Dead or Alive 5

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"I'm a Fighter"

—Official tagline

Dead or Alive 5 (デッド・オア・アライブ・ファイブ, Deddo oa Araibu Faibu), also referred to as DOA5, is the fifth main versus-fighting installment in the Dead or Alive franchise. It was the first main title of the series to be released in seven years, following Dead or Alive 4 in 2005. It is the twelfth game in the series, overall. Dead or Alive 5 was developed and produced by Team Ninja for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Due to a new partnership formed between Tecmo Koei and the Sega Corporation, Sega is handling the publication and distribution of the title in Europe, while Tecmo Koei is publishing it in all other regions.

Announced on September 14, 2011, it was originally stated that Dead or Alive 5 was going to have a September 2012 simultaneous release in both NTSC and PAL territories. However, this was later changed. The game was first released in North America on September 25, 2012, later released in Japan on September 27, and then in Europe on September 28.

On December 1st, 2012, a version of the game for the PlayStation Vita, called Dead or Alive 5+, was announced with a March 2013 release date. This portable version will support new gameplay features such as touch-screen controls and a first-person view.

There is a possibility that the game might be released on the upcoming Nintendo console, the Wii U, but it has yet to be confirmed.

A new version, titled Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate, is in the works for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It includes the new features from Plus as well as new/returning characters and stages. This game is slated for release in September 2013.

Plot

Two years after the events of the fourth Dead or Alive World Combat Championship, Helena Douglas has taken full control of the Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee from the devious Victor Donovan and is re-building the company for the better. To inform the world of the return of DOATEC, Helena has make plans with Zack to host the fifth Dead or Alive Tournament and put on a show no one will forget.

However, the threats of the past have not gone away: Donovan is still continuing his research for Project Alpha with his new organization MIST, and Kasumi is on the quest to take down her weaponized clone, Alpha-152, once and for all.

Characters

See also: List of Dead or Alive 5 Characters

Returning Characters

• Kasumi - A successor of the legendary Mugen Tenshin Clan who became a Runaway Shinobi during the events of the first tournament, unable to return to her village and constantly running for her life. She is currently on the quest to destroy her clone, Alpha-152.
• Ayane - A member of the Hajinmon sect of the Mugen Tenshin Ninja Clan. Hardened by her "cursed birth" and unloving childhood, she became a deadly shinobi, always on the hunt after her runaway half-sister Kasumi. She is also the loyal companion to her leader and half-brother, Hayate.
• Hayate - As well as the older brother to Ayane and Kasumi, he is the eighteenth leader of the Mugen Tenshin Clan and a former test subject for the now-disbanded Project Epsilon. Despite her runaway status, Hayate tries to offer aid to Kasumi in her mission to stop her clone, although she seems reluctant to take his help.
• Ryu Hayabusa - A legendary shinobi and the heir the Hayabusa Ninja Clan. As a longtime friend of Hayate, he is currently helping him and Ayane locate Kasumi.
• Helena Douglas - After destroying DOATEC in the previous tournament, Helena has plans to re-build the global company as rightful owner by getting rid of the harmful weapon projects started by Donovan and shaping the company into a more peaceful form.
• Christie - A professional assassin and a longtime employee of Victor Donovan. Most often, she acts as his reluctant bodyguard and keeps his research out of harms way.
• La Mariposa - Real name Lisa Hamilton, she is a former DOATEC research scientist for Project Epsilon. She continues her work for Donovan in his new organization, MIST.
• Hitomi - A young woman who was raised by her karate master father, on the mission to win the fifth Dead or Alive tournament. She once had strong feelings for Ein, the persona Hayate took on after losing his memory. But now that the man has resorted as Hayate, she seems relented to act on her emotions.
• Bayman - Formally a professional assassin, Bayman now redeemed himself and also makes a living as a mercenary for an unknown army. After being attacked by a hooded figure while on duty, he believes that something must be happening with DOATEC, once again, and sets off to stop it.
• Kokoro - A young girl training to be a geisha, Kokoro enters the tournament in order to meet with Helena again, unaware that the woman is actually her older half-sister.
• Jann Lee - Constantly seeking to test himself against the most fearsome opponents, he has entered the tournament to prove his worth against the best fighters in the world.
• Leifang - A stubborn girl from a wealthy family, Leifang is still on the quest to defeat Jann Lee in battle, who once saved her from harm.
• Tina Armstrong - Daughter of Bass Armstrong, Tina previously showed little interest in her wrestling career, and instead used the tournaments in order to get noticed by Hollywood agents. Now, after being a model, film actress, and rock star, Tina's taste for fighting has returned.
• Bass Armstrong - A retired pro-wrestler who always worries over his daughter, Tina. He usually gets back into the ring in order to stop her from following her desires to be a Hollywood star, in an effort to protect her.
• Zack - A famous DJ who saved Helena from death following the destruction of the Tri-Tower. Now he works for Helena, helping to put together the fifth tournament by rounding out the contestants and acting as MC during the tournament itself.
• Eliot - The sole apprentice of Gen Fu. Aware of his immaturity as a fighter, he sets out on a journey of self-improvement. Much to his annoyance, Brad decides to tag along.
• Brad Wong - Currently, Brad is the unwanted traveling companion of Eliot. The reasons why he is following the boy are currently unknown.

