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"A Reason for an X-Box. The Only Fighter I've Ever Enjoyed."

Fighters... I can't stand them. They're terribly repetitive, and are usually just a matter of smashing buttons mindlessly. With a generally terrible selection of moves (high punch, high kick, low punch, low kick, jump) you can string together to form a handful of special moves, they leave a lot to be desired. It's the lowest genre of games on my list, right below sports games. When I worked at a LAN gaming center I saw some guys playing DoA 3 though, and after fifteen minutes of watching I was really craving to smash some skulls... And eight years later it's still the only fighter worth playing. It should be mentioned that I've never played a Dead or Alive game, so if you're a hardcore DoA fan you might want to read a different review.

Overall Ratings:

Gameplay - 10/10
At first glance, I thought this was another title whose wide success was based on sex appeal. After seeing the complexity of combat though, you'd have to be a fool to think such a thing.

Each of the characters (around twelve of them) have different moves. How many different moves? Well, anywhere from 65 to 120 moves. Don't read that again, I really said that. Some characters have 120 different moves. Some of these moves are similar, but they are all ultimately different and even the smallest difference contributes to the intricate nature of the game's mechanics.

In DoA 3 there are three main types of moves. First off are combos, the most often executed moves in the game. String together some basic button inputs and you'll get a combo. Combos can be simple, like punch kick punch. Others can be like so: forward, punch, kick, down, down-diagonal-forward, forward, back, kick, punch. Since there are literally hundreds of combos in the game, you can only imagine how many possibilities there are with input commands. Secondly there are grabs. Grabs utilize the grab button (there's a punch, kick, grab, block, and two other buttons), and... well... grab your opponents, generally doing something violent immediately after. Input for executing grabs are similar to combos, you'll utilize a lot of directional buttons to execute many different types of grabs. Finally, there are counters. By using the proper input with the appropriate timing you will be able to counterattack your enemy's move. If their move hits high, then you need to counter high. Some moves are really quick and hard to counter while others are slow and easy to counter.

There's something like a dozen different arenas, with a wide variety of nice backgrounds to look at. The arenas are more than just a background, though. Arenas will have walls or trees, and multiple areas to stage combat in. For example, one arena takes place in the top of a pagoda. When you throw your enemy through one of the paper walls they will go falling down to a balcony below. Your character will jump after them in pursuit. Now you fight a while on the balcony but get hit with a powerful move, sending you through the railing. You fall for a while before landing in the courtyard. This is the lowest tier of the arena, and this will be where the fight is finished. Another map takes place is a forest, where you can smash enemies up against trees for bonus damage. Other maps even have explosive walls, allowing you to deliver massive amounts of damage by sending your opponent into them. Even further, many characters have variations of certain moves that incorporate using the surrounding terrain. One character who uses ninjutsu can jump in the air, spring off the wall and basically spear the enemy. Others, like wrestlers, will put the enemy in a full nelson and smash their head into the wall.

Almost all characters in DoA 3 use a different, actually existing, style of fighting. Two characters use ninjutsu, though they use almost entirely different moves from said style. Other styles are jeet kune do, russian martial arts, wrestling, kung fu, and several others. Each style is fairly distinct and has a varying amount of moves available. While wrestlers use a lot of grabs, russian martial artists will utilize many counterattacks. Ninjutsu users can use a lot of aerial moves. The drunken master will have wildly unpredictable moves that are both hard to counter and difficult to evade (not to mention he has over 100 of them). This keeps battle interesting and unique, also presenting the player with a variety of characters to choose from in order to find one that suits their own personal playing preferences.

This game has several different modes to play in. There is the story mode, which will take you through a very limited amount of battles (something like half a dozen of them) with a specific character. There are tag battles (one to four players) where you can tag out at anytime, as can the opponent, and regenerate some lost health while your second fighter resumes the battle. With several players you can have a lot of fun in tag battles. There is a time challenge mode, where you'll have to beat several opponents in a row as fast as possible to get the high score. There are regular versus battles, where you select a character and fight against the selected opponent. You can go into training mode to practice the wide variety of moves you are allowed to use.

