Dead or Alive 6

I really want to like this game more. NiCO's a fun new character to add to the mix, and the DOA Quest mode is a lot of fun. But the middling story, and ridiculous costume grind kind of shows how little new content there is to this game. Maybe down the line it'll be a fully fleshed out experience, but at least it's off to a better start than Street Fighter 5.

There’s a lot of things about the series, and DoA6 specifically, that aren’t all that endearing to me, but underneath that noise there is an impressive fighting game with some deeper mechanics than it appears at first look.

Even without casual matchmaking, Team Ninja delivered an incredibly entertaining tournament until the weight of progression started to sink in. I clocked in close to 15 hours and only unlocked 3 outfits. I got one that I might have wanted, but I really wish I had a choice. And, I only unlocked those few skins because I slogged through the one, hyper-linear mode that gives decent rewards. Everything else awards pennies by comparison. All but the most hardcore players are liable to burn out before the first DLC drops. In the end, Dead or Alive 6 ran a marathon and put a grind wall (some might call it a paywall) before the finish line.

The combat system has been tweaked just enough to keep things fresh for Dead or Alive 6, but there is this niggling feeling that the budget just wasn't there for this game, which is unfortunate, because there are plenty of modes and great characters to enjoy. A few too many aspects stand out as sub-par, though, leading to disappointment for many that have been waiting so long for the next entry in this franchise. Still a whole lot of fun and worth at least trying the free-to-play version out if curious, but it may be best to wait for the likely Ultimate edition.

DoA 6 offers fast and frantic fighting gameplay wrapped up in its signature sex appeal to deliver a solid entry in the series - but it lacks single-player and online content to match its contemporaries in the genre and truly shine.

Dead or Alive 6 is a good addition to the fighting game scene, although it doesn't stand out from the crowd. The story is okay, but probably resonates better with longtime fans. The combat is fluid, action-packed, and plenty of fun regardless.

An approachable fighter with plenty of depth for those wanting to sink their teeth in. It’s much more than a pretty face, but why does it keep insisting on flashing its pants at us? [Issue#160, p.86]

Dead or Alive 6 offers the same fun the previous installments did. There is not a huge leap forward in graphics, but in terms of gameplay there are some fun new elements. Unfortunately the game lacks diversity in multiplayer modes.

Although Dead or Alive 6 has nothing new to offer, it's still a very solid and fun fighting game that fully satisfies the hardcore fighting fans.

Dead or Alive 6 successfully transitions the franchise into the year 2019, by challenging its energy into solid fighting mechanics that are easy to pick-up but difficult to master. Even with its toned-down approach to its female characters, the game is sure to please die-hard fans and may even be good enough to entice some new blood to enter the ring.

Dead or Alive 6 is a solid new chapter in Team Ninja’s long-running fighting game series that has rarely been satisfied with just being “solid.” All of the groundwork that needed to be built here was built, but upon it was placed a mostly by-the-numbers experience that is too often just as frustrating as it is fun. While a reworking of the game could leave it in a much better place in the future (and on newer consoles), for now it’s a good release for people wanting more Dead or Alive as long as they don’t mind its value is limited.

The beautiful visuals, fun battle arenas, and easy-to-grasp fighting gameplay of Dead or Alive 6 make for a brawler that packs a punch.

Ultimately, I’m not sure if Dead or Alive 6 is the game that fans expected after a seven-year wait, but with its thrilling combat and amazing visuals, it still serves up a fulfilling experience — fanservice and all.

Dead or Alive 6 retains the stellar action the series is known for, but it doesn’t do enough to warrant an immediate upgrade from previous entries. With only a handful of new fighters at launch, more casual fans might want to wait a bit.

As ever, Dead or Alive 6 is a polished 3D fighter that will likely still struggle for acceptance on the ‘serious’ fighting circuit thanks to the excesses of its character’s costumes.

Dead or Alive 6 is a fun experience, but lose any comparison with the previous chapters of the series. The gameplay suffers from the inclusion of new mechanics, and the offer doesn’t shine for a technical sector that's far from modern standards.

