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Beyond the fight
I have to give a special nod to the lobby system, which to date, is one of the coolest additions to grace an online fighter. Upon entering a lobby, you can choose to be a spectator or jump right into the action. By default, you can communicate with other online competitors via the 360 headset, but occasions will arise when your only option is through transmitting text messages which can be likened to the communication system in Phantasy Star Online. Players can purchase different avatars to distinguish themselves from other players. Competing in matches and successfully winning subsequent battles will net you monetary bonuses that will allow you to purchase new lobbies, expand your accessorizing campaign or even purchase new outfits (a godsend to those who find it too difficult to obtain via the single-player challenges.) It goes without saying that the multiplayer truly is the heart and soul of DOA4 and missing out on it would just be a disservice to owning the game.
I'd discuss the sound effects in detail, but by now, everyone should know Team Ninja definitely represents to the fullest in this department. As for the music, well... quite frankly, many of you probably aren't going to bother listening to the original soundtrack anyways. To its credit, the selection isn't half bad, especially if you dig the hard rock type of beats. For me, they weren't quite as memorable as the selection in DOA3, which I actually loved immensely and often listen to on occasion. Thankfully for those that desire a more pleasant soundtrack can import their own custom playlist while playing online or off.
Not quite perfect
So all this enthusiastic gushing and no complaints? Not exactly. Anyone who's familiar with online fighters can tell you to expect occasional latency issues, but I'd have to say in DOA4, it's beyond anything I've ever seen before. Usually when I come across lag, it's not as bad and ugly -- though in this case -- it truly baffles the mind. I am talking serious slowdown that's capable of hindering any consecutive inputs you made. It's especially annoying when players enter and leave a lobby, which tends to make the session grind to a halt and ultimately piss off all the participants in the room. Wi-fi users typically seem to be the worst offenders and can spare the online community a lot of needless headaches by simply hooking up the 360 directly to their routers. Believe me, we'll all love you for it.
Aside from inexplicable lockups that randomly occur from routine actions like pressing the Xbox Guide button, there's also a save glitch affecting players randomly that will wipe out all your save data. Yeah... um, patches, please? Finally, the endings for what (possibly) is supposed to conclude the entire saga of DOATEC, Kasumi's mission, etc. still left me looking for answers. The final ending was cool, but hearing Aerosmith in the background made me a sad panda. Team Ninja was a lot more daring with the soft porn nuances (Leifang bursting out from a train ride gone awry? Ok, sure). And can anyone please explain to me what's with the Kasumi mermaid sequence? At least Ryu's ending sequence was impressive. I'll probably get flamed some for this, but anyone that wants to see how to craft a real storyline that players will cherish and love need only to check out something like Tekken 5.
You have to fight
So to wrap this up, if you're a fan, get out there and pick this up. As for newcomers, don't be scurred – the game is relatively simple, accessible and downright fun. If you want to revel in digital beatdowns, you can't go wrong with Dead or Alive 4.
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