Every Major Video Game Of Q1 2019 - Ranked

9. Dead Or Alive 6

Ever since Namco and Capcom started playing all nice with their Tekken and Street Fighter franchises, we've seen a cross-pollination of special moves going back and forth. Now every major fighter has a special meter they can expend for more visually stunning attacks, alongside affecting offensive and defensive specials, or even one-off finishers.

Dead or Alive 6 then, aims to play catchup. In are Fatal Rushes and a Break Gauge, the former being a one button combo that almost acts as a 'win move' on the first two difficulties, and the latter fills over time if you're on the receiving end of various attacks, adding additional moves and damage to the Fatal Rush itself.

Also in are visual flourishes that show off key attacks during a bout, but the real meat of the game is vintage Dead or Alive. A lot of the newer features can feel like set dressing - especially when various characters like Kasumi or Ryu Hayabusa are still busting out the same attack animations with the exact same timing windows as back on DOA 2 at the launch of the PS2 - but if you want more DOA, it's there in spades.

Hopefully for DOA 7, Koei Tecmo will lean far more into the sorts of mentalities they're experimenting with here, and not another $90 season pass (yes, really).