat, but you will want to learn every attack. The bonus stage with Dural guarantees that.

The controls and basic gameplay mechanics have not changed. Fighters still work on the principle that a fallen enemy should receive a jump kick to the chest. A few of the characters are faster than before. But the game itself moves at the same pace as its predecessors.

Where Virtua Fighter 5 differs from the rest (except for, in part, Virtua Fighter 4) is how juggles are applied. Players can attack and nearly slaughter – albeit without any blood, bruises, or other visual damage – their opponents just by striking them before they land after an airborne assault. The results are spectacular. There hasn’t been a game that emphasized juggle combos this much since Mortal Kombat 3. Tekken and the more recent Mortal Kombat titles include juggle capabilities, but they have not been the focus of those games. Their execution is entirely based on the patience of the player.

These juggle combos take patience, but not to the point where you’ll be pulling your hair out – just to the point where you’ll be banging your head against the wall, wondering why that last punch or kick didn’t connect.

Virtua Fighter 5’s juggles greatly expand the depth of a game that can be mastered (mostly) in about a week. You won’t feel like you’re facing a colossal challenge, but will have something intricate to work hard on perfecting in the coming months.

Arcade Memories

The arcade mode is no different from any other fighting game: it’s a port of the single-player experience found in arcades. The new quest mode, however, is not a typical addition. Pick one fighter and take him or her through hundreds (or thousands, if you wish to play that long) of battles across several virtual arcades. Some of the arcades are based on real Sega-owned amusement centers in Japan. They’re accessed via the game’s world map screen, which allows you to jump between arcades very quickly.

Three opponents are listed at each location. It’s a fantasy situation. Three arcade machines are available at station. If you challenge a virtual player and win, other AI challengers will follow.

The game records every win and loss, generating a win ratio for bragging rights. Most wins give you an item to customize the appearance of your fighters. Change their hair (color and style), add new accessories (jewelry for the ladies), and alter their costumes.

Tournaments are occasionally offered, and they too will increase your bragging rights, as well as your inventory.

PS3 Power

Whether you’re a fan of the series or just a PS3 owner searching for the next big game, the expectations for Virtua Fighter 5’s graphics are insurmountably high. It can’t just be another pretty face – no, it must be the best-looking fighting game ever made. Though it may be hard to hold onto as fall approaches, for the time being, Virtua Fighter 5 has claimed that title.

These screenshots, while beautiful and detailed, only show a fraction of the game’s beauty. It’s clear that the fighters are entirely rendered – smooth and realistic like a CG movie’s cast. The backgrounds also show detail, though you won’t know how much until you see the game in action. Water ripples, splashes, and reflects. Snow clumps and produces hundreds (thousands!?) of particles. Shadows, lighting, and skin texture – three things that are very difficult to improve – are made more realistic in this game than in Madden 07.

There’s almost a slight contradiction with the characters, who aren’t necessarily realistic but have several features that make them appear to be alive. Facial and body hair have been added so intricately that you’ll swear there are thousands of individual follicles involved. Hair sways and bounces accurately with every motion. Deep textures have been applied to every garment, with impeccable animations to ensure a realistic reaction to every attack.

Most stages are enclosed, preventing ring-outs while introducing an interesting escape option. Walls can be a nightmare: get cornered by the wrong player and you’re toast. But if your opponent likes to perform a lot of lengthy grab moves, lure him toward the wall before he gets close. Then if he attempts to grab and toss you around, the wall will get in the way and break his move. If he throws you into a wall, there’s a chance the wall will break your fall, preventing any further damage from being incurred when you finally hit the ground.

Gameplay: 8.9
The closest Sega has come to creating the perfect Virtua Fighter sequel. Virtua Fighter 5’s fast-paced, in-your-face combat harkens back to the original. Under next-gen status (and 12 years of developer experience), the series has evolved its combos to include massive, unblockable juggle moves. Airborne fighters are lucky if they retain half their life meter by the time they reach the ground. It’s a great, tension-rising system that separates the strong from the weak at the start of each battle.

Graphics: 9.0
Rich and stunning. Fighters are bigger, more defined, and have an abundance of realistic touches. Environment interactions are minimal (ring out, walk through snow, damage certain fences, etc.), but their detail is impossible to overlook. Whereas the standard for fighting games has been to produce a pretty backdrop, these worlds could’ve been created for an RPG. You can’t jump in and explore them, but it looks like you can.

Sound: 8.0
Smooth beats and jingles that favor the series’ past.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Three buttons: punch, kick, and guard. That doesn’t leave much room for long-term depth – you’ll feel like a master within the first week of playing. Juggle moves are fairly involved but will not pose a big challenge to Virtua Fighter’s core audience, who grew up playing juggle-heavy games like Tekken and Mortal Kombat.

Concept: 7.7
More of a remake than a sequel, Virtua Fighter 5 does not veer far from the path first taken in 1995.

Multiplayer: 9.0
The absence of an online component is a little disappointing. I wasn’t expecting (but hoping for) such a feature – most great fighting games skip it in favor of speed and continuity, which isn’t guaranteed in an online environment. That said, what Virtua Fighter 5 does offline is astonishing. The fast-paced, can’t-stop-playing-it combat will turn the thought of spring and summer into a distant memory. Warm weather? Sunny skies? Who needs that when you’ve got a great fighting game?

Overall: 8.9
Virtua Fighter 5 is an amazingly fun, must-own sequel for every fan of the series. The single-player options are limited, but the two-player battles – the area where every great fighter shines – make owning a second SIXAXIS controller a must.