Dead or Alive 3

Though Dead or Alive 3 doesn't revolutionise the fighting genre, it does offer a great gaming experience and its graphics easily surpass every other fighting game on the market--on any system.

There are eight modes of play in DOA3, including Story mode, Team Battle, Tag Battle and Sparring mode. The latter mode is customisable and is a nice way for new players to learn how to play the game, while Story mode lets you take one of the 16 available characters through a series of matches, culminating in a fight against the über -powerful Omega. Once you defeat Omega, a short movie specific to your charaue is laughable) but the end-movies are pretty cool and it's fun playing through the game as each of the characters.

The real meat of the game, though, is its combat, and DOA3 delivers in spades. Each character has specific attacks--such as Zack's Devil Elbow or Bass Armstrong's Stun Gun Chop--and once you get the moves down, the entire affair can unfold like a carefully choreographed ballet with combatants blocking blows, counter attacking and landing devastating punch-and-kick combos. Adding to the game's appeal are the massive and detailed multi-level arenas (which were introduced in DOA2), where a precise kick or punch can send a combatant plummeting through the air down to the arena's next level.

It's obvious that DOA3 was designed to be a showcase for the Xbox's graphical prowess and it shows--the game's graphics are awesome. The character models look amazing and feature highly detailed clothing and accessories, and the animations are extremely smooth. The environments are also outstanding, and feature lots of little touches such as fluttering leaves, snow-covered ground that can be torn up during the course of a fight, great-looking water and superb background structures. So while DOA3 doesn't rewrite the rules of the fighting genre, its great graphics and intense fighting--especially in multiplayer--make for an enjoyable gaming experience. --William Harms

Developed for the Xbox, Dead or Alive 3 boasts a host of new characters, lighting effects, interactive environments, muscle and clothing movement, and more. Choose from a line-up of new and returning characters and engage in frenzied fighting. Enhanced movie sequences deliver John-Woo-style slow-motion effects. Multi-tiered settings also let you explore multiple areas within a level. Up to four players can battle it out, while the single player mode offers a variety of challenging levels.

Returning favourites include Kasumi and Lei-Fang or play as newcomers Hitomi, Christie, and Brad, as you test your skills in 16 unique fighting environments. Choose from more than 13 different fighting styles, including Karate and Zui Ba Xian Quan (Eight Spirits Drunken Fist). Environments feature destructible scenery and varied terrains, such as mountains and sand. Its redesigned costume system, updated tactical reversals, and all-new air-throws take this title's fighting engine to the next level. Dead or Alive 3 also takes full advantage of the powerful Xbox platform to offer character models and a physics engine that delivers a stunning degree of realism. Dramatic lighting, shadows, and reflections heighten the realism, while subtle water effects animate puddles, ponds, and oceans with incredible detail.

Dead or Alive 3 offers a host of new features, including new characters, lighting effects, muscle and clothing movement, interactive environments and more. Players can choose from a variety of new and returning characters to engage in hours upon hours of frenzied fighting. Up to four players can battle it out in multiplayer mode while single-player mode offers many expansive levels to explore.Dead or Alive 3 boasts the most expansive fighting environments ever created. Multi-tiered settings enable challengers to move throughout multiple areas within a specific level. Interactive environments feature destructible scenery that adds to the action. Varying terrain such as mountains, slopes, and sand dramatically affect gameplay. A realistic physics engine and life-like character models provide a stunning degree of realism. State-of-the-art clothing and muscle animation bring vivid detail to each encounter. Dramatic lighting, shadows and reflections work together to create a compellingly realistic experience. Revolutionary water effects seen in puddles, ponds and oceans enhance already jaw-dropping gameplay environments. New characters such as Hitomi and Christie square up against old favorites like Kasumi, Lei-Fang and more. New costumes, moves and reversals take the deep fighting engine to the next level. Improved story mode immerses players in a compelling story told through enhanced cinematic movie sequences. Up to four players can battle it out in an intense multi-player mode. Intriguing multiple game endings present a powerful game finale that changes with each character.