Dead or Alive 4

GamePro

If looks could kill, DOA4 would be called Murderer's Row. This game is beautiful; even while you're beating the tar out of your opponent, you'll notice that your surroundings are among the finest you've seen in any fighting game... Hands down the best installment in the series. [Jan 2006, p.38]

Detroit Free Press

The gorgeous and sometimes ludicrous backdrops offer a perfect complement to flowing fisticuffs.

AceGamez

Boasting amazing looks, stunning animation and instantly accessible yet deep gameplay that's hugely addictive, it's the kind of game that is not only awesome to show off the power of your beloved new 360, but will be a faithful companion for many months to come, thanks to a huge amount to do and a variety of modes both offline and on.

ZTGameDomain

For fans of the series DOA4 is everything you could possibly want from a next-gen iteration of the game; a revamped fighting system, faster game play, and enough T&A to satisfy even the most jaded otaku.

My Gamer

The action, visuals, story, and sound blend together to make the most complete fighting game in years, and any real fighting fan knows Dead or Alive is no longer the game with all style and no substance.

Digital Entertainment News

There is little fault to be found in this game as the fighting is balanced and there are lots of engaging aspects of the title that demand your time.

Loaded Inc

The most impressive and useful feature of DOA is the ability to counter an advance by another fighter. Bear in mind that countering requires precise timing and practice is the only way to perfect this art. I am still learning.

IC-Games

So, Dead or Alive 4 has it all: sexy looks, sexy women, sexy sound, sexy gameplay, sexy online play, sexy... you get the picture.

PGNx Media

A stupendous online mode and a boastful display of graphical prowess complete the package. Dead or Alive 4 is the most complete and most enjoyable fighting game in the series.

Extreme Gamer

High Kicks and breast physics don't hurt either. If you don't buy this game, you'll end up renting it repeatedly, so save yourself the money in the long-run and buy it outright.

Cheat Code Central

Not only is the game technically solid but it's a real looker. It's easily the best looking console game ever.

BonusStage

I only wish that the online mode was a bit more solid and less susceptible to lag, but overall it looks fantastic, flows very smoothly, and has plenty of replay value making this the best title for the 360 to date.

GameZone

With over 45 achievements to collect and never-ending fighting matches online, you will not run out of things to do in this game for a long time.

Gamezilla!

Intensely frustrating, rewarding, and challenging, Dead or Alive 4 is not a game for those of us with short attention spans, anger management issues, or serious over competitiveness.

Xbox Solution

The way they mixed in the Halo angle really made sense with the ongoing story and not just thrown in for the sake of a cheap promotion.

Kombo

The best game currently out for the 360 and one of the best fighting games ever made.

Talk Xbox

Team NINJA has the Midas touch, and it looks as if Itagaki gave this one a one-hour massage before release. It has challenging, in-depth gameplay, the best visuals the console has yet to experience, and enough replay value to kill a Kasumi clone.

eToychest

Most definitely a game that carries the "easy to play, difficult to master" label, but is well worth mastering in the long run.

Team Xbox

Put simply, Dead or Alive 4 is the best fighter Team Ninja has ever put together and it is easily the best looking game to play on the Xbox 360 in it’s early stages.

GameShark

There’s nothing incredibly new or earth shattering here, but you can absolutely enjoy it for the fighting game that it is.

The New York Times

The controls feel less random and demand some extra skill, particularly in the countering system that allows one to block a punch and use its momentum to throw an opponent. The game lacks the intuitive feel of similar fighting series like Tekken and Soul Calibur, but it is still tremendous fun.

Deeko

Each character has multiple costumes to obtain, so the replay value of the story mode is somewhat lacking, unless you are a full blown fashionista who must have all the outfits the game has to offer.

GameBrink

The biggest unique feature to the online component of DOA 4 is definitely the psychedelic crack land known as the lobby...The lobby is so strange and so far removed from what DOA is visually that you really feel like the developers went a bit mad at some point and threw this in for a laugh and a half.

Game Over Online

Unlockable costumes, characters, and achievements only serve to keep you going. It may not be as technical as a Virtua Fighter, or as tournament-friendly as a Street Fighter, but it is a ton of fun.

XboxAddict

I only one major complaint and that’s the last boss Alpha-152. While not the cheapest boss in a fighter I’ve ever nearly broken my controller over, she does have some angering abilities. Having a fight end in three moves (head blast, spinning kicks, locks your head and shoulder and pounds your head in) is more annoying then challenging.

