How else could you describe Electonic Gaming Monthly's review of Dead or Alive 4? I just picked up this month's issue and was quite surprised at the review. It got a 7.0, 6.5 and another 6.5 from three different reviewers (out of a possible 10). Now I'm not saying that DOA4 is the best 360 game out there (or best game period across the board), but it does stun me a little that a game that has gotten consistent reviews of 8.0 or higher from other reviewers would do so badly in the eyes of EGM. Here are some other review scores:
IGN: 9/10
Gamespot: 8.8/10
Gamespy: 4/5
Gamepro: 5/5
Etc. and so forth...(Although Eurogamer gave it a 6/10) From the review it seemed that their biggest issues were with the lag during online play and too much boob action. Um...Have they never played a DOA game before? Quite frankly, I don't really even notice all the boob juggling (there's plenty to be had) and that doesn't bother me so much anyway (I have some of my own, so maybe I'm just used to seeing them). There have been a couple of "laggies" during online matches but, at least in my case, it's over in a couple of seconds and I hardly notice it. Plus, any lags I have encountered have not stopped gameplay...it was just in slow motion for a few seconds.
Here are some of their points:
Shane: "Whether or not you'll go gaga over DOA4 depends largely opon how serious you are about the fighting genre (and partially on how much you enjoy boobs). If you're someone who simply wants to boot up a game, mash some buttons, and watch the wickedly painful moves flow out with minimal effort, you'll have a rollicking good time here. But if, like me, you're the dedicated sort who enjoys the intense, strategic depth of defensively minded games like Virtua Fighter and Soul Calibur, you'll probably tire of this sugar-sweet dalliance in a few days."
Interesting...From what I've heard from hardcore fighting gamers, this version of DOA is based largely on how strategic you are and though button mashers (a la me) can have fun with the game and progress, they find their virtual butts being kicked before long (Damn you Alpha 152!!!). Many have said that the cut in time to counter makes this game more fitted for gamers that like to use skill to beat their opponents rather than "mash some buttons".
Demian: "This game is a beautiful mess...But, like Shane, I expect a deep fighter that rewards strategy and skill. DOA4 is definitely not that kind of game."
Since each character has between 70-100 different combos available, this confuses me.
Che: "Yet DOA4 is undeniably fun, and you'd almost overlook these quirks if the game didn't suffer from some serious bugs, be it the hopelessly lag-laden Xbox Live play or the glitch that erases your saved game at random."
I guess I'm one of the lucky ones...My online matches haven't been "hopelessly lag-laden" and I've never had my game saves erased. *knock 360 wood* I think all of these are valid issues, but I don't know that it's to the extreme extent as this review would lead someone thinking of trying DOA4 to believe.
I guess this is why I am not a professional game reviewer. Although they had some good things to say, being a DOA4 player myself, I didn't see or experience what they apparently did....Oh well, live and learn I suppose...
