Dead or Alive 6 Last Round

Team Ninja's accessible and explosive fighting action is back in a sort of remaster/expanded version that goes beyond the limitations of the previous generation to fully realize the developer's vision. Even with more fighters, Last Round needed more content, but it remains a lot of fun.

With the most interesting new content coming mostly down the line, Dead or Alive 6 Last Round is difficult to fully judge at launch. It looks and plays great, so it should tide over fans as they wait for the seventh entry in the fighting game franchise. However, it’s hard not to be somewhat underwhelmed by most of the levels not supporting the new lighting engine and crossover DLC characters not coming with the base game.

Dead or Alive 6: Last Round is a strong fighter that features a wonderful triangle system, adding an extra layer of depth to battles. Although the story mode lacks the focus and structure of its peers, it makes up for this with the wealth of content on offer. The training mode is particularly impressive, offering clear insight into mechanics and combos for both newcomers and veterans. Fights are tight and fluid, thanks in part to the strong animation, although its age does show, particularly in the texture work. With a free-to-play option available, it’s certainly worth checking out, but it doesn’t quite manage to compete with its biggest rivals when you step into the arena.

Dead or Alive 6: Last Round is more of a promise than anything, as it lacks certain features for a fighting game to thrive in this day and age. While the depth of its core gameplay and noticeable upgrades to its visuals and performance are certainly present, it doesn’t offer any significant gameplay changes since its last update in 2020, aside from added cosmetics for a select few and a new Photo Mode. Players will simply have to wait and see if Koei Tecmo is genuine in its intention to reignite the franchise, as updates will be drip-fed from here on out.

Dead or Alive 6 Last Round is still a fun fighting game. The combat is fast, the roster is better than before and the new Photo Mode is a great little addition for fans of the series. If you never played Dead or Alive 6 before, this is easily the best version to start with. For returning players, it’s a lot harder to recommend. The new costumes and Photo Mode are nice, but not enough to make this feel like a huge upgrade. The lack of crossplay is disappointing, and the game still carries some of the same problems as before. Dead or Alive 6 Last Round is a better version of a good fighter, but not the perfect final round it could have been.

Dead or Alive 6 Last Round gives Team Ninja’s underrated fighter a second chance with a larger roster, current-gen availability, and a welcome new Photo Mode. While the combat remains fast, flashy, and deeply satisfying, the rerelease stops short of being the definitive edition fans hoped for, hampered by lingering monetization baggage and a lack of meaningful modern upgrades. It's an imperfect package, but the core fighting experience is still one of the most entertaining 3D fighters available.

Dead or Alive 6 Last Round is the definitive version of Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja's fast-paced fighter, but there are some aspects of it that are a little disappointing, such as low quality story scenes and a lack of cross-play.

Dead or Alive 6 is still fun, but in its current state Last Round feels more like an expensive update that brings very little new content rather than a true revival of the series.

Taken on its own, Dead or Alive 6: Last Round is still a solid fighting game. The adjustments to the core combat system improve accessibility without sacrificing depth for more advanced players. The roster is strong, especially now that previous DLC characters are included, but customization feels noticeably thin once DLC costumes are set aside. However, the requirement to repurchase characters like Kula and Mai, combined with the lack of meaningful presentation upgrades beyond a single reworked stage, makes this feel like a minor and somewhat underwhelming revision, especially given how long players have waited. If you're new to the series and enjoy fighting games, DoA6 is still worth a look. For anyone who has already invested significant time in the original release, there's little incentive to return unless future updates expand the lighting improvements across more stages or introduce a substantial wave of new characters.

Dead or Alive 6 Last Round is bringing back the dormant franchise with its hands empty and its mouth full of promises, instead of unleashing the hidden potential DOA6 has.