A robust combat system, plentiful characters and a meaningful progression system combine to create a worthwhile fighter that I’d recommend checking out. It certainly isn’t the finest the genre has to offer, but it does more than enough to stand out.

Small additions to gameplay still manage to keep Dead or Alive 6 as a solid alternative in the fighting genre. However, much of its appeal has vanished in order to fit a gargantuan season pass that betrays its collecting soul.

Dead or Alive 6 sports a robust fighting system, but the framework around it doesn’t capitalize on that. While the tutorial and DOA Quest mode do a decent job of getting you up to speed on what makes combat tick, the awful story mode does it no favors, and the barebones online puts a damper on what could have been a second wind for the series.

It's not the fights, cause the new Break system makes Dead or Alive 6 a nice deep fighting game which you can enjoy for tens of hours. However, the hypersexualization of the female fighters, limited online possibilities and weak offline multiplayer make this a disappointing game.

Dead or Alive 6, with its good character roster and some nice ideas, unfortunatly fails to bring what we expect from a 2019 versus fighting game: namely, it's technicaly outdated, the TAG battle is absent from the game and it has a disappointing story mode.

DOA 6 is a capable fighting game that will probably entertain hardcore fans of the series. However, it's hard to imagine it adding to its fanbase as it offers nothing that broadens horizons, and fails to provide the sort of depth expected. DOA 6 can be fun in spurts but doesn't have the staying power of some of the elite fighting titles.

Dead or Alive 6 has a lot going for it – solid combat mechanics and an incredible tutorial mode being the elements that stands out the most – but overall it feels a little too bland and lacking in content to stand out in the sea of great fighting games of yesteryear.

Dead or Alive 6’s buried and yet still aggressive fanservice will no doubt alienate potential newcomers and at the same time, its lack of content will frustrate returning players.

Dead or Alive 6 maintains the same excellent fighting engine and graphical fluidity of past entries, but it's bogged down by a litany of problems. From the tedious grinding to unlock costumes to the bare-bones online play, it's a disappointing debut on current-gen consoles.

Dead or Alive 6 is certainly a looker; make no mistake about that. It’s even really fun to play at times, and anyone from season veterans to button-mashers can get in on the action with no problem at all. But everything else about the game makes it difficult to recommend unless a free-to-play version launches down the line.

Dead or Alive 6 is an okay fighting game, but it is too limited to really impress us. Hopefully Team Ninja has some updates up their sleeve.

A sequel that seems somewhat embarrassed of the series’ sexist past and shallow combat but fails to do anything meaningful about either.

Dead or Alive 6 carries much of the franchise's risque DNA, but shows a bit more initial restraint. The more revealing costumes are unlockable and the jiggle physics tend towards a bit more realism now. Combat remains accessible, but new moves like the Break Blow and evasion add new layers for DOA vets. Dead or Alive 6 could use a little more graphical polish and its netcode needs to be better, but it's a pretty good fighter all around.

Dead or Alive 6 finds itself in this slightly awkward middle space where it's certainly a sequel, but it's not nearly the jump that we were expecting -- especially since it's been almost seven years since Dead or Alive 5. The new additions to combat are welcome but they're not exactly exciting, and the overall package is reasonably robust, but let down by tedious grinds and a terrible story mode. As a fighter, Dead or Alive is still fun, punchy, and accessible, but as an upgrade on the already solid Dead or Alive 5: Last Round, it feels underwhelming, and even a little rushed.

It's deja vu all over again.

What used to be a decent fighting game with comical breast physics is now a pervier DOA Xtreme with punches instead of presents. Honestly, we're getting a bit old for it, and so is the industry around it. [Issue#331, p.116]

Under all the questionable choices, cut content and overall lack of value, Dead or Alive 6 is still a decent fighter. That said, many of the problems are hard to look past, and it feels like a bare-bones effort given the amount of recycled content on display. With an inferior roster, dull stage design and the hard reset on purchased content from anyone who was crazy enough to buy into the exorbitant amounts of DLC released during DOA 5‘s lifespan, it’s hard to recommend Dead or Alive 6 as it currently stands.