New Characters

• Rig - The foreman for DIG, an off-shore oil platform owned by DOATEC. He has been working on the platform from a young age and claims to have no memory of his family or real name.
• Mila - An up-and-coming MMA fighter who has scored spectacular victories all over the world. She has been a big fan of Bass Armstrong since she was a child and her dream is to take on her idol in the ring.

Unlockable Characters

• Gen Fu - Considered a fighting legend, Gen Fu no longer fights in the tournaments, instead focusing on training his apprentice, Eliot. He was the one who sent the boy on his journey of self-improvement.
• Akira Yuki - Guest character from Virtua Fighter. A descendant of the founder of the Yuki Budokan, he spends his days training to become the greatest martial artist in the world.
• Sarah Bryant - Guest character from Virtua Fighter. While attempting to investigate the accident involving her brother, she was captured by Judgment 6 and brainwashed. Although she was later rescued by her brother, the effects of J6's brainwashing remain buried deep within the recesses of her mind.
• Pai Chan - Guest character from Virtua Fighter. Pai has received special instruction in martial arts since early childhood. As well as being a martial artist, Pai Chan is also a famous actress in her home country.
• Alpha-152 - One of the products formed during Project Alpha. As an inhuman weapon based on Kasumi, it has her basic physical form and fighting skills but with quite a few deadly moves of its own.

Development

Early Release Rumors

For about half a decade, Dead or Alive 5 had an uneasy conception and the possibility of the game even being released seemed very unlikely at some points.

In 2006, after the release of Dead or Alive 4, series creator Tomonobu Itagaki stated in an interview with gaming website 1UP.com that he had the first concepts for Dead or Alive 5 in mind. However two years later, in an interview with CVG, Itagaki was asked about the Dead or Alive series and he replied: "This is another area that me and my closest colleagues all agree that we were able to achieve the definitive fighting game with "Dead or Alive 4." So we're not looking to extend the series at this point." Even if he did have Dead or Alive 5 in the planning stages, Itagaki had sued Tecmo and resigned from the company in 2008 along with several other colleagues, stating that this would lead to the end of production for Dead or Alive 5 and its series.

However, Tecmo replied with the announcement that Team Ninja would not be dissolved upon Itagaki's departure, stating that both the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive franchises would remain in production and "some projects were already underway." Two years after Itagaki's departure from the company, Team Ninja released Dead or Alive Paradise in 2010, and Dead or Alive: Dimensions in May 2011.

In April 2011 the current head of Team Ninja, Yosuke Hayashi told Eurogamer that after Dead or Alive: Dimensions received "positive feedback and responses from consumers" there was definitely a future for the series. When asked "Will Dead or Alive 5 appear on home consoles, including the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360?", Hayashi replied that Team Ninja "will take that into consideration," hinting that Dead or Alive 5 or another Dead or Alive game could be developed in the future. To back up the possibility of a sequel, the story campaign of Dimensions finished on a cliffhanger scene.

Official Announcement

The promotional image shown at Tokyo Game Show 2011.

On September 9th, 2011, Team Ninja announced on their official Twitter feed that they would be appearing at Tokyo Game Show 2011 for the playable debut of Ninja Gaiden 3 as well as to showcase a new game.

Five days later, on September 14, 2011, Team Ninja revealed Dead or Alive 5 during a pre-TGS press event and showed media personnel a brief gameplay demonstration, featuring Hayate and Ryu Hayabusa fighting in the new stage Scramble, and a promotional image showing the lower half of a female fighter's face, with the text "I'm a Fighter" superimposed over the image. (Most fans believe that the woman in the image is Kasumi. However, others said it could be Hitomi or even the two girls merged together. The identity of the woman hasn't been officially stated.) Team Ninja stated that the game would have a multi-platform release for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

During the demo, Team Ninja was quoted saying that the stages in Dead or Alive 5 would no longer be "sidekicks" to the action but would be critical parts of the competitive experience with the whole game revolving around the theme "fighting entertainment." At the time of the announcement, the game was only at "pre-alpha" stages of development.

Shortly after its reveal, an official website for Dead or Alive 5 was opened.

Pre-Release

September 2011 - November 2011

Due to a misunderstanding or a mistranslation, false rumors got out that the PlayStation 3 version of Dead or Alive 5 would support the console's motion control system, the PlayStation Move. However, there is no official evidence showing that the game will support Move.

On September 18th, 2011, Famitsu, a Japanese gaming publication, quoted the following Yousuke Hayashi and Team Ninja's views of motion control consoles: "Hayashi said that Move is good for 'giving the players the feeling that they are Ryu Hayabusa.' With Kinect, on the other hand, Team Ninja 'felt that it's difficult to give the feeling of swinging a katana.'"