WHAM! Gaming

The prettiest fighting franchise out there has grown some brains, upping the skill ante but also bringing a ton of online play modes and unlockable goodies to the table.

Maxim Online

But it isn't just the best looking brawler around - it's also the deepest, as designers Team Ninja have complemented the game's responsive controls with hundreds of cool combo moves and tons of unlockable characters, outfits, and arenas.

MS Xbox World

To truly master any fighter you need to be proficient with all characters. DOA 4 offers an enjoyable yet frustrating experience depending on your levels of skill and patience.

Yahoo! Games

It's not a totally new slant on the genre, but a very slick refinement... Don't leave the girls of Dead or Alive 4 waiting; you'll regret it in more ways than one.

GamerFeed

DOA4 is so close to being flawless it's unbelievable.

IGN

The counter system is less forgiving and will definitely challenge fans of the series, especially those fond of DOA3. This affects every other area of the game. The harder characters to master are even more powerful now, and there is more of a ground game, in addition to careful use of the backgrounds.

1UP

It's still "just" a fighting game, albeit an incredibly polished and finessed fighting game, but it won't open your eyes to things you've never seen before. It will bring the fighting game community together, however, thanks to its online functionality, and that's a good thing.

Xbox World Australia

It really is a beautiful game, truly 'next gen' in appearance if not gameplay.

Game Power Australia

There was a time when Dead or Alive was the poor man’s Tekken, Soul Calibur or Virtua Fighter, but in some regards, particularly where environmental and visual quality is concerned, the series has taken the lead.

Game Informer

The incredible craftsmanship that went into this title makes it the pinnacle in the series and another fantastic Xbox Live application. [Mar 2006, p.108]

Computer and Video Games

DOA4 over Xbox Live is quite an experience. It succeeds on a technical level, but the real reason that it's such a riot is the game underneath. The enjoyable, solid, beautiful game that is Dead or Alive 4. This is the definitive title in the series and, as far as we're concerned, the ultimate game in its genre. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Planet Xbox 360

Overall, a truly Next Gen title that is hopefully a sign of things to come as this console matures.

GameCritics

Simply put, Team Ninja deserves a truckload of praise for their work on this game.

Thunderbolt

Dead or Alive games used to be all about huge, bouncing breasts and overly simplistic, easy to pick up gameplay. No longer. DOA shall henceforth be known for huge, bounding breasts and a refined and deep fighting system.

GamingTrend

A robust online mode is available, but playing solo won’t leave you bored after a couple of play-throughs.

Worth Playing

Dead or Alive 4 has enough new content in it to set it apart, and although the gameplay itself is liberally borrowed from the previous title, it also remains the same solid fighting engine and definitely doesn't feel like a rehash as much as it does a resemblance.

Play.tm

It has the most evolved gameplay system, without loosing the 'pick up and play' feel every beat 'em up should have.

VGPub

If you can get past that insanely hard computer AI and keep practicing away, then you will find yourself one of the best fighters on the market.

GameSpot

An impressive feat of a fighting game that boasts some excellent, fast-paced action in addition to terrific good looks. Best of all, you can play it online over Xbox Live, virtually guaranteeing you'll find tough, unpredictable competition at any hour.

Pelit (Finland)

A must-buy for any fighting fan and an excellent game for demonstrating the power of Xbox 360. It is not the revolution many expected, but it is still easily the best game in the series. [Feb 2006]

Game Chronicles

The combat engine has been refined to the point where veterans of the series might have a tougher time than newcomers, but there are plenty of rewards waiting for those who can master this next-gen fighter.

Xbox Evolved

It is definitely the finest of the series, and is an achievement with the online modes, and the best looking fighter out on the market to date. It isn’t exactly for everyone though, as it can be difficult in single and multiplayer portions of the game.

Stuff

The legs are long, the sex is gratuitous, and the violence is very, very violent. DOA 4 is definitely firing on all pistons. Still, for a series with the word "alive" on the box cover, these characters all seem kind of plastic, hollow, heartless, and downright bloodless.

Official Xbox Magazine

Fan’s of Itagaki’s “jujitsu-jousting” philosophy….can comfortably mark DOA 4 as the most refined version of their beloved fighter to date. [Mar 2006, p.73]

AtomicGamer

In the end, Dead or Alive 4 is to fighting games what Halo 2 was to first person shooters.

