Review

Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown

If you have ever been a fan of the fighting game genre, then there are certain staples in the genre that you should know about. In the midst of the Street Fighters, Tekkens, etc. there is one that really broke ground on the 3D fighting world. That classic fighter is SEGA’s Virtua Fighter!

In 2006 Virtua Fighter 5 was released on next gen consoles and it felt nostalgic, giving us a more realistic fighting experience. Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown builds upon what already was great about the previous game. This is one of those fighters I couldn’t wait to review because this game doesn’t get the commercial love that it should.

The gameplay here is easily the highlight of the game (as it should be). A quick look at the move list for each character alone will show you how deep this game is. Every single character has hundreds of moves that could take you months to memorize and master! What also rocks is the addiction of the new character Jean. What’s great is that Jean fits right into the game and is balanced just like everyone else. Showdown does an amazing job of making every character equal and the turn of the match all depends on the user and not the character themselves. This makes practicing with your favorite character even more worth it.

Showdown sticks to the old school type of play when it comes to game modes. There isn’t a story mode and that’s just fine for this fighter. There is solo play offline via an Arcade mode as well as local and online play available against friends. The online match making is really fast. Not only that but it does a great job of matching you up with opponents with a similar skill level, allowing you to grow into the more competitive side of things. This is a good thing; we all know how frustrating it can be to play against a person who is light-years ahead of you skill wise. It can ruin the whole game for you, which is why SEGA made sure to keep everyone matched accordingly.

Visually the game is awesome! In a fighter it takes much more than the characters looking good to be visually stunning and SEGA knows that. Each area you fought in is beautifully made and unique. It’s the small things, like seeing my footprints in the gorgeous snow that captivates me. Until I realize I’m getting beat to a pulp because I’m not paying attention. Every character looks as unique as their fighting styles and the addition of customization options for each one makes players look even greater while kicking butt!

The music and voices here are probably the low point, but then again what fighter in 2006 had great music and voices? Some characters had typical voices while others seemed wimpy; there some characters that I wished had stronger voices because they looked like they’d speak with power in real life. The music isn’t bad, but at times you want that “fight to the death” type of track to trigger something emotionally in the players, changing the way they played. Basically, I would have liked to have gotten pumped when battling. Like I said it’s not bad but it isn’t amazing either.

All in all, the game is a must buy! With the low price tag, added costumes, great online play, great graphics, and a move list with enough depth to fill an Olympic sized pool this is easily one of the best fighters out there. So take notes developers; it’s not about all the flash. It’s about great, deep gameplay that rewards those who put in time. Let’s hope everyone is taking notes!