Dead or Alive 6 is a 3D fighting game that focuses on fast and aggressive attacks. It is incredibly accessible, as pulling off combos with punches and kicks is as easy as mashing buttons. But anyone who has learnt the battle system will know how to easily reverse those attacks.
Since the game is so fast-paced, blocking, reversing and interrupting are key; otherwise you will find yourself at the end of a long combo. The basic gameplay relies on low, medium and high attacks but each of them can be reversed, giving full advantage to your opponent. Filling up the gauge below your health bar lets you use your special attack, and you can combo into this move by tapping the right shoulder button. The story mode is both short and disjointed. There are several columns dedicated to a main story and individual chapters for the various characters. Most of them involve an extremely short cutscene, a fight followed by a short ending cutscenes. Some cutscenes are a bit longer that help move the plot forward, but it pales in comparison to story modes present in other games.
If the former doesn’t sound interesting, you can boot up quest mode that consists of a series of missions with specific requirements that earn you stars. Completing all three give you points towards unlocking a costume. Due to the constant rotation of character and challenges, quest mode is both engaging and rewarding. Should you fail to complete a challenge, with the press of a button you can start a specific tutorial that teaches you how to perform that move.
Dead or Alive 6 features an elaborate tutorial that focuses on all of the basic and advanced mechanics in the game. Then each character has his/her own section where you aim to perfect your combos. I was surprised by how extensive it was, and you can no doubt spend hours mastering your moves. Online can be a hit or a miss. I’ve had both smooth and unplayable matches. You can only play ranked right now, as most online features that are present in other games are absent. Due to how much time it takes to find matches in India, I would not recommend purchasing Dead or Alive 6 for online play.
Dead or Alive 6 is fast and exhilarating fighting game. Whether you are grinding it out in quest mode, learning to master your favourite character, battling online or playing locally with friends; the speed and intensity of the game is hard to match. The battle system is both deep and engaging, which earns Dead or Alive 6 an easy recommendation.
