If you’re a fan of fighting games, then Virtua Fighter should be familiar to you. After all, it has long been recognized to be the first 3D fighting game. The latest version is Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown which arrives exclusively on PlayStation 4 today.
This is actually an enhanced remake of Virtua Fighter 5 announced in last year’s Tokyo Game Show 2020 Online. In addition to updated graphics, it offers many new things like new background music, a new user interface, and even a new opening cinematic.
Sega Chief Producer Seiji Aoki revealed that Virtua Fighter holds a special place in Sega’s history. Despite being the first in the genre, it has remained a bit strong especially with its balanced combat, strategic depth, and realistic martial arts.
Introducing to a New Generation
The first Virtua Fighter game was released in 1993 while Virtua Fighter 5 launched in 2006. That means there’s a new generation of players out there who hadn’t seen the game, much less played it.
Aoki added that when Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown was eventually released in 2012, it represented the height of the franchise. Regardless, there was a need to overhaul the game.
By making use of Dragon Engine Technology, Aoki said that they were able to upgrade the look and feel of the game. And because of the different changes to visuals, there was a need to introduce a new opening cinematic, which is what Sega did. With several new things incorporated, Aoki went on to say that they ended up composing new background music for each stage in the game.
Even with different changes, Aoki assured gamers that they made sure this version moves the game forward to a new generation and not just a revival of a retro game.
Online Features
Besides the overhaul, Aoki revealed that they understood the importance of online competitive play. To make this happen, new online functionality was added to give players the chance to prove themselves against some of the world’s best fighters. Players can therefore expect new tournaments and round-robin-style League Matches. There are even private rooms that can support a maximum of 16 players.
So what do you think? Excited to try out the game?