While the quote was obviously about Ninja Gaiden 3 (in which the player-character uses a katana), Andriasang, who are known for publishing English translations of Japanese gaming articles, stated it was about Dead or Alive 5 instead. IGN followed up the story with an article of their own, and N4G soon followed. However, since then Andriasang and IGN have taken down their articles on the subject.

December 2011 - February 2012

On December 7th, 2011, it was announced in a preview article by Famitsu magazine that Dead or Alive 5 was "15% complete."

A promotional image shown at the San Francisco press event featuring Ayane.

On the same day, Team Ninja held a press event in San Francisco to talk about their up-coming games, including Dead or Alive 5, with a playable demo of the game made available for media staff to try out. During the event, gameplay elements including information about Power Blows were given and Ayane and Hitomi were confirmed as returning playable characters.The first demo was released at E3.

In an interview with GamesBeat, published on December 9th, 2011, Yosuke Hayashi talked about using additional downloadable content "as a way to add more stuff and increase the longevity of the title, if [Team Ninja are] adding stuff later [they] think that [...] fans will enjoy," hinting at the possibility of DLC from Dead or Alive 5 for after the game is released.

On February 8th, 2012, it was announced that Team Ninja would be hosting a series of press events over two weeks in various locations across the world, in order to showcase the alpha demo of Dead or Alive 5, as well as Ninja Gaiden 3 and Ninja Gaiden Sigma PLUS. It started on February 9th, 2012, in New York City, followed with European visits to London, Hamburg, Paris, Madrid, Milan, and Stockholm.

March 2012 - May 2012

Kasumi's hand as revealed on Twitter via @TeamNINJAStudio

On March 1st, 2012, Team Ninja released a teaser image of Kasumi's arm via their official Twitter feed, confirming her appearance in Dead or Alive 5, while stating that they will follow up with a proper image of her the following week. The same day, they also confirmed that they will be showing a new trailer and that the Western release of Dead or Alive 5 will feature an English voice cast, making this the fifth game in the series to have English voice acting.

On March 5th, 2012, the official Dead or Alive 5 website was updated, with a page for screenshots and a new gameplay trailer. The first half of the trailer showed a fight in the new Flow stage between Ayane and Kasumi, marking the latter's first official appearance for Dead or Alive 5 and confirming her role as a playable character. The second half moved onto a fight in the same location, between Kasumi and Akira Yuki, the mascot of Sega's Virtua Fighter series. This confirmed that Akira will be a guest playable character for Dead or Alive 5.

On March 5th and 6th, 2012, Tecmo Koei and Team Ninja announced a September 2012 simultaneous release date for the NTSC and PAL versions of the game for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

On March 14, 2012, a new trailer was released. While it featured the same stage from the first trailer, this time it featured a fight between Ayane and Hitomi. On March 19, 2012, the official website was updated with a basic gameplay manual and a survey to go alongside the demo which was released with special editions of Ninja Gaiden 3.

On April 23, 2012, it was revealed via Team Ninja's Twitter feed that two characters would be revealed during this week. Three days later, on April 26, Famitsu magazine released an article about Dead or Alive 5 revealing Christie and Bayman, confirming them for the game. At 3pm GTM the same day, Tecmo Koei released a gameplay trailer of Christie and Bayman fighting in a new stage called Hot Zone.

On May 10, 2012, an article by Siliconera revealed that Tecmo Koei aim to sell one million copies of Dead or Alive 5 and that they will be releasing paid downloadable content for the title, which they had done for their other core titles, such as Ninja Gaiden 3 and Warriors Orochi 3.

The Tecmo Koei booth at London Expo, with Dead or Alive 5 demo stations all set up.

On May 23, 2012, Leifang and Zack were confirmed for Dead or Alive 5 in another Famitsu magazine article. The article showed a render of Leifang and screenshots of the two fighters battling it out in a circus-themed arena called The Show. The following day, at 5pm GMT, Tecmo Koei released a gameplay trailer featuring Leifang and Zack.

Tecmo Koei attended London MCM Expo, which ran for a three-day weekend from May 25, 2012 to the 27th. The company was there to showcase their latest releases, including Dead or Alive 5, with a number of consoles set up so the public may play the demo version of the game. On the 26th, a Dead or Alive 5 tournament was held on the Gamespot stage, with 32 entries. The tournament winner was a player known as Messy, who was also the previous Dead or Alive 4 TGS champion.

June-August 2012

Tecmo Koei attended the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2012, commonly known as E3, which ran from June 5th to June 7th, 2012. In collaboration with the online gaming reviewer IGN, the IGN Pro League Dead or Alive 5 consent was held, with live-streaming of the tournament being hosted on the IGN website and the finals held on the last day of E3. The tournament used an improved demo version of the game, known as the "Beta Demo," which includes improved gameplay, more stages, and more playable characters.

