Dead or Alive 4

 Xbox 360
  • Publisher: Tecmo
  • Release Date: Dec 29, 2005
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 259 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 195 out of 259
  2. Mixed: 37 out of 259
  3. Negative: 27 out of 259
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  1. Jay
    Jan 3, 2006
    5
    The graphics are very good. The game play is not so good. All this game does is hit you with combos until you die. It either traps you against a wall or keeps you in the air until you are dead. No real style and if the game starts the combos thing, it's over. If you start get hit with combos, your character stops responding. No blocking , no hitting back, no moving, nothing. Oh... The graphics are very good. The game play is not so good. All this game does is hit you with combos until you die. It either traps you against a wall or keeps you in the air until you are dead. No real style and if the game starts the combos thing, it's over. If you start get hit with combos, your character stops responding. No blocking , no hitting back, no moving, nothing. Oh... and the damage to your character (per punch) is much greater than the damage from your punch to the AI character. Big differnce. Once again Team Ninja has produce another pretty game that substitutes graphics and unreasonable difficulty (cheating in my book) for original gameplay.… Expand
  2. MarcD.
    Mar 26, 2006
    6
    The game looks gorgeous. Not in the photo-realistic sense...but, if you like your anime style characters to fight in a lush colourful environment...this game is right up your alley. Sadly...the meat of the game itself...was lacking. I was simply not impressed. Have had a lot more fun with the Tekken, Virtua Fighter and Soul Calibur series of games. Disappointing.
  3. JereRinne
    Apr 15, 2007
    5
    Well the game is brilliant, the System is good, graphics are great, BUT Temco HAD to make game so annoying ai that it costs a new conroller per week if you play it. It can make anyone so rageous that household gets new look in no-time. badest is that the AI players can do anything in snap, they respond everything at inhuman speed and percise, and story/time-attack allwys stays stuck inWell the game is brilliant, the System is good, graphics are great, BUT Temco HAD to make game so annoying ai that it costs a new conroller per week if you play it. It can make anyone so rageous that household gets new look in no-time. badest is that the AI players can do anything in snap, they respond everything at inhuman speed and percise, and story/time-attack allwys stays stuck in middle and last opponent, For some weird freaking supernatural Hitting speed. At time, ive ALMOST destroyed a tv, One 1000-paged book to my head, friend Destroyed one controller because i won him 3 imes, and friend won 11 times, My arms hurt for he will to hit first thing that comes into way when playing any 1P mode. The system is way too complex to do EVERYTHING in blink of an eye, all grabs and hrows i made have been success only because it was an accident. And if you try to still get back on your feet after 13-hit combo that ai makes, you can doubt the fact you ket KO:d in instant second you get up.

    IF temco is gonna make DOA5, then they should think twice to make game that only annoys people, it would be fun if it REALLY would have so-great defence system what they say in backcover - infact, you can´t defend at all. Lose the putton for millsecond, and youre ko:d, again. thanks a lot team ninja, for giving more pain!    … Expand
  4. AdamB.
    Jul 12, 2006
    6
    The computer AI is impossibly frustrating. The real enjoyment comes from the game's online play, and offline multiplayer, where human players don't have the ability to predict moves two milliseconds after your press the button combo. How well a player will do directly relates to how well and quickly they can counter, giving the game a sort of one-dimensional quality. Although The computer AI is impossibly frustrating. The real enjoyment comes from the game's online play, and offline multiplayer, where human players don't have the ability to predict moves two milliseconds after your press the button combo. How well a player will do directly relates to how well and quickly they can counter, giving the game a sort of one-dimensional quality. Although the graphics and sound are superb, they could have easily been done on previous generation systems; ironically, the most next-gen graphics appear in the pre-rendered end videos. Unless you are a DOA fan or enjoy extremely challenging, near-impossible games, I'd skip this one.… Expand
  5. Brandon
    Jan 9, 2006
    5
    Game looks amazing , plays well against friends , but the single palyer modes are just terrible . blocking system is garbage and so is the counter system against the computer .
  6. GaborA.
    Dec 30, 2005
    5
    Major Halo 2 syndrome aka better graphics worse game. Its not a complete button basher but has taken a handful of steps in that direction and not one fluke from the last one was fixed. Huge dissapointment.
