But in my experience this happens at low-level DOA play as well.
When you watch pros play fighting games, it can seem like they're playing an entirely different game than you and it's solely because of the speed at which it's being played. And then of course if you're opponent tries to Throw you, just tell them to stop with a Strike.Īpart from the Triangle System, my other reason for loving the game is it's presentation. What if you do a Hold and miss? Well then you'll whiff/be exposed and get stuffed with a Strike or worse Thrown for much more, major damage. If it's a high attack you'll do Hold + Up/Back, if it's a low attack you'll do Hold + Down/Back, mid punch you'll do Hold + Back and lastly if it's a mid kick you'll do Hold + Forward. You can be in the middle of being comboed and if you can guess where the next attack is coming from, you'll want to perform a Hold. It follows a similar RPS system where "Holds" are basically parries.
Now Guards still beat Strikes (duh), but there's a new addition that makes it not so focused on the fundamentals. On a core design level it was obviously created in the wake of VF, but the end result is still a very different game: It's one of the few game designs that achieves that lofty goal of "easy to pick up, hard to master".ĭead or Alive is a bit different. But this affords the games a LOT of depth due to this approach. Atop of this it's just a three-button fighter (Punch, Kick & Guard). Strikes beat Throws, Throws beat Guards, Guards beat Strikes.
If you don't know, Virtua Fighter follow a simple Rock-Paper-Scissors system. I think the best way to explain DOA is to contrast it to VF. I just love the Triangle System! I get why some people say there's a "pureness" to Virtua Fighter, and I definitely like that about the game as well, but DOA takes it just a step further and it seems to be the perfect match of mechanical depth and complexity.Ĭore Gameplay Explanation (if you need it): But one game that did grab when I least expected it was Dead or Alive 6. I found something to like in games even if they overall didn't interest me. Last year in the midst of my fighting game marathon/renewed interest in the genre (spurred by SFV: CE) I played lots of different games both 2D/3D and old & new.