On the first day of the Expo, an online trailer was released at 7PM GMT. The trailer showed off a new stage, and confirmed the return of Kokoro, Tina Armstrong, and the addition of guest character Sarah Bryant from Virtua Fighter, as well as the new stage Sakura. Screenshots also released that day confirmed the return of Bass Armstrong.

On June 6, it was confirmed that a special version of Dead or Alive 5, called the "Collectors Edition" would be released.

On June 8, Team Ninja released a graphic on their official Facebook page announcing their planned release dates for Dead or Alive 5 - September 25th, 2012 in America, September 27th, 2012 in Japan, and September 28th, 2012 in Europe. This is different from the original worldwide simultaneous release they announced.

On June 27, in this month's issue of Famitsu magazine, brand new character Rig was seen for the first time. The magazine also revealed a new mode called "Camera Mode", which will allow players to take in-game pictures of the fighters, in addition to being able to save replay footage. Later that day, a new trailer was released showing gameplay footage of Rig in the new stage Fuel; first he fights against Christie then Bass.

On July 18th, 2012, the latest issue of Famitsu featured more scrrenshots from the game, and revealed Jann Lee as a returning playable character. The following day, a new trailer was released to showcase the Tag Team gameplay for Dead or Alive 5. Not only did Jann Lee appear in the footage, La Mariposa can be seen briefly during the video.

On August 8th, 2012, another trailer was released, focusing around an international televised announcement of the return of the Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee and the fifth Dead or Alive Tournament. As well as featuring previously announced characters, the trailer confirmed the return of Helena Douglas, Brad Wong, Eliot, and Gen Fu. The trailer also showed Alpha-152, the final boss of Dead or Alive 4 and the main antagonist Victor Donovan.

On the evening of August 21th, 2012, Tecmo Koei and IGN hosted a free London event for fan to play Dead or Alive 5, with a limited amount of tickets offered. It included tournaments for Dead or Alive 5 related products, a chance to ask questions to the developers, and free food and drink.

September 2012

On September 11, 2012, a trailer was released to official introduce the new character Mila. The video included Mila fighting against Zack and Tina, as well as a sample of a cutscene.

On September 12, 2012, Famitsu magazine revealed that Pai Chan from Virtua Fighter will be a guest character for the title, making her the third guest character for Dead or Alive 5 to be announced. The article also confirmed that Gen Fu would be returning as a playable character.

On September 19, 2012, the official launch trailer was released worldwide, featuring various shots of fights between different characters at different locations.

Post-Release

Following the game's release, Tecmo Koei released a "Day 1 Patch" to correct numerous issues, most notably several balance tweaks to nearly every character and improvements to the online mode. There was also a bug on the PlayStation 3 version of the game were it will pause mid-match during offline play if Throwdowns are enabled; You need to disable this option after selecting a Fight mode in the main menu to avoid this game breaking problem.

On October 2, 2012, a free DLC costume pack called the "Costume Pack Round 1", which features outfits from past games for eleven of the playable characters, was released on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

"Make Your Move!" Contest

"Make Your Move!" contest logo

On October 28, 2011, Team Ninja announced a contest via their official Dead or Alive Facebook page. The contest invited anyone to create and submit examples of their own fighting moves, and from those entered one or possibly more would be picked and be worked into the final version of Dead or Alive 5. The creators of the moves will also have their names in the staff credits.

The contest ended November 18, 2011, although the application form for entry was still active for a few days afterwards. The winners were revealed in the ending credits of Dead or Alive 5.

It's been reported that over 500 entries had been submitted for the competition, and as of the San Francisco press event, two entries have been picked to be placed into the game.

Partnership Between Tecmo Koei and Sega

Akira Yuki, the mascot of Virtua Fighter, as he appears in the third Dead or Alive 5 trailer.

Tecmo Koei Europe have announced a new partnership with the Sega Corporation for Dead or Alive 5, in which the latter will handle the publication and distribution of the game in Europe. This is due to the costs required for marketing and localization in Europe.

As part of the agreement, Dead or Alive 5 will include Akira Yuki, Sarah Bryant and Pai Chan, characters of Sega's Virtua Fighter series, as exclusive additions to its roster. There is a possibility of other Virtua Fighter characters joining the roster too.

Gameplay

Controls Overview

It has been said that the controls for Dead or Alive 5 feel and play very similarly to previous Dead or Alive titles, so if you’ve played the series in the past Dead or Alive 5 shouldn’t be very difficult to pick up. The overall fighting system is based on the Triangle System and Mid-kicks and Mid-punches can be advanced held, which is being called "Expert Hold." The Expert Hold seems to be standard for all characters. The alpha demo featured 3-point holds (high, mid, and low) but following feedback it has been changed to 4-point holds (high, mid-punch, mid-kick, and low). Compared to previous games however, the timing window for holds has been greatly shortened and the number of moves that can be held has been reduced. The sidestepping system in the game is now similar to that of Sega's Virtua Fighter series.

Like in Dead or Alive: Dimensions, the player will have the option to view Move Data on screen during fights and hit effects will be included so the player can tell if a strike hits high, mid, or low by the direction of the effect. However, this feature can be turned off.

