Dead or Alive 6 Last Round review

With a brand new Dead or Alive game on the way, Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja have given Dead or Alive 6 a current-gen upgrade as a stop-gap. Honestly, I’m surprised its taken this long. Though when you take a close look at what’s on offer, there’s bound to be some disappointment.

Dead or Alive 6 Last Round is the definitive version of the fast-paced fighter, featuring all the modes found in the original game along with additional DLC characters, costumes and other extras. It finally has a photo mode, too, and the visuals have been spruced up a little so you can make better use of it. Though while it is definitive, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t aspects of this version that could have done with some more love.

Despite being a little prettier than it was on previous-gen console – and it is a nice-looking game on the whole – Dead or Alive 6 Last Round still looks a little dated in some regards. In fact, it can look downright ugly in Story Mode at times, with its pre-rendered videos seemingly not on the receiving end of any care or attention.

It’s those who like to fight online that will probably have the most issues with Dead or Alive 6 Last Round, however. For one, there’s no implementation of rollback netcode here. And to make matters worse, there’s no cross-play either. So, you’re stuck with just fighting against others who have purchased the game on the same platform. That’s not good for developing a healthy community.

It’s a shame, because the core fighting experience here remains very enjoyable indeed. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Dead or Alive series, thanks largely to its lightning-fast combat and innovative counter system. The latter is perhaps at its best here, resulting in exciting fights where the tables can quickly be turned. Ultimately, Dead or Alive 6 Last Round is the most engaging and rewarding entry in the series so far, and has plenty of modes for you to fight across including Time Attack, Survival, and a pretty hefty Quest mode.

Extras such as unlockable costumes for each character make this pretty good value for money compared to other fighting games currently available, too. And while it’s bothersome that there’s no upgrade path for those who own the previous version of the game, you can make use of certain DLC outfits that you might have purchased.

Dead or Alive 6 Last Round is missing some features you might expect, then, but it’s still a very enjoyable fighting game overall. If you plan to mostly make use of its single-player modes or don’t mind that its online community might not be quite as buoyant as that of other fighting games currently available, you’ll certainly get a lot out of it. In any case, with a free Core Fighters version available, it’s worth giving that a download to see how you get on with it.