Virtua Fighter 5 [Next-Gen] Preview

[fitbabits]

Eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net) has posted a preview of the next installment of the popular Virtua Fighter series. More details here (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=62673).

It's hard to explain to someone who doesn't talk the language why the new changes to the system in Virtua Fighter 5 are so exciting. To the outsider all that can be seen are prettier graphics, new characters, new backgrounds and new moves. So what? Every fighting game has these in abundance. Hell, some fighting games even throw in things like character creation and different game modes that don't even involve one-on-one fighting. Puzzle modes! Yeah, that's value for money.

..........

The bad news, though, is that Sega has announced that it has no plans to develop an Xbox 360 version, making it a probable PS3 exclusive.
I rememeber seeing and playing the first VF in a laundromat and I was blown away at the time. I hope I experience a similar feeeling when I get my hands on this.

[Vandenh]

VF5 runs on a PC board...Pity they didn't do more with it in the graphics department.

Please take not that EG is extremely anti-Xbox.... as long as Sega has confirmed nothing this could come to any platform (PC would be an obvious port).

[ECM]

Please take not that EG is extremely anti-Xbox.... as long as Sega has confirmed nothing this could come to any platform (PC would be an obvious port).

Also note that Sega (and even Peter Moore of MS) have said that the game isn't currently planned for 360, so they weren't pulling that comment out of their hindquarters.

[Vandenh]

>Also note that Sega (and even Peter Moore of MS) have said that the game isn't currently planned for 360

The game isn't officially planned for *any* next gen console. Also Sega said in last Famitsu they wanted to bring Virtua games to the XBox. Anyway... doesn't matter ;) We will find out in a few months anyway.

[bjornbarspingvinen]

VF2 was awesome, VF3 was good too, but I hope for a VF revival with number 5. :)

[Reanimated]

Where did Eurogamer get this "announcement"?

The latest Famitsu says that Sega is currently "evaluating the possibility" of bringing VF to Xbox 360... which tells me that they're still waiting for money hats. If there's one thing that MS has, it's money hats.

[bapenguin]

yah, VF2 was definitely the pinnacle of the series.

[Vandenh]

>Where did Eurogamer get this "announcement"?

I am very reluctant to quote EG these days. Before the "real next gen" joke, I used to love their reviews and articles. These days they are a former shadow of themselves, with an amazing ability to write totally f*cked up news items.

[fitbabits]

Where did Eurogamer get this "announcement"?

The latest Famitsu says that Sega is currently "evaluating the possibility" of bringing VF to Xbox 360... which tells me that they're still waiting for money hats. If there's one thing that MS has, it's money hats.
You could ask them. :)

[Reanimated]

I don't read EG all that much, but what I HAVE seen of them would lead me to believe that they're more like Spong than a legitimate gaming news site, like say, Gamespot or something.

They seriously need to cough up this "announcement", because it directly contradicts what Sega says in the latest Famitsu.

[Cubfan]

I wouldn't compare them to Spong, they are a much better site. With that said, they aren't big fans of the Xbox or the 360, so if you're an Xbox/360 fan, I wouldn't recommend frequenting EG.

[Morratut]

Mmmm i've never got into the whole VF series. I had VF2 on my Saturn and remember it being very fast.

The screens on EG don't do anything for the game either. They look like Model 3 shots. Need bigger screens and movies.

[jacktion]

Do you guys think that fighting games won't jump to the next level until the fighting animations go procedural? As long as they are using pre-scripted animations for each blow it will not look or play right. They need to make it so your character swings dynamically at a specific part of the body and does it on the fly relative to where the enemy is. Plus body inertia moving forward or backward will affect the punch's force. As long as they are trying to link together animation loops it is going to be lame.

[Balthasar]

It's probably a bit too early to be criticizing the graphical quality of a game not yet ported over to a system that may or may not be finalized (that was a mouthful), but the skin texture in the first screenshot makes Akira look like a plastic doll. I've noticed this issue in a few 360 titles as well, which worries me. I hope this is not going to be a constant issue, because it's very disctracting.

[fitbabits]

Do you guys think that fighting games won't jump to the next level until the fighting animations go procedural? As long as they are using pre-scripted animations for each blow it will not look or play right. They need to make it so your character swings dynamically at a specific part of the body and does it on the fly relative to where the enemy is. Plus body inertia moving forward or backward will affect the punch's force. As long as they are trying to link together animation loops it is going to be lame.
That's a good point. I can't think of one fighting series that's improved in a major way from one generation to the next.

[Balthasar]

That's a good point. I can't think of one fighting series that's improved in a major way from one generation to the next.
I feel like I read an article somewhere about an established fighting game franchise going to procedural animation for the next in their series. Can't remember which, and can't remember where. Anyone know if something like that is on the horizon for any fighting games?