Gameplay Modes and Online Play

Alongside the story campaign and the standard one-on-one Fighting Mode, Tag Battle will also be returning in Dead or Alive 5, allowing players to team up in pairs to take on another pair in combat. Training Mode has been given a major re-vamp. It now possessed record functionality, and players will be able to adjust the network speed. There is also a "bonus mission mode" which gives optional missions during Story Mode battles to teach players everything from basic controls to advanced fighting techniques.

The game will support both local and online play but it has been stated that the online lobbies from Dead or Alive 4 - which allowed players to interact with one another via avatars - will not be returning. This was decided because the Dead or Alive 4 interactive lobbies actually had a huge impact on the game's netcode and caused gameplay to lag. To ensure everyone has lag-free matches, Team Ninja decided to remove the lobbies altogether.

Power Blows

One new gameplay feature in Dead or Alive 5 is the Power Blow or Power Move. By holding the corresponding button on the controller, a unique attack can be charged up that will unleash a slow-motion cinematic combo that ends by allowing the player to “aim” where they would like to launch their opponent, including into Danger Zones. Players are able to hold the control for a while to charge the attack.

At the San Francisco press event, it was revealed that during this cinematic event, while the attacking player could influence where the move would hit, the defending player could react in a way to lessen damage. It was later revealed in Team Ninja's twitter that Power Blows would be un-holdable except by Expert Holds.

Selection Screen Stats

The character selection screen, as seen in the alpha demo. Note as Hitomi loads, the screen shows her stats.

As seen in Alpha demo gameplay footage, while waiting for highlighted characters to load up in the character selection screen, a silhouette of the characters will be shown, with stats over the top - Attack, Throw, Hold, Power, Speed, and "Technic" - which shows what the fighters are capable of in battle. The final version of the game changed these stats slightly to Strike, Throw, Hold, Power, Speed and Moves. Strike, Throw and Hold relate to the character's preference for or reliance on those areas. Power and Speed indicate how much damage and how fast their moves are, respectively. Moves relates to the number of special moves and manoeuvres the character can perform. For example, Ayane ranks high in Moves as she has many unique ways of confusing and misleading her opponents.

Interactive Stages

In Dead or Alive 5, stages will not only act as visual backdrops to accompany the fight but also play to a fighter’s strengths. As a fight progresses, the backdrop will change and interact with players, giving them a different challenge. Changes to the stages will happen as scripted events and be triggered by player actions, such as one of the fighters being thrown against a Danger Zone.

There will be a new type of Danger Zone called a Cliffhanger. As opposed to simply falling when you get knocked down near empty footing, (e.g. over the edge of a cliff) the opponent has minimal time to recover, while their foe can choose to attack, sending them falling anyway but with additional damage. These cliffhangers will only appear in certain stages while featuring multiple levels.

Unlocking Characters

• To unlock Akira, the player must defeat him in Kokoro's chapter in Story Mode.
• To unlock Sarah, the player must defeat her in Tina's chapter in Story Mode.
• To unlock Gen Fu, the player must complete Eliot's chapter in Story Mode.
• To unlock Pai, the player must obtain 100 titles in the game.
• To unlock Alpha-152, the player must obtain 300 titles in the game.

Improvements and Differences From Previous Titles

As seen by Jann Lee, males now have more realistic and smoother muscular physiques

Improved Graphical Detail

Character models have been greatly improved in comparison to previous Dead or Alive titles, moving away from the previous anime-like style, with unrealistic proportions such as very large eyes, and now character designs in Dead or Alive 5 look very similar to those in current Ninja Gaiden titles, with a more realistic look. 

Female bodies are now distinguishable with different curves and hair is now realistically rendered, with more strands visible and the feature of dampening when wet. Hair is also now semi-transparent, and some of the females' hair are now noticeably shorter. As for the male characters, muscle build is also realistically seen, with more natural pectoral muscles, arms and abdominals, instead of the anime styled muscular physiques in the older installments.

Toning Down the Sexuality?

GamesRadar pointed out a notable change on new character models; that the female characters were bearing more modest bust sizes and the "breast physics," which make the girls' breasts move and bounce, had been toned down. Formerly, most of the women in the series were sexualized to the point of ridiculousness - especially in the Dead or Alive Xtreme sub-series - however, the girls seen early on seemed to have smaller breasts and were wearing new clothing that was less revealing compared to some of their old costumes.

However, it is more likely that early on less effort had been put into these details and the game ultimately has an even more detailed physics system than previously, although bust sizes do seem more modestly proportioned. There are also special "sexy costumes" available, including swimsuits.

Director Yohei Niibori had stated in an interview with Famitsu magazine on April 29, 2012, that the movement of the female's breasts will differ depending on which costume they happen to be wearing at the time; e.g. a tighter costume or a costume fitted with a bra will result in less movement.