  7. KelR.
    Jan 9, 2006
    5
    This game is way over-rated, it was barely better than DOA3, just because of online multiplayer. How about those crazy endings to each fighter? they were obviously made for the japanese because they made no sense and were cheesy. I need more in a game than big bouncy breasts... I also agree with brandon that the countering system was damn near impossible. Yet, what takes the cake is the This game is way over-rated, it was barely better than DOA3, just because of online multiplayer. How about those crazy endings to each fighter? they were obviously made for the japanese because they made no sense and were cheesy. I need more in a game than big bouncy breasts... I also agree with brandon that the countering system was damn near impossible. Yet, what takes the cake is the pitiful ending character. This game is weak, and yes I did beat it in about a day.… Expand
  8. AnthonyV.
    Jun 9, 2006
    7
    The only way to appreciate this game and have legitimate fun with it is to invite people over your house and play it that way. And make sure you know how to actually play this game and make sure your friends do as well, otherwise your experience will be horribly uneven. This game is NOT friendly to newer players - seasoned vets can throw, counter, juggle, cancel, dodge and mega-combo The only way to appreciate this game and have legitimate fun with it is to invite people over your house and play it that way. And make sure you know how to actually play this game and make sure your friends do as well, otherwise your experience will be horribly uneven. This game is NOT friendly to newer players - seasoned vets can throw, counter, juggle, cancel, dodge and mega-combo their opponets into bloody oblivion and reduce newer players into whiny invalids like no other fighting game out there. Worse, the well-documented online problems are downright dealbreakers and the single-player Story Mode is an unbalanced, uneven nightmare with terrible AI and one of the most poorly-utilized and unapologetically CHEAP boss characters in videogame history second only to Tekken 5's Jinpachi Mishima. Consider yourself warned.… Expand
  9. WyattG
    Oct 28, 2007
    7
    This game came with my 360 as part of a package deal, and under normal circumstances it is not the type of game I would buy. So what's to like about the game ? The fighting is intense, the number of moves each fighter can do is incredible, the sound is great, the graphics are top notch, and the huge variety of modes you can play in is a real credit to the developers....so why 7 out ofThis game came with my 360 as part of a package deal, and under normal circumstances it is not the type of game I would buy. So what's to like about the game ? The fighting is intense, the number of moves each fighter can do is incredible, the sound is great, the graphics are top notch, and the huge variety of modes you can play in is a real credit to the developers....so why 7 out of 10 ?...Well to be really good at the game you have to be able to remember not only a large number of different moves that each fighter can do, but also the ridiculously long button combinations that are required to pull off some of the moves. I have enough trouble remembering the password at my local video store let alone having to remember the correct sequence of 10 buttons to pull off a special kick or punch ! Of course you can just mindlessly bash buttons and that will get the job done in many cases, but in story mode you will really need to learn some special moves if you are to beat every fighter. I will admit though, when you beat a fighter that you have lost 20 times in a row to you can't but help to yell out in delight (that's if you haven't thrown the controller through the tv or had to put it down because the blisters on your hands are starting to really hurt). To me the real value of this game has been when I have had people over and you can play 2 player versus mode. The fact that it is easy to play and the matches are quick, means that in a group of people you can share the controllers around which makes everyone feel involved.… Expand
  10. TomH.
    Dec 30, 2005
    6
    Decent, but mostly shiny. Rent to impress, but won't last you long.
  11. Caestus
    Mar 8, 2013
    7
    Maybe the greatest trademark of the series is the hot babes, that are in lol. But it is a fast paced action fighting game, which relies on your reflexes, also. But the DOA Series had their best moments with the second installement.
  12. Sressiv
    Mar 5, 2018
    7
    Good fighting game. Pretty tough at times. It has a deep and engaging fighting system. You can jump right in and play, but this game is difficult to master. The battles are finished quickly, though. You can't help but notice how good the environments look, certainly impressive for the time that it released! It definitely still holds up today.
  13. TUGW
    Apr 8, 2023
    7
    Skip to any other Dead or Alive game over this one if you just wat single player. The extremely scripted and automated I.A is trash. This is not a great challenge when the I.A can counter 90% of the time oven when your attack does no connect. If you can play it Online or Local with a friend it can be a fun experience. Any other DOA game is far more balanced when it comes to I.A, and can beSkip to any other Dead or Alive game over this one if you just wat single player. The extremely scripted and automated I.A is trash. This is not a great challenge when the I.A can counter 90% of the time oven when your attack does no connect. If you can play it Online or Local with a friend it can be a fun experience. Any other DOA game is far more balanced when it comes to I.A, and can be beaten without you resorting to cheap tactics just to see the endings; that for the most part are irrelevant to the story. I see this one as the weakest in the series.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2005
3
#3 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2005
11
#11 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 76 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 64 out of 76
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 76
  3. Negative: 0 out of 76
  1. GamePro
    100
    If looks could kill, DOA4 would be called Murderer's Row. This game is beautiful; even while you're beating the tar out of your opponent, you'll notice that your surroundings are among the finest you've seen in any fighting game... Hands down the best installment in the series. [Jan 2006, p.38]
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  2. IGN
    90
    The counter system is less forgiving and will definitely challenge fans of the series, especially those fond of DOA3. This affects every other area of the game. The harder characters to master are even more powerful now, and there is more of a ground game, in addition to careful use of the backgrounds.
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  3. 1UP
    90
    It's still "just" a fighting game, albeit an incredibly polished and finessed fighting game, but it won't open your eyes to things you've never seen before. It will bring the fighting game community together, however, thanks to its online functionality, and that's a good thing.
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