Opprinnelig skrevet av IGN
Camera Mode Confirmed for DOA4
Plus, downloads and gameplay bits revealed.
by Anoop Gantayat
August 1, 2005 - Famitsu Xbox might as well call itself Famitsu Dead or Alive, as every issue is packed full of the best Dead or Alive coverage on the planet. The magazine's September issue has cover featuring newcomer Kokoro sporting a bathing suit like she's ready for DOAX2. Inside, the magazine has four pages of Dead or Alive 4 coverage, plus a two page DOA interview with Team Ninja leader Tomonobu Itagaki.
The magazine reveals details on some of the changes that Itagaki has promised for the fighting system. DOA4 uses a different hold system. Characters how have individual holds, with Team Ninja also working to revive the offensive hold system, giving characters holds similar to Leon's Mount Tackle and Jann Lee's Dragon Gunner from DOA3. As an example of the hold system, Itagaki reveals that Dead or Alive 4's Lei Fan has a total of fourteen holds!
According to Itagaki, the fighting system in Dead or Alive 4 is meant to be based off of Dead or Alive ++, which, out of all the DOA games, he likes the most. Overall, the game is meant to be more offensive, and it even includes adjustments to the series' reversal system. Characters, on the whole, will be more personable in their moves, with ninjas, for instance, using ninja arts. This is actually an area of the game that was shown in the trailer, which had Kasumi running across a wall.
How different a gameplay experience can we expect from the title? Itagaki reveals that he recently got a chance to use the new Kasumi in a test fight. The character feels so different that he wasn't sure it was Kasumi.
In addition to these gameplay modifications, Team Ninja is working on new modes of play. A cameraman mode, which was previously hinted at by Itagaki, will actually make it into the game. You'll be able to set your shutter speed in order to simulate some of the blur effects you'll be seeing in the next set of shots that Team Ninja will make public (currently, you'll have to check out Famitsu or Famitsu Xbox for these shots). The blur effect is something that won't be a part of the game when you're fighting, apparently because it would be too difficult to actually play.
In terms of content, Itagaki has previously revealed that we can expect at least twenty playable fighters in the game. This tally includes all old characters, who will make a return for the title. According to Famitsu Xbox's count, that comes to seventeen old characters, which means that if the "at least" part of Itagaki's promise holds true, we can count on seeing more than just three new characters in the game.
Itagaki also reveals some surprises in terms of downloads. With the game scheduled for release simultaneously with the X360 later this year, preparing the massive number of costumes found in Dead or Alive Ultimate would be impossible. Itagaki suggests that we can expect somewhere around 10 or so costumes per character, but Team Ninja is also hoping to add downloadable costumes in the future. Creating costumes is a bit more challenging for the team this time around, as character clothing has to move realistically now.
It seems that Team Ninja has at last gotten their hands on the Xbox 360 beat development kits. Pointing to specific effects, Itagaki states that the game's mist and fog effects are currently midway through development, and what we see of those effects come December will be different.
Team Ninja is also working away at clothing and hair simulations for the game. Regarding hair, the team has been able to model a large amount of hair pieces for long-haired characters (not individual strands, Itagaki reveals, but still a significant amount). Clothing simulation is currently in beta form, so we can expect something even more advanced from what was shown in the trailer.
Dead or Alive 4 is still due for simultaneous launch with the Xbox 360 in Japan later this year.