Virtua Fighter 5

The Virtua Fighter games have always been the most hardcore of all beat-'em-ups. The complexity of the fighting system is leagues beyond the likes of Tekken, Soul Calibur or Dead or Alive, but - a little ironically - that complexity has long been a weakness outside of Japan's arcades. Virtua Fighter 5 goes beyond "depth;" where Soul Calibur is almost immediately accessible and fun even for button-mashers, Virtua Fighter is simply too complicated for the average gamer to ever sink in to. In » Read Full Virtua Fighter 5 preview

Before you launch into this preview, don't miss our EXCLUSIVE developer video interview or our tour of the most competitive Virtua Fighter 5 arcade in Tokyo - click here. Get informed! By now, PlayStation 3 gamers have had their hands on the superb Virtua Fighter 5 for over two months - and we can attest, it's a fantastic fighter on that platform. Guess what? The first glimpses we've had of the 360 version, thanks to a trip to developer AM2's headquarters in Tokyo, suggest that the game is » Read Full Virtua Fighter 5 preview

Hardcore. Its a word thats thrown around too easily nowadays; applied to everything from the outrageously crazy to enthusiastic pastry consumption. Truth is, very few things in life are actually that hardcore - but Virtua Fighter is one of them. While DOA focuses more on curves than combos and Tekken happily disguises its lack of depth with flashy pyrotechnics and oddball characters, VF has continued to hone and develop the most painstakingly in-depth fisticuffs youll find » Read Full Virtua Fighter 5 preview

Much like the Winning Eleven series, there are two ways to play Virtua Fighter games. Theres the “casual” post-bar, fight-it-out-with-a-friend kind of way, and then theres the slavish, almost scientific approach - fueled by the sort of devotion thats made the series so hugely popular in Japanese arcades. For those who prefer option one, Virtua Fighter 5 wont disappoint. On the surface, its definitely a next-gen game, with hyper-detailed looks not so different from the stunning » Read Full Virtua Fighter 5 preview