Finally you can play survival mode (which obviously deserves it's own paragraph). Survival mode puts you in an arena with explosive walls, and you must fight enemies in succession to see how many you can defeat to get the highest score. You get more points for executing bigger combos, as well as hitting enemies while they are off balance. Your health carries over from opponent to opponent, and enemies will drop a variety of items when they're defeated. You must walk over the dropped item to pick it up. These items can be food to regain lost health, or gold bars and such to grant you more points. You can't really beat survival mode, as the opponents will keep coming until you lose, and they get harder the further in you get. The objective here is to have fun and get the high score.

DoA 3 has five different difficulties, ranging from Very Easy to Very Hard. While Normal is the mode most people will play on, anyone who is serious about gaming can crank that difficulty up to Hard for a more challenging experience. And those of us truly hardcore gamers can turn it up a notch further and go with Very Hard. While Very Hard is pretty tough, it is by no means impossible (or even close to it). Sometimes in Very Hard mode you can be defeated from being hit with two powerful moves, which means two bad mistakes will cost you the battle. This creates a very fun experience, and keeps you on your toes.

What are the things I disliked about this game? Obviously, like many people, I have complaints with the half naked chicks who are all over the place while men remain fully clothed. Seriously, do game developers think women are just supposed to be objects for viewing pleasure? Are they really so sexist? Other than that (which greatly annoys me), the X-Box controller is this game's flaw. There's no denying that X-Box controllers are huge, cumbersome pieces of crap. If you ever plan on playing the X-Box then do yourself a favor and buy an adapter that allows you to use a PS2 controller (they're like fifteen bucks or something)... Especially if you're going to play DoA 3. Since neither of these complaints have anything to do with the gameplay of DoA 3, they do not dock points from my rating. They certainly needed to be mentioned though.

Play Time/Replayability - 5/5
Due to the fact that characters have from 65 to 120 different moves to master and utilize in combat, there are around twelve different characters with entirely different moves, there are several modes to play in and five different difficulty settings, the play time and replayability of DoA 3 are really amazing for a fighter. Most fighters can be played in their entirety in a matter of hours, while mastering DoA 3 can take dozens of hours. Getting so good that Very Hard doesn't provide a challenge anymore? Just set the game down for a few months (or years) and come back for some more. As an alternative you can try to use a different character, who will have a new style and scores of new moves to master. You'll definitely be able to play this game for a very long time.

Story - Nil
Apparently there is a story, or so I'm told. I'm not rating it because, frankly, I don't believe fighters have any need for a story. If you want to play a game for a good story then you should consider playing an RPG or a few very select FPS.

Graphics/Sound - Nil
Woah. Seriously, woah. These graphics are crazy, especially considering when this game came out. I don't care much for graphics, but this game is just amazing, especially for a fighter. Character movements are graceful and accurate while they utilize existing martial arts moves. With realistic movements and game mechanics that require them (it helps with counterattacks and mind tricks versus humans) this game is a winner.

Sounds are not the greatest, but that's okay. It's definitely forgivable. If you've ever punched someone, then you'll know that the punches in this game don't sound anything like a punch. In fact, nothing really sounds anything like it sounds in real life. The music is okay, but nothing special. I prefer to turn it off and listen to something else.

Final Recommendation - 10/10
Never did I expect in my entire life to give a fighter any rating above a 5/10. Like I said, I'm not a fan of fighters or games that have a lot of scantily clad women... but this game is without a doubt the greatest (and one of the only good) fighters ever made. The complex nature of the game mechanics is amazing, and the depth and freedom you're allowed with the variety of moves and combat styles is astonishing.

If you've heard this game is just a button masher then you've heard wrong. If you can survive in DoA 3 by mashing buttons, then you're obviously not playing on Hard or Very Hard settings. You'll be forced to use a wide variety of moves to avoid being countered, and be subject to total annihilation in two moves when you make a mistake.

Grab your good buddies and crowd around for some multiplayer tag teams to spice up your gaming experience. Or compete with them for the highest score in survival mode. This game has all the options for you to have fun time and time again. One thing is certain: Dead or Alive 3 is what all fighting games should be modeled off of. If you don't have an X-Box, buy one. Seriously, X-Box games are terrible, but this game is worth buying an X-Box for; just don't forget to buy an adapter so you can use your PS2 controller.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/28/09

Game Release: Dead or Alive 3 (US, 11/14/01)