Virtua Fighter 5 preview

Do you remember the last time? By this Gamestyle means the last piece of hardware to ship with a Virtua Fighter game in tow: Give up? We'd hope your answer was Sega's classic Dreamcast system, which Gamestyle imported upon the Japanese release just to experience Sega AM2's latest fighter. And that version came with a nice bonus disc for something known then as Project Berkley- we'll tell you what that game became at the end of this preview.AM2 know how to push boundaries, not only in technical terms but also what we expect from a beat 'em up. However, the point needs to be made that the jump from Virtua Fighter 4 to this is not as dramatic as VF2 to VF3. Technology has improved but not to the same degree where blocky characters fight onscreen at a pedestrian pace to the glorious, fluid impact VF3 made. Virtua Fighter 5 is wonderful to behold at 720p, but does not retain the impact that you had hoped for. Sega AM2 have kept journalists informed of developments on VF5 with a developers column penned by various team members working on the project, which is no longer a PS3 exclusive and will be reaching the Xbox 360 later this year. Really there should be two previews of VF5; one for newcomers to the series and one for those that know the classic characters inside out. Yes, expect the return of Akira, Shun Di, Ninjitsu, Jackie Bryant and many more pushing the default total to 17 fighters.Unlike most fighting games where the difference between each fighter you select is mainly cosmetic (with a few unique moves), VF5 takes it to another level. The fighting system is unique to each fighter and this can allow players to specialise and produce epic encounters of skill. As with each entry in the series we will have a couple of new fighters to experience. El Blaze will appeal to wrestling fans, as he is from Mexico and comes with all the showbiz flair we'd expect, and hes masked adding that final touch of intrigue. El Blaze will use the Lucha Libre fighting style to overcome his opponents. In comparison Eileen sounds suitably boring! However this Chinese fighter is no slouch and is an expert in the Monkey Kung Fu fighting style.VF5 will allow customisation of characters through an attachment system, although whod want to mess with such an iconic figure as Akira remains to be seen. Like real life, what you can do in such attachment shops comes down to cash. This can be awarded through victories and winning prizes or just staying alive against an onslaught of opponents in the Quest Mode. As Tohru Murayama from AM2 explains:"Virtua Fighter 5 is filled with rivals that can be found in the videogame arcades in Quest Mode. Although the opponents are random, the AI is such that you won't play against high-ranked players when your rank is low and vice versa. As you fight matches, you may enter battle matches which are called "Soudatsusen" (Battle for Items). The winners of these matches are able to win items such as glasses, hair styles, clothes, etc. Or, you can also win gold which can go towards buying certain items. You can get items in various ways, like winning in Soudatsusen, purchasing ones at shops by saving gold, winning in Tournaments, acquiring ones at certain ranks, etc. It's very difficult to collect the entire set, but I would definitely encourage you to achieve it."Yet this should not detract from the fighting experience, which is what the Virtua Fighter series is all about. While rival fighters such as Tekken and Soul Calibur have become bloated with various features, modes and functions that take you away from fighting, VF5 shuns such an approach. AM2's faith in online matches remains weak and therefore you will not be able to go online and fight opponents across the globe. While this is very disappointing, it also confirms the high standards the developer expects, and the online network as we know it, is still not ready for Virtua Fighter.To facilitate your growth to fighting expert, included in VF5 is what has been called VF.TV. Here you watch the best fight and also see what buttons were pressed if you wish to repeat the tactic. Outside of this movie mode you should be spending a significant amount of time in the Dojo (training hall), which not only allows you to improve your ability, but find the fighter that suits your style. Oh and Project Berkley? That became some game called Shenmue.