[SMES]

I never got into VF, but the games are so innexpensive that I've been thinking about picking one up. Glancing over the reviews, it looks like VF4 and VF4-Evo got about the same reviews. I see that Evo was released more recently, is it actually better in every way? Or are there some improvements and some things that are worse?

I'd like to start with the best version to see if I enjoy it, and even though VF2 was listed by bap as the best, I don't want to track down a Saturn ;)

[fitbabits]

I never got into VF, but the games are so innexpensive that I've been thinking about picking one up. Glancing over the reviews, it looks like VF4 and VF4-Evo got about the same reviews. I see that Evo was released more recently, is it actually better in every way? Or are there some improvements and some things that are worse?

I'd like to start with the best version to see if I enjoy it, and even though VF2 was listed by bap as the best, I don't want to track down a Saturn ;)
Get VF4-Evo - it has a bunch of added content:

Prepare for the evolution of fighting genre as Sega's best-selling game sets an upgrade. Stakes are raised as players throw-down against aggressive, highly-tuned A.I. opponents modeled after top players from the arcades in Japan. New, exceptionally detailed arenas showcase enhanced graphics that are fully optimized for the PlayStation 2. In addition to the new modes, moves, and two new fighters, you can customize your character with 1500+ new costume items - more than double last year's release.

[AzN.Homeboy]

VF2 could arguably be considered the pinnacle of the series (I still love my VF4:Evo), but that's the arcade version. Not the Saturn port (which was decent, but suffered in graphical terms, most notably the frame rate).

[Hellstorm]

If you are going to get a PS3 or Rev, expect the bulk of Sega games on those systems. If you have a 360... well the Rev is only what? $299? :D

[fitbabits]

If you are going to get a PS3 or Rev, expect the bulk of Sega games on those systems. If you have a 360... well the Rev is only what? $299? :D
Does Condemned count? :)

I've heard that Nintendo are offering their stinky, small Revolution for download over Xbox Live Arcade - the whole shebang! You can send off an empty matchbox if you want the whole system, though, and not just the software/OS. :rolleyes:

[bapenguin]

It's probably a bit too early to be criticizing the graphical quality of a game not yet ported over to a system that may or may not be finalized (that was a mouthful), but the skin texture in the first screenshot makes Akira look like a plastic doll. I've noticed this issue in a few 360 titles as well, which worries me. I hope this is not going to be a constant issue, because it's very disctracting.

Check out NBA2k6 or the Fight Night 3 demo. Amazing texture/lighting work in both these games that don't make characters look plasticy or shiny.

[Mr. Lake]

I can hopefully see some sort of Virtua Fighter "Anthology" to be released at some point. Maybe do to VF what they're doing to Sonic.

[fitbabits]

Check out NBA2k6 or the Fight Night 3 demo. Amazing texture/lighting work in both these games that don't make characters look plasticy or shiny.
You beat me to it, bapenguin! I was going to mention NBA 2K6 (on 360) as well as an example of great skin modelling and texture.

[RMan]

I feel like I read an article somewhere about an established fighting game franchise going to procedural animation for the next in their series.
Unfortunately, this would be robbing peter to pay paul. Although this would make the animations look cooler and more varied in some cases, not to mention insanely difficult to impliment in an effective way, it would also cause moves to be less reliable (if used for gameplay relevant animations). In the end, as long as you’re using the standard digital control scheme the 1vs1 fighting game has pretty much run it’s course, you’ll see them get more fun, but the core gameplay is not likely to change or improve much.

[captainspankypants]

I'm still waiting for a fighting game that feels natural and easy. The genre has been pretty much hardcore-only for years now. I mean, I love martial arts films and watching kung fu in general, so I would love to be able to play something that evokes that same feeling. But when I pick up a Virtua Fighter or Tekken controller, I feel like I'm trying to fly a helicopter with no training. My character stutters along with pathetic little one-two shots and then gets his head smashed into the ground by his opponent, and I don't feel as if I had any say in the outcome.

The way that combos are handled just doesn't seem natural or logical at all. I never had that problem in Street Fighter II. Occasionally there's a Bushido Blade or something that really seems to flow easily. If you're a hardcore fighting game player, what I'm saying probably doesn't make much sense. I guess you guys could think of it like this: Imagine playing the latest Tekken or Virtua Fighter using a computer keyboard, where each letter is an individual attack or movement. That's how I feel.

