Dead or alive 6
All this means that you can’t hammer on your controller and expect Dead or Alive 6 to forgive you for it. Meanwhile, defending, or “breaking,” is a four-way affair. Those animations from earlier, while super impressive to see in action, also mean there is more time than you may expect between pressing a button and the impact of your move. Mashing on buttons, even when you seem to be at an advantage, can lead to a counter. In Dead or Alive, it’s almost always possible to get out of a bad situation. There are also the Break Blow and Break Hold techniques, which burn meter to help you get out of a bad spot or add some extra oomph to a well-timed counter.Īs I felt things out, what immediately stood out is how careful you have to play to do well. Combined with the Fatal Rush, using the Special button with enough meter will also lead to a super move, all of which are painstakingly animated. The Break Gauge brings meter management to Dead or Alive for the first time, and opens up for some special techniques and/or comeback mechanics.
Using the Special button gives access to Fatal Rush, which is a small auto-combo reminiscent of other recent fighters, but it also combines with another new features, the Break Gauge. While Dead or Alive 6 is still a complex, nuanced, fighting game, Shimbori and his team also wanted to make it possible to play the game, at some level, with one button if necessary. This, as Shimbori told me, is based on a targeted approach to accessibility. New to Dead or Alive 6, aside from a totally new engine, is the Special button. It also doesn’t shy away from intruding in the fighting with silliness, with several different kinds of stage hazards, and elaborate transitions as well. It’s fast, and has trademarks of 3D fighters such as side-stepping and some juggling, but what stands out to me the most is a big emphasis on defense and elaborate, meaty animations. If you’re a fan of other fighters such as Street Fighter or Tekken, and haven’t played Dead or Alive, know that this game has hooks all of its own.