Dead or Alive 5

THE BUZZ: Team Ninja has decided to reveal a bit more about the upcoming Dead or Alive 5 via five new screenshots.

EGM’s TAKE: Dead or Alive has been an interesting series for me. Sometimes I’ve loved it, sometimes I’ve been lukewarm on it—yet no matter what, it’s always held some level of appeal to me.

I’m really curious about Dead of Alive 5 for a number of reasons, one of which can be clearly seen in these screenshots: The new art style. I’m expecting this point to be very mixed among fans, but I’ve got to say I’m really digging the new look DOA5 is bringing along with it. In previous chapters of the series, characters had a more toy-like look to them—to the point that some people jokingly claimed the females in the game looked like realdolls.

It was an art style that I could appreciate for its uniqueness, but which I also wasn’t sure I was a fan of. Here, the characters seem to have a more gritty, realistic look to them—and while sometimes I bemoan such a switch in character design, here I totally support it.

My favorite DOA fighter was Hitomi, and from these shots, I think she’s looking great under this new style. Yes, big ears and all–they’re cute!