The New Standard In Fighting Games (Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution (PS2))

Member Name: Guile176

Product:	Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution (PS2)
Date:	19/09/03 (265 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gameplay, Depth, Graphics

Disadvantages: None

When Virtua Fighter 4 hit the PS2 last year, it not only became one of my favorite PS2 games, but my favorite fighting game of all time. It had everything from great graphics, to amazing depth and unparalleled AI. Not only did Sega blow away current VF fans with it, but it introduced many newcomers to the series as well. It even managed to get peoples attention away from Namco'sTekken series for the first time in the US. Needless to say, I was quite excited when Sega announced an update to VF4 called Virtua Fighter Evolution for the PS2.

So, how could Sega possible top, what many considered to be the perfect fighting game? Easy, they added 2 new characters, gave the existing ones new moves, added more costume parts for you to buy and earn, replaced the already amazing Kumite mode, with a superior Quest mode, and finally, they added an all new 10 year Anniversary mode.Then, to top it all off, they released it at a mere $20 as part of the "Greatest Hits" line. Yes, Sega is great indeed.

Ok, this is a fighting game, so you can't really expect much of a storyline. Each character has their own reasons for fighting. Take for example Lau. After the 3rd tournament, Lau found himself ill and near death. So now he enters yet again, in hopes of finding a successor to pass his fighting style down to.

As I mentioned, 2 new characters have been added to the roster. These characters are none other then an Italian kick boxer named Brad Burns, and a rather freaking looking judo fighter called Goh. While the character designs on them may look a little Tekken like and out of place, the fortunately play great. Brad is a speed demon with lots of great kicks at his disposal, while Goh is a grappler with a good arsenal of throws and grabs at his disposal. If you're a newbie to the series, I wouldn't advise you choosing Goh right away. Goh is a character designed with VF experts in mind. So, if you plan on using him, then prepare to
spend a good amount of time with him in the training mode.

Like I said, the older characters have been given some new moves. Sadly, some have also been taken away as well. Remember Jacky's strait kick, that was done by tapping forward twice, and then kick? Well, thats been replaced by a new kick which makes him leap forward.His down-back Lightning kick combo has also been replaced with a new punch combo. To be honest, I was pretty upset at first, with the removal of 2 of his best moves. However, once I began messing around with him more, I really didn't even care they were gone, since I feel he now plays better then ever.

The core gameplay of VFE remains the same as it was in previous VF titles. If you're new to the series, this means no 20 or 30 hit combos, no fireball or other projectile type moves, and no super-moves that make the screen flash with light and explosions. What you get here, is strait on, realistic martial arts action. This can either be a good, or a bad thing, depending on your taste in fighters. Whatever your taste though, I recommend ALL PS2 gamers give this game a try. Even if you never cared for the VF series in the past. You will simply not find a deeper fighting game out there.

Also, I would like to give a little word of advice to newbies to the series. Unless you plan on investing hours in the training mode from the get-go. Do not choose Akira as your first character to learn with. I've seen countless players pick this series up for the first time and try to start off with Akira. They figure he looks like Ryu from the Street Fighter series, so he must play like him. The truth is however, Akira not only plays nothing like Ryu, but he is also one of the toughest characters in the game to master. So, if you're just starting out, I would recommend you choose an easier character to learn, such as Jacky, Sarah or Lau. Once you start to learn them and get a feel for the game, then move on to a ha
rder to master character such as Akira.

Also, don't forget to go to the Training modes. Virtua Fighter Evolution has go to have the finest training modes I have ever seen. Not only does it go step by step through all your characters moves, but you can also learn exactly how to master all sorts of advanced commands and combinations. So unless you're already a VFE pro, you're going to want to invest alot of time in training to improve your skills. Don't think because you can mash buttons and beat a novice player or low level CPU opponent and win, you can do it against anyone. This game is definitely no button masher, and a good player will easily destroy a button mashing player in a few combos.

For extras, VFE is packed with them. Aside from the standard Arcade, Training, and VS modes, you also get an amazing Quest mode, which replaces the Kumite mode from the original VFE, In the Quest mode, you must choose your character, then take them from arcade to arcade to earn cash, prizes, higher character rankings, and other various goodies. Each arcade has its own player to compete against, and special rules. While 1 arcade may have 2 round matches that last 30 seconds, another may have 3 round matches with a 60 second limit. Each arcade also has its own requirements (such as beating an X amount of opponents etc...) for entering its tournament, and well as mini-quest. Once you enter and win a tournament, you will be awarded a prize, as well as the ability to travel
to the next arcade.

One of the coolest aspects of the game, is the ability to buy and win new accessories for your character. These accessories can be anything from new hair styles, to other cool objects such as sun glasses and hats. You can even buy new hair and eye color for your character. Not enough? Then you can also buy special video clips which show VFE arcade champions doing their stuff. Now initially, I ddidn'tthink much of these clips. That of cou
rse was until I took a good look at the players hands on the joystick and realized that they were only using 1 hand to play. Crazy stuff.

Remember the insane CPU AI from VF4Thankfully, Sega has kept it in. Never in my life have I seen better AI in a fighting game. Seriously, on some of the higher settings and mid way through the Quest mode, I really felt like I was playing a human opponent. This is especially nnoticeablein the Quest mode of the game, where different opponents using the same character will fight differently from each other. This stuff is just too cool, and proves why Sega's AM2 is one of the best developers out there.

Ok, the new characters and moves, accessories and Quest mode not enough for you? How about the new Anniversary mode? What is it you ask? Well, remember the original blocky as hell, flat shaded VFWell, its back, sorta. What Sega has done, is take all the old backgrounds from it, as well as the old character models, brought back the floaty jumping. They even redid the newer characters from the series like Goh and Vanessa. This has got to be one of the coolest extras i've ever seen in a video game, and something hard-core VF players like myself are sure to love.

Graphically, VFE is a slight step above the last game. Remember the ugly jaggies that plagued VF4? Well, you can kiss those goodbye now. Sega has not only got rid of them, but they have also modified them abit to give them a slightly different look from the last game. A few new ones have been added as well. However, the new ones aren't really all that good and seem a little tacked on.

Animation is still silky smooth, and runs at a solid 60 frames per second. The only real slowdown I notices, was at the beginning of each stage then the camera panned around and zoomed in. Its nothing major, and since it doesn't occur during actual gameplay, its nothing to really be worried about.

Sound is also essentially the same as it
was in the last game. That can either be a good, or a bad thing depending on if you liked it or not. The character voices are great, as is the familiar sound effects, and the soundtrack is rather impressive as well. Still, the music cannot compete with the music original VF on the Saturn. Also, I miss Jacky's "Fuuu" voice he used to have when he did a pounce attack in the first. Ha, thats just a minor gripe though.

Like the last game, the control in VFE is pretty much perfect. Its 3 button set up remains easy enough for novices to jump into, yet is deep enough for even the most hard-core fighting fan. I simply don't know how AM2 put so many moves into only 3 buttons and a D-pad. Anyway, it works, and it works well, so im not complaining.

Overall, if you own a PS1, and have any interest in fighting games whatsoever, then you need to own this game. And for those of you who already own VF4, and are unsure if its worth it to get this, then my advice would be to get it. First off, its only $20, and second, all the new extras make it well worth the purchase. I would have gladly paid $100 for this game. Its just simply that good. In my opinion, this is not only the greatest fighting game ever made, but the greatest game ever made. Thank you AM2, but I don't know how you're going to top this one, when VF5 rolls along. This is the new standard in fighting games on a home system.

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