A Silky Smooth Fighter
I have been playing fighting games ever since Street Fighter II hit the arcades, and yet in all that time I have never been too bothered about the Virtua Fighter franchise. Whether it was because back in the day it was a SEGA franchise, while I was a PlayStation guy (remember Battle Arena Toshinden?), I don’t know. Nevertheless, Virtua Fighter as an entity has been kicking (see what I did there?) around since 1993, and has gone through five iterations, getting better each time, as you’d hope!
Now, the latest and hopefully greatest version of Virtua Fighter 5 lands, and it goes by the snappy name of Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage. Is this the version of Virtua Fighter to make a convert of me, or am I better off playing Tekken 8? Strap on your black belt and let’s rumble!
As a fighting game, story and narrative is not at the top of anyone’s list. There are a set number of opponents that we need to beat, and whether that be in the arcade mode or the new World Stage mode, there is nothing beyond winning the next fight to keep you playing. It’s unfair to criticise a fighting game for a lack of a cohesive story though, I feel.
Black Belts and Training
With that short paragraph out of the way, let’s move on to the actual fighting action. As mentioned above, there are a number of options available from the main menu of Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage to keep us playing. The main new mode is World Stage mode, which is basically a map with a load of nodes on it: to beat a node and move onto the next, you have to level up to a certain level and then defeat a boss that appears.
The first “node” requires us to level up from 10th Kyu (basically a white belt in martial arts terms) to 1st Dan (a blackbelt) before the boss will even put in an appearance. Luckily, as long as you have put in a bit of practice, this isn’t too tricky. Having got to the required level, and kicked the boss into the middle of next week, the next “node” opens up and the whole procedure starts again.
Speaking of practice, there is a dedicated Training mode to try out, and this is a bit different than usual. Each character has a dedicated section, with a bit of background about the character, along with a full breakdown of their moves. Not just the special moves, mind, but also a section about useful moves that they can use. My favourite character, Pai, has apparently got a useful mid-level punch that can lead straight into a throw if it lands, for instance. This is invaluable for fine tuning your approach for the inevitable online rumbles that you have to try.
Silky Smooth Netcode in the Shark Pit
As you would expect though, online is a veritable shark pit, and with full crossplay capabilities turned on by default, I have to say that the PC world seems to make up about 90% of the encounters I’ve had. Xbox players seem somewhat thin on the ground, and turning off crossplay means that finding a bout is much harder.
Get involved though and there are two main ways of playing online: Ranked mode (does as the name suggests), or room match, where you can either create a room and wait for people to join, or join an existing room. The rooms have rules that can be tweaked to set the matches up as you need, and getting a match is easy. Up to four players can be involved in each room too, and the rules are generally that the winner stays on, and the challengers cycle through and take it in turns to – try and – defeat them. You can even choose just to spectate, should you wish to scope out the competition.
The netcode for both these modes is silky smooth, as long as your opponent isn’t connected to a potato, and everything runs very nicely. The fighting action feels smooth as well, and while the people you meet, especially in Ranked mode have had every shred of mercy surgically removed, with a bit of practice you can at least hold your own.
Offline modes also feature the same smooth fighting action, whether that be in arcade or even local multiplayer. Yes, if you have a couch and another controller, you can fight with your mates to your heart’s content. The same fast and flowing gameplay appears no matter which mode you play, and I have to say that has been my big take away this time. Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage really does feel intuitive and easy to pick up.
Polygon Models and Ring Outs
Having seen what the gameplay is like, I know you are gagging to know what the presentation is like, aren’t you? Well, a lot like Virtua Fighter 5, if I’m honest, and while it was never a bad looking game, this just seems to have a little bit of a tickle with the tart up brush. The characters are big and good looking, and there is a lot of customisation that can be applied to them as well. Whether that be a completely different outfit (including the polygon version of the characters, which is interesting to watch), or new shoes right down to sunglasses that are added, you can truly make your favoured character your own in this way.
The stages are nice looking as well, with a variety of layouts. Some arenas have walls, which give you another bite at the cherry if you knock an opponent into them, while others have an edge, and a ring out can be the fastest way to win. Everything looks nice and shiny, and all in all nothing to complain about here.
Intuitive Action Worth the Online Pain
If you are invested into Virtua Fighter, you’ll find lots to love about Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage. And even if you’re not, this is easily good enough to drag you in. The action on display is smooth, the gameplay is fast, and as long as you avoid the sharks online, you’ll have an enjoyable time with this one.
Important Links
SEGA’s Legendary Fighter Evolves with Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage – https://www.thexboxhub.com/segas-legendary-fighter-evolves-with-virtua-fighter-5-r-e-v-o-world-stage/
Buy the Standard Edition – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/virtua-fighter-5-revo-world-stage/9NSM674QVLBS/0010
Or the 30th Anniversary Edition – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/virtua-fighter-5-revo-world-stage-30th-anniversary-edition/9NZXM47MHK30/0010
