The Definitive Version Of A Long-Running Fighter?
I’ve long been a fan of the DEAD OR ALIVE series of games, mostly thanks to the fast paced fighting action and the characters; not the jiggle physics or anything of that sort. However, even for a fan such as myself, DEAD OR ALIVE 6 has been on a strange journey. It is, as you may have surmised, the sixth main entry in the series (we’ll ignore volleyball and such for the purposes of this) and was initially released in 2019.
However, the game has now got two versions: DEAD OR ALIVE 6 Core Fighters, which is a free to play mode with a reduced fighter count and no story mode, as well as the version that I’m casting a beady eye over today, DEAD OR ALIVE 6 Last Round. This is the full enchilada, with added DLC fighters built in, and so should be the best version of the game to play. Well, at least that is what KOEI TECMO would have us believe!
What’s Actually New?
Now, usually in an edition of a game like Last Round, the majority of the time would be spent discussing the plethora of new features and how much extra content has been squeezed in, but here it is a little hard to do that. Besides the previous DLC only fighters that are now part of the roster (although not all fighters have returned) there is a new photo mode. And that’s it. If you fancy a bit of virtual photography, this allows you to place any fighter in any pose you can think of, and then take a photo. I’m struggling to think of the demographic this is aimed at, to be honest…
This lack of any real new content has caused an issue over in the Steam community, as the game is currently getting review bombed due to content that people have already paid for in the base game no longer being available in the new version. This has not gone down well, as you may imagine, and while I’m not as invested as those folks, I do feel the new features aren’t really worth the candle.
Still The Same Great Fighter
Everything else that was good about the base game has been replicated here, and honestly it is tempting to copy and paste my review of the original DEAD OR ALIVE 6 from 2019 here: everything else is pretty much the same with Last Round.
Online Is Busier Than Ever
The only difference is that the online world is better populated this time around, and on the rare occasions I have ventured online, there have been a number of lobbies ready and waiting for me to jump in. This applies in both ranked and unranked mode, and while the standard of player remains almost intimidatingly high, there is at least an option to select the level of your opponent. It doesn’t work particularly well, and my first match as an F- player was against a C rank opponent. That went about as well as you’d expect.
Story mode is still weirdly disjointed too, even if the rest of the modes are still interesting, especially Quests. But I noticed a weird thing here. Obviously, back in 2019 I actioned a number of these Quests, and they are still completed on my new save on my new game – despite the Xbox achievements having been reset for the game. There is a curious mish-mash of the new and the carried over in DEAD OR ALIVE 6 Last Round, and while I won’t turn my nose up at easy achievements (like entering Training mode, for instance) it just seems a bit… odd.
Presentation Still Holds Up
Graphically the game still looks and moves very well, despite its age, and the flashy effects as you throw an opponent into a Danger Zone still look very good indeed. The action is fast and furious, as it should be, and the characters are visually strong. We get to play dress up as well, with extra costumes for characters unlocked by playing the game, and these can then be bought in the Wardrobe section. Extra BGM, extra accessories for the fighters (why you would want to put glasses on when you are about to be punched in the face I do not know) can all be purchased, if that is your bag.
Sounds are exactly as I remember as well, from the delicate sighs as Kasumi or Ayane get battered, through to Jann Lee doing his best Bruce Lee impression: everything sounds good, and the voice acting in the cut scenes is pretty good too. I’m still not convinced by Helena’s French accent, mind!
Worth Returning To The Arena?
All in all, if you were a fan of the base game, all that time ago, then DEAD OR ALIVE 6 Last Round is an easy sell. If however you paid extra money for the DLC fighters, or for extra outfits (not judging here) then this will feel like a bit of a kick in the teeth. The new things on offer in DEAD OR ALIVE 6 Last Round don’t really add to much, and while the action is as good as ever, I can’t help feel that DEAD OR ALIVE has possibly had its day.
Important Links
DEAD OR ALIVE 6 Last Round Brings The Fight Back To Xbox, PlayStation And PC – https://www.thexboxhub.com/dead-or-alive-6-last-round-brings-the-fight-back-to-xbox-playstation-and-pc/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/dead-or-alive-6-last-round/9P63MRFX8PL6/0010
Download CORE FIGHTERS for free – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/dead-or-alive-6-last-round-core-fighters/9NKDM3XL3P86/0010