Gamer 2.0

If you want to be visually impressed, Itagaki and his Team Ninja have knocked another one out of the park with this game.

Game Revolution

Voluptuous in every sense of the word. With the best graphics money can buy and a robust online ring, it's a great choice for your new 360. That said, it still doesn't really bring any new tricks to the fight.

Firing Squad

While the glamour of the game is still there, DOA4 now has a robust foundation for the underlying gameplay. The problem is that the game involves a substantial commitment that's different from other games.

RewiredMind

I very much doubt you’re going to see a better beat-‘em-up of this ilk on the 360 anytime soon – unless of course Sega decide to port Virtua Fighter 5 over, but until such a dream occurs, this is more than adequate.

Times Online

The disturbing difference is the 360’s much-vaunted graphics. Hair tosses silkily; veins stand out muscularly; bosoms jounce, waft and settle gravity-defyingly.

Play Magazine

They don't make 3D fighters more beautiful and fluid than Dead or Alive 4. [Mar 2006, p.43]

G4 TV

Hardcore fighting fans may turn up their noses at Dead or Alive 4's user-friendly engine, but there's no denying that this game is just loads of fun--especially online.

3DAvenue

Even with the high level of detail, and destructibility of the levels, the framerate doesn’t fault even once.

PALGN

The best Dead or Alive game so far. The single player is weak so avoid paying full price if you don’t have a friend to player or access to Xbox Live.

360 Gamer Magazine UK

It may seem like nothing’s changed at first but on closer inspection you’ll see that DOA has burst out its training bra and into a fully-fledged Wonderbra.

DarkStation

The fourth incarnation of Tecmo's supreme fighter is another hit on the 360, showcasing jaw-dropping visuals and its trademark solid gameplay.

NTSC-uk

As an overall experience DoA4 is thoroughly capable and enjoyable, proving through its latest incarnation that it has certainly evolved into a fighter that can be taken seriously and seen as more than cheap titillation or a T&A simulator for prepubescents.

GameSpy

Although the game still leaves a bit to be desired (a coherent storyline, for example), the gorgeous graphics and intense action definitely make it worth picking up if you're a fan of fighting games.

Armchair Empire

While the package is certainly one of the best-looking fighting games ever, the overall gameplay is hit and miss (though it hits more often than it misses) but with human opponents it can be good fun.

Total Video Games

The counter/block system seems to be over-refined with a fine line drawn between whether a counter move is successful or not, and once an opponent is on a roll of combo attacks, players might as well put down the controller and let them do the damage because trying to escape proves to be exceptionally difficult.

Boomtown

It’s a good game, but nothing more. It’s certainly not great. The single-player game isn’t very well balanced for most gamers and at times seems rather unfair.

Sydney Morning Herald

It's glitzy, ditzy and full of glam, but it will also leave you battered and bruised.

Games Radar (in-house)

Don't buy Dead or Alive 4 unless you're willing to become its student. It's a great looker, but it's a sourly aggravating game until you learn its ways. However, if you take the time to get some technique wrapped up in those fists, you'll start to enjoy the depth behind the startlingly pretty face.

Computer Games Magazine

Where the actual game experience falls short, the online community experience impresses. [Apr 2006, p.89]

Gamestyle

Dead or Alive 4 may not be the holy grail of fighters, but Tecmo have still crafted an enjoyable title with plenty of reply value.

Gaming Illustrated

Not what I would expect for the 360, but a good game nonetheless.

Edge Magazine

With it’s limited range of costumes (broadened with lazy palette swaps) and unambitious Tag and Team battles, DOA4 remains as familiar as the mild disappointment it delivers. [Feb 2006, p.84]

Gaming Age

The end result is a Dead or Alive game that's arguably deeper, dizzyingly beautiful and a blast to play online when the damn thing isn't just locking up.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

This game is a beautiful mess. The Dead or Alive series has always been known more for T&A than tech gameplay; for every panty shot, there's a cheap juggle combo that involves less skill than it takes to input a cell-phone text message.

Jolt Online Gaming UK

It shows off, but doesn’t have the talent to cash the cheques its looks and potential are writing.

Eurogamer

If you're planning on playing the single-player much, it's an abomination, and you shouldn't touch it with a bargepole; and on Xbox Live, it's simply so flawed as to be unplayable in anything other than a basic 1v1 lobby, which arguably makes it into a pretty poor investment unless you have a friends list teeming with people who want to play.