Sweat and Dirt Physics

New dirt physics before and after a match

All character models will also visibly "sweat" as they fight. The more energy they put into a fight, the more sweat will appear. This could result in costumes becoming transparent but levels of transparency will differ by costume. This cosmetic design is meant to make players feel more involved in the action and give the fighters on screen a grittier, more realistic design that adds a new layer of depth to the series.

During the San Francisco press event, it also showed fighters becoming dirty during the course of the fight, with mud and dust covering their clothing and skin.

Different Versions of Title

So far, two retail additions of Dead or Alive 5 have been announced, and one demo version of the game has been publicly released.

Playable Demo Edition

The title screen for the alpha demo.

On December 15, 2011, it was announced that codes for the alpha demo version of Dead or Alive 5 would be included in special editions of Ninja Gaiden 3, which was released in March 2012.

The demo is different depending on which edition you buy: the Limited Editions only featured two playable characters - Ayane and Hayate on the Xbox 360 version and Hitomi and Hayabusa on the PlayStation 3 version. The Collector's Edition has all four characters on both consoles.

Apart from character choices, all versions of the demos are the same. The demo includes a controls guide via the title screen and limited changeable options, including choosing between English and Japanese voices in Western versions. Only one-on-one Versus Mode is playable, with all other gameplay modes being locked out.

Since the day of release, to April 29, 2012, there was an online survey active on the official Dead or Alive 5 website, in which Team Ninja asked for feedback from players who had tried out the demo, in order to improve the game for its final release. Questions on the survey included impressions of the fighting system, as well as the demo's graphics and aesthetics.

It's unknown if a free demo will be released for Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network, as it was the case with previous Dead or Alive titles.

Standard Edition

The standard edition of Dead or Alive 5 will just include a copy of the game. However, the first batch will also include download codes for "Kasumi and Ayane Sexy Costume"; two additional costumes for Kasumi and Ayane. This DLC can also be downloaded without a code as paid DLC.

Collectors Edition

A preview of the Collectors Edition.

Main article: Dead or Alive 5 Collectors Edition

The announcement of a "Collectors Edition" of Dead or Alive 5 was placed on the Japanese website for the title. Later on, it was announced that the Collectors Edition will be available from selected retails in America and Europe. The current price for the Collectors Edition is $79.99 and will include:

• A copy of Dead or Alive 5
• A copy of the official visual book
• A copy of the original soundtrack
• A full-color wall poster
• Download code for "Premium Sexy Costume"; twelve female character costumes
• A high-quality embossed metal case packing

The Japanese version of the Collectors Edition is slightly different; include of the wall poster, it features postcards and "metal plates".

Dead or Alive 5+

Logo for Dead or Alive 5+

On December 1st, 2012, Dead or Alive 5+ was announced for the PlayStation Vita with a March 2013 release date.

While the basis of the game remains unchanged, this portable edition of the game will support new gameplay features that were not seen in the previous PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions. These features will include new touch controls - using both the Vita's touch screen and rear touch pad - which will allow players to control their fighters with a variety of swipes and and taps. Also, holding the screen vertically will also switch to a first-person view; this will be the first Dead or Alive title to use this view. The Vita version will also offer enhanced training tools and a tutorial mode.

Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate

Logo for Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate

Main article: Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate

On May 7th 2013, Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate was announced for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game will be out in September 2013, and will include the new additions from Plus, including the tutorial mode, custom soundtracks, and new costumes. It will also feature new characters and stages, including Momiji from Ninja Gaiden, Jacky Bryant from Virtua Fighter, and the return of Ein and Leon.

Downloadable Content

Main article: Dead or Alive 5/Downloadable Content

A number of downloadable costumes packs have been made available for the playable characters of Dead or Alive 5 via Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.

Preview images of the "DOA Angels/Devils" DLC costumes.

Two of the notable packs both included swimsuits for the female playable cast, which were originally released as pre-order bonuses. First, two sets of bunny-girl swimsuits were available as a bonus for pre-ordering the game from selected retailers. Some retailers offered a pack called "DOA Angels" which contained white swimsuits for Kasumi, Hitomi and Leifang, while others offered the "DOA Devils" pack which had black swimsuits for Ayane, Christie and Tina. Despite the color change, all the swimsuits were the same style: a strapless fur-lined bikini with beach saddles, ear accessories, and tails on the back of the shorts. It appears this costume was based on Kasumi's Rabbit outfit from the Dead or Alive Xtreme sub-series.

Secondly, there was the "Premium Swimsuits" that was packaged with the Collectors Edition. This pack included a swimsuit for every female playable character, bar Alpha-152. The costumes designs were taken and improved from Dead or Alive Xtreme 2. Both of these DLC packs were later made available as paid DLC.

So far, five DLC costumes packs have been made avaliable for download with a sixth one planned for release December 2012.

Yosuke Hayashi has stated they will not be releasing any characters or stages as DLC, as Team Ninja views it as unfair to players who cannot afford to pay for the DLC and because it will make it harder to balance the game.

More Character Announcements After Release?

According to Tecmo Koei, there could be more character announcements after the game's release.

