If Virtua Fighter 4 isn't the best fighting game ever, it is definitely the best I've ever played.
The gameplay is superb, and wonderful to say the least. Whether it be arcade, kumite, training, A.I. or versus, you'll have your hands full with some frenzic brawls. The control and feel is extremely familar to the series, and what used to be a really good fighter has been molded into a near-perfect masterpiece. The combo system is great, and can be very devastating if used properly. Lei Fei (a new addition) is one hell of a combo machine, and is a very tough customer. I have problems losing when I am at his helm. The throws have been greatly improved as well, and the defensive aspect is largely increased. Playing defense is such a key component to being successful, you'll want to spend the extra hour or two playing training to get the hang of it. In general, the gameplay is superb, and you'll be drooling to beat on some friends or cpu opponents.
The graphics are top notch, and the backgrounds are even better. The snow level is mind-blowing and the level when the snow is melting (water, duh) is also impressive. I sat staring at the snow and water stage for a good five bouts before I got used to such spectacular level design. The breakable and nonbreakable walls are great additions and the thud and impact can really bring together you combos while slowing down the gameplay absolutely not at all. The characters are designed beautifully and the nice touches have been added to make the update complete. The animation is extremely up to par with any animation you can think of. The fluid, almost liquid like flow of the animation really helps this game come out on top.
Replay value? Is there anything in this game that won't have you coming back many many times in a day? To start off have a simply look at the arcade mode. Stellar as usual and quick for those who want a once or twice through the game's characters. The bouts are best of three and the cpu opponents offer a few challenging moments (especially Akira and Dural). The Arcade mode is solid, but not the bread 'n' butter. That, my friends, belongs to Kumite, a ranking system in which you take your own personal fighter and take him/her to the top. The bouts are best of five, and this can lead to some memorable classics; something that is great, especially if you ever want to save your replays. Many, many opponents await your fighter, and a lot of variations of the normal fighters are found with their own traits and styles. In Kumite, you can earn colour palettes, items, and alternate poses to your fighters repitoire. Kumite, definitely puts this game head and shoulders above all. If you have problems struggling with Kumite or Arcade, jump into the training mode and learn all the fixens. The training mode can be really informative for both experienced and non-experienced gamers. It offers plenty of options, and three different training modes.
Lastly, the feature of the game that gets its own paragraph. The A.I. system, the most revolutionary, mind-opening, inspiring mode I've come acrossed in any game. You teach a computer fighter to mimmick your moves and patterns. It takes awhile to get your fighter skilled, but it is just great to know that you, yourself instructed a fighter to mastery. The fighter will mimmick everythin you tell it, and it will play a defensive game when the scenario calls for it (if you taught it that way). What's best of all is not pitting your fighter against the computer, but pitting your fighter against a friend (or even better yet, a friend's AI). This can get as intense as any normal match between two human controlled fighters. I could go on and on about the AI, but I won't because I've already rambled too much and its time to put an end to this review.
In conclusion, I urge anyone to play this game, no matter what your prefence is, even if you hate fighting games. The Virtua Fighter series has been something I have always relied upon as my fighting fix, and this one proves to be no disappointment. If you are a fan of the fighting genre, get all your old fighters, gather them up, and trade them in to get VF4, because it is THE BEST EVER.
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