Obviously, fighting games just "aren't my thing," and if I played nonstop for months eventually I'd memorize the movesets and combos for every character and it would all be cool. But why does it have to be that way? Why can't I just pick up a game and play and have fun, and maybe hand a controller to my girlfriend who never plays fighters and play a game with her that's fun without months upon months of training? What if I don't get any enjoyment out of training as long and as hard as a real life blackbelt in karate?

Pointing out the differences between the newest Virtua Fighter, Tekken, and Dead or Alive game is about as meaningful as pointing out the differences between a Blackhawk and a Chinook. Either way, that helicopter is going to crash and burn with me at the controls.

[fitbabits]

I'm still waiting for a fighting game that feels natural and easy. The genre has been pretty much hardcore-only for years now. I mean, I love martial arts films and watching kung fu in general, so I would love to be able to play something that evokes that same feeling. But when I pick up a Virtua Fighter or Tekken controller, I feel like I'm trying to fly a helicopter with no training. My character stutters along with pathetic little one-two shots and then gets his head smashed into the ground by his opponent, and I don't feel as if I had any say in the outcome.

The way that combos are handled just doesn't seem natural or logical at all. I never had that problem in Street Fighter II. Occasionally there's a Bushido Blade or something that really seems to flow easily. If you're a hardcore fighting game player, what I'm saying probably doesn't make much sense. I guess you guys could think of it like this: Imagine playing the latest Tekken or Virtua Fighter using a computer keyboard, where each letter is an individual attack or movement. That's how I feel.

Obviously, fighting games just "aren't my thing," and if I played nonstop for months eventually I'd memorize the movesets and combos for every character and it would all be cool. But why does it have to be that way? Why can't I just pick up a game and play and have fun, and maybe hand a controller to my girlfriend who never plays fighters and play a game with her that's fun without months upon months of training? What if I don't get any enjoyment out of training as long and as hard as a real life blackbelt in karate?

Pointing out the differences between the newest Virtua Fighter, Tekken, and Dead or Alive game is about as meaningful as pointing out the differences between a Blackhawk and a Chinook. Either way, that helicopter is going to crash and burn with me at the controls.
I found the fighting engines in Breakdown (Xbox), Riddick (Xbox & PC) and Condemned (Xbox 360) to be more 'realistic' and easier to grasp. The one thing those three games have in common is perspective - they are all first-person. Maybe that's the key?

[Salamande]

Do you guys think that fighting games won't jump to the next level until the fighting animations go procedural? As long as they are using pre-scripted animations for each blow it will not look or play right. They need to make it so your character swings dynamically at a specific part of the body and does it on the fly relative to where the enemy is. Plus body inertia moving forward or backward will affect the punch's force. As long as they are trying to link together animation loops it is going to be lame.
If you do that, you take away precision. Fighting games these days live or die on frame data and knowing exactly what's going to happen when you do this against an opponent doing that. Using procedural animation might make everything look more realistic, but I think it might remove some of the strategy that players look for.

[captainspankypants]

If you do that, you take away precision. Fighting games these days live or die on frame data and knowing exactly what's going to happen when you do this against an opponent doing that. Using procedural animation might make everything look more realistic, but I think it might remove some of the strategy that players look for.
It would also make it more like a real fight. You never know exactly what's going to happen in a fight, which is why something like professional boxing is popular as a spectator sport. Throw in varied (destructible) environments in places like abandoned factories, a forest, and an office complete with cubicles to really fuck with your attacks and I'm for it 100%.

I think fighting games need to get away from the reliance on precision and frame counting and such. That's what limits them to the hardcore.

[RMan]

I think fighting games need to get away from the reliance on precision and frame counting and such. That's what limits them to the hardcore.
I think you want the well implimented boxing game that'd better come out on the Revolution or I'm punching people in the face :).

[TheEpicOfTyler]

This game doesn't look next gen.

[AzN.Homeboy]

This preview is pretty crappy. It has a couple really low quality screenshots and less info than this 3 month old Kikizo preview.

http://games.kikizo.com/news/200511/127_p1.asp

[Sensei-X]

I hope it's still very early because the player models currently look ugly and plastic as can be, yuck!

[mister_slim]

Pointing out the differences between the newest Virtua Fighter, Tekken, and Dead or Alive game is about as meaningful as pointing out the differences between a Blackhawk and a Chinook. Either way, that helicopter is going to crash and burn with me at the controls.
Have you tried Soul Calibur? It's probably the most intuitive of the 3D fighters. Combos tend to be shorter, and depend more on rhythm and movement direction than button memorization.

[Balthasar]

Have you tried Soul Calibur? It's probably the most intuitive of the 3D fighters. Combos tend to be shorter, and depend more on rhythm and movement direction than button memorization.
I've always felt from the first time I played Tekken that it's combo system was very intuitive. Perhaps that's more a product of my experience than the game.