In an interview with Famitsu.com, Yousuke Hayashi said that the game has unannounced characters, as of August 20, 2012. Asked if these unannounced characters are from Dead or Alive or Virtua Fighter, Hayashi said that there may be some of each. Some characters have to be unlocked through play, so Hayashi feels that it's okay to not reveal all the characters in advance.

Hayashi has also stated that he would like more cameos in Dead or Alive 5 after launch, saying that his ideal cameo would be Ryo from Sega's 1999 adventure game Shenmue.

Voice Cast

Character	Japanese Actor	English Actor
Kasumi	Houko Kuwashima	Lauren Landa
Ayane	Wakana Yamazaki	Brittney Harvey
Hayate	Hikaru Midorikawa	Yuri Lowenthal
Ryu Hayabusa	Hideyuki Hori	Troy Baker
Helena Douglas	Yuka Koyama	Karen Strassman
Christie	Kotono Mitsuishi	Laura Bailey
La Mariposa	Maaya Sakamoto	Wendee Lee
Hitomi	Yui Horie	Eden Riegel
Bayman	Banjō Ginga	Matthew Mercer
Kokoro	Ayako Kawasumi	Heather Hogan-Watson
Jann Lee	Nobutoshi Canna	Kaiji Tang
Leifang	Yumi Tōma	Cassandra Morris
Tina Armstrong	Yūko Nagashima	Kate Higgins
Bass Armstrong	Kenta Miyake	Patrick Seitz
Zack	Bin Shimada	Keith Silverstein
Eliot	Junko Minagawa	David Vincent
Brad Wong	Unshō Ishizuka	Grant George
Rig	Hiroki Tōchi	Liam O'Brien
Mila	Ryoko Shiraishi	Lauren Landa
False Kasumi	Houko Kuwashima	Lauren Landa
Gen Fu	Chikao Ōtsuka	Kirk Thornton
Akira Yuki	Shinichirô Miki	N/A
Sarah Bryant	N/A	Lisle Wilkerson
Pai Chan	Minami Takayama	N/A
Alpha-152	Houko Kuwashima	Lauren Landa
Victor Donovan	Moriya Endo	Kirk Thornton
Muramasa	Bin Shimada	Uncredited
System Voice	N/A	Peter Garza

Reception

Before the game's release, Dead or Alive 5 was given the "Best of Fighters" award by the gaming blog Destructoid at Gamescom, hosted from August 15th - 19th, 2012 in Cologne, Germany. Gavin Mackenzie from X360 magazine ranked it number 3 on the list for "Top 10 Sexiest Games Coming Over 2012", just beaten by Lollipop Chainsaw and DmC: Devil May Cry.

So far Dead or Alive 5 has received positive reviews, with a lot of praise for its gameplay and visuals. Rochelle Hinds from Electronic Gaming Monthly stated "the resurgence and appreciation for [fighting games] has only happened recently with reboots or re-imaginings of cherished titles, and DOA5 is one of these reboots. More accurately, DOA5 is a rebirth."

In its first published review, Dead or Alive 5 received 9 out of 10 from four reviewers in the Japanese magazine Famitsu, giving it a grand total of 36 out of 40. The game is not far behind from Tekken Tag Tournament 2, another recently released fighter title, which got a 39 out of 40.

IGN Editor Vincent Ingenito gave Dead or Alive 5 a 8.8 out of ten, stating while the game is "more over the top than "Virtua Fighter", or less complex than "Tekken", he also said that Dead or Alive 5 is "the best entry in the series. It retains its identity as a fast-paced, visually stunning 3D fighter, while shedding much of the baggage that's typically held it back."'.

In a more critical review, GameSpot editor Maxwell McGee gave Dead or Alive 5 a 7.5 out of 10, praising the game for its "smooth animation" and "hard-hitting fighting mechanics" while criticizing its "poorly executed" practice mode.

Promotional Trailers

DEAD OR ALIVE 5 PRE-ALPHA GAMEPLAY (TGS 2011)

TGS 2011 Debut Trailer (1st Public Trailer)

DEAD OR ALIVE 5 PRE-ALPHA GAMEPLAY (FULL VERSION)

TGS 2011 Full Trailer (2nd Public Trailer)

Dead or Alive 5 GDC 2012 Vignette

GDC 2012 Play Movie (3rd Public Trailer)

Dead or Alive 5 Alpha Demo Vignette

Demo Play Movie (4th Public Trailer)

DEAD OR ALIVE 5 GAMEPLAY - HOT ZONE (CHRISTIE VS BAYMAN)

Hot Zone Play Video (5th Public Trailer)

DEAD OR ALIVE 5 GAMEPLAY - THE SHOW (LEIFANG VS ZACK)

The Show (Leifang vs Zack) (6th Public Trailer)

DEAD OR ALIVE 5 - E3 2012 TRAILER

E3 2012 Trailer (7th Public Trailer)

Dead or Alive 5 Fuel Vignette

Rig Debut Trailer (8th Public Trailer)

