PS4 and Xbone owners anxious for a little Team Ninja action don’t have much longer to wait; Dead or Alive 5 is getting a fresh port for Sony and Microsoft’s current and last-gen hardware in spring 2015 in Dead or Alive 5 Last Round.
In a desperate bid to compete with Capcom’s tradition of releasing every game they make in six bazillion variations Tecmo KOEI is bringing Team Ninja’s last Dead or Alive title out on consoles in a third updated re-release (technically fourth, if you count the PS Vita’s DoA 5+.)
What does Last Round bring to the table to separate it from 2013’s Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate? For one thing, Last Round will be the series premier on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and with that transition to new hardware comes updated graphics. If rumors are to be believed then Team Ninja has done more than just a resolution boost, sharpening textures and overhauling many characters’ animations to make better use of the newest hardware on the market. Speculation abounds that Last Round will run at 1080p and 60hz on the PS4 and Xbone, and given the game’s roots on the last generation of hardware such a feat wouldn’t be impossible.
That’s not the only trick Dead or Alive 5 Last Round is hiding up its billowy sleeves, though. Also joining the fight is a small collection of new fighters, including a selection of characters making their way over from the Virtua Fighter series, as well as a bevy or two of new character customization options, giving Last Round the deepest customization and largest roster of any game in the Dead or Alive series to date. As an added bonus, downloadable content from Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate can even be transferred up to Last Round, meaning that players who have already invested hours into getting just the right ninja mask for Ryu need not worry about losing their hard-earned (or purchased) goods.
Dead or Alive 5 Last Round will be hitting store shelves some time in spring 2015 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with pricing expected to be around $39.99. Owners of Sony and Microsoft’s older hardware need not go without, however, as both the Xbox 360 and PS3 will also receive versions of DoA 5’s latest iteration, exclusively as a downloadable title, priced at around $29.99.