It isn’t uncommon for fighting games to receive spruced-up and expanded editions to extend their longevity, but an updated version 20 years after the launch of the original title is relatively unheard of. The 13 years it took to release the first five mainline entries of Virtua Fighter could be squeezed again between the dates of Virtua Fighters 5’s 2006 arcade version and its most recent edition that arrives on Nintendo Switch 2.
With the Ