Virtua Fighter 5

• Faster, Smoother, more fluid feeling.
• Great looking: 1080p. New animations make even fighters with similar styles feel different. Gives them character. Lau spin kicks with his hands behind his back, arrogant bastard.
• It’s Virtua Fighter: Balance and depth; it’s all back.

I had a chance to play this latest version of the original 3D fighter at GameWorks, one of the last arcades, and it is sweet. The fighting feels a lot smoother than previous versions; I think because of the new character animations. For example, Pai’s “P P P K” move looks a lot more natural now, with open handed jabs and a more fluid, follow-up, spin kick. Check out the gameplay footage at the bottom to see what I’m talking about.

Really though, the videos at Gametrailers.com don’t do the graphics justice. Think much clearer, brighter, and bigger. The game is stunning running on the arcade machine screens, and the PS3 version’s running at 1080p. Whether on not that matters is up to you and your TV though.

One of the main reasons I bought a PS3 was for Virtua Fighter 5, so no offense to the 360 owners, but I was a bit upset when exclusivity of the title was lost. It’s all good though. At least now I only have to wait a couple more weeks before I can get my hands on it.