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TGS 06: Virtua Figher 5 Hands-On
We brawl on the PlayStation 3 with Sega's new fighter, which features some very impressive visuals and gameplay that feels great on first impression.

TOKYO--One of the playable PlayStation 3 titles on the TGS show floor is Sega's upcoming conversion of its respected arcade title, Virtua Figher 5. The latest entry in the venerable fighting series is coming to the PS3, now that it's hit the arcades in Japan after a lengthy beta test. The work-in-progress version of the game on display at the show represents a small sampling of what the final game will offer but is a snazzy showcase for the game's refined fighting system and the nascent power of Sony's upcoming console.

The playable version of the game offers two game modes to sample, arcade and versus. The arcade mode includes the entire game's roster of fighters and lets you punch and kick your way through a short series of three fights against a random assortment of fighters on assorted backgrounds. The versus mode lets you take on a human opponent and lets you choose any of the available stages.

For those lucky enough to have played the arcade game, which sadly has yet to see release in the US, the PlayStation 3 version of the game at TGS offers a faithful re-creation of that version. The game handles well on the PlayStation 3 controller but we have to say that we're very taken with the arcade stick Sega is prepping for release in tandem with the game next year. The game again makes use of a three button system (punch, kick, and guard) that you'll use in varying combinations in tandem with directional inputs on the D pad or arcade stick. This simple control scheme should nonetheless carry a great deal of depth.

The fifth entry in the series offers up a refinement of the finely tuned combat system that has been evolving since the original game was released over 10 years ago. The deep fighting system has been made a bit more accessible than previous entries thanks to a streamling that's resulted in a more intuitive feel for its low level play. Though we're still getting used to the various nuances in VF5, we're very pleased with the faster pace and overall tight feel of the combat.

While all the VF fans out there are primarily concerned with all the various changes to the gameplay, we reckon a hefty chunk of folks are just wondering how the game looks on the PlayStation 3. For the record, the game was running on monitors at 720p and looked stunning. Despite the playable game's incomplete state, the visuals are nearly on par with the arcade game. We had the chance to try several fights with a handful of our favorite fighters, including Aoi, Kage, Pai, Lau, Sarah, Shun Di, and Jeffry, as well as newcomers El Blaze and Eileen. Those characters, as well as those we didn't select but fought against, featured a high level of detail and an outstanding depth of color. The animation is as fluid as it is in the arcade. We noticed some variances in texture quality but it didn't seem like anything too dramatic. All the characters sport a sleeker look that continues to refine the more realistic makeover the roster has received since VF4 and VF4 Evo. Some characters, like Lau, reflect the passage of time since the last entries in the series.

As far as the environments go, the arenas offered an impressive amount of variety of open spaces and more enclosed locales with walls. One of the nice touches we dug was the number of stages that reimagined classic VF stages, such as Shun Di's VF2 raft stage and Jeffry's increasingly elaborate island stage. The frame rate in the game held up quite well and only showed very minor inconsistencies.

Based on what we played, VF5 is shaping up to be an impressive entry in this excellent fighting series that upholds a fine tradition of tight combat and sleek visuals. The game appears to be a good fit for the PlayStation 3 and serves as a solid showcase for what developers can do as they slowly tap its power. Look for more on VF5 in the months to come. The game is currently slated to ship in spring of 2007.

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Virtua Fighter 5 date punched out
Sega announces ship date for PlayStation 3 fighter in North America as February 20; brawler will be launch title for European PS3 debut.

The PlayStation 3 looks to fill the traditional-fighting-game-genre void left over from its lineup of launch games early next year with the release of Virtua Fighter 5--that part gamers knew. What PS3 owners didn't know was exactly when that hole would be filled.

Sega today finally revealed when the PS3 gets it punch on by announcing the game's official release date. Virtua Fighter 5 will ship to North American retailers on February 20. The game will also be part of the European PS3 launch's lineup when the console is released in that region in March.

VF5 offers 17 characters--two of which are new--and the option to customize an extra character. By pummeling opponents in the various arenas, gamers will gain in-game money that can be used to purchase accessories for their fighters.

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