It’s a system that demands a honing of split-second reflexes but once familiarity sets in, the countering dynamic can lead to skilled players snatching some incredible victories from the jaws of defeat in awe-inspiring displays of retaliatory spectacle. High strikes must be countered by tilting the analogue stick away in an upward direction from the attack with the counter button pressed, while conversely, low attacks can be thwarted by pressing the stick lower and then pressing the counter button at just the right time. Rather than merely allow players to counter incoming attacks with a single button, Last Round demands knowledge of the trajectory of attack that the opponent is performing so that the appropriate countering direction can be pressed. Placing a premium on twitch-based countering and combo-based juggling, Dead or Alive has always had a frenetic fighting system that has succeeded in separating the franchise from its peers. It’s a shame then that despite the painful omission of online multiplayer, Dead or Alive 5 Last Round’s core fighting system is actually sublime.

There’s no two ways about it the absence of online multiplayer is totally inexcusable and massively damages the game’s appeal. Given that fighting games such as Dead or Alive rely on the robustness and passion of their online fanbase to flourish (especially on PC), not including online multiplayer on day one seems like a great way to prevent those communities from ever getting off the ground and expanding in the sort of way that PC audiences deserve.

As extravagant as the fighters themselves, the stages in DOA 5 Last Round are also larger-than-life affairs

Doa5 last round pc