DEAD OR ALIVE 5 - TAG TEAM ACTION TRAILER

Tag Team Action Trailer (9th Public Trailer)

Dead or Alive 5 - 'Bunny Angels Trailer' English TRUE-HD QUALITY

Bunny Angels Trailer (10th Public Trailer)

Dead or Alive 5 - 'Bunny Angels Trailer' Japanese TRUE-HD QUALITY

Bunny Angels Trailer (11th Public Trailer)

Dead or Alive 5 Opening Declaration vignette

Opening Declaration Trailer (12th Public Trailer)

DEAD OR ALIVE 5 - MILA (NEW CHARACTER)

Mila (New Character) (13th Public Trailer)

Dead or Alive 5 launch trailer

Dead or Alive 5 Launch Trailer (14th Public Trailer)

Dead or Alive 5 Zach Island Stage Trailer

Zack Island Stage Trailer

DEAD OR ALIVE 5+ OFFICIAL TRAILER

Dead or Alive 5+ Official Trailer

Packaging Artwork

NA Release

PlayStation 3 JP Release

PlayStation 3 EU Release

Xbox 360 JP Release

Xbox 360 EU Release

Xbox 360 AS Release

Xbox 360 KO Release

Xbox 360 AU Release

PlayStation Vita NA Release

PlayStation Vita EU Release

PlayStation Vita JP Release

PlayStation Vita AU Release

PlayStation Vita AS Release

PlayStation Vita KO Release

PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita JP Crossplay Pack

See Also

• Achievements
• Costumes
• Fighter Quotes
• Merchandise
• Promotional Artwork and Wallpapers

Trivia

• Dead or Alive 5 is the first Dead or Alive game for the PlayStation 3, and the third title in the series for a Sony home console. It is also the fourth game in the series for any type of Sony platform. In addition, Dead or Alive 5 is the second main game of the series for the Xbox 360.
  • Dead or Alive 5+ will be fourth game in the series for a Sony platform, and the second versus-fighter for a handheld device, the first being Dead or Alive: Dimensions for the Nintendo 3DS. It will also be the fourth Dead or Alive title for a handheld; the first was Girls of DOA BlackJack for iOS and the second Dead or Alive Paradise for the PlayStation Portable.
• Due to negative fan reaction, Hitomi's Dead or Alive 5 design was changed. Most notably, her ears were made smaller and her face was made rounder. She is the only character to have to be changed from her first "final design".
• Ryu Hayabusa and Hayate were the first characters to be revealed, and Scramble was the first stage to be revealed.
• Due to a misprint, Kasumi was absent in the North American Xbox 360 version of the of the game's box art. This, however has been corrected in the final packaging of the game.
• Dead or Alive 5 is featured in a Guinness World Record - "The fastest defeat of a computer opponent in Dead or Alive 5 (Team Ninja, 2012)" was 10.61 seconds and was achieved by Phil Joseph at Hoxton Gallery, London, UK, on August 21, 2012.
• Jann Lee, Bass, Eliot, Kokoro, Leifang, Hitomi, Mila, and Tina are the only characters that participated in the fifth Dead or Alive Tournament.
  • Jann Lee arose as the winner, with Hitomi placing second and Bass placing third.
• Apart from the unlockable characters, Christie and Lisa are the only characters not to have their own chapter in the story mode. This may be due to their association with M.I.S.T., the antagonistic force of the game.
• Lisa and Zack have two different renders for two different costumes.
  • Lisa has a render for her main La Mariosa outfit and her unlockable black Lisa outfit. Zack has a render for his unlockable clown outfit and his main outfit.
• Lisa and Bass are the only characters to have another persona in the game depending on the costume they wear.
  • Lisa's persona is La Mariposa while Bass' is Mr. Strong.
• Dead or Alive 5 is the first game since the original Dead or Alive to not feature character theme songs.
  • Character themes can still be heard over the course of the story:
    • "Superstar" is the only theme that can be heard that originates from the original Dead or Alive.
    • "Vigaku" from Dead or Alive 2 can be heard.
    • "Monster", "Knifepoint" and "Trip" are the only Dead or Alive 3 themes in the game.
    • The Dead or Alive 4 themes "Mentor", "Purity", "I Feel For You", "Successor", "Zany Zapper", "Tribal Beats", "Moonlit Lady", " B-boy No "B" Remix", "The Wind Is Howling", "Shade", "Alpha - 152", and "Serpent Dance" are present.
    • Helena, Brad Wong, Hayabusa, Hitomi, and Leifang are the only returning characters who do not have a theme anywhere in the game.
    • Zack is the only character to have a new character theme in the game - Cheerful Buddhist Priest.
    • Tina and Alpha-152 are the only characters to have their Dead or Alive 4 themes return as stage themes.
• In the alpha demo, the lifebars were silver. The final release changed them to blue. In Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate they are changed again, to gold.

External Links

• Official website
• Official website (Plus)
• Official website (Ultimate)
• Wikipedia: Dead or Alive 5
• Facebook: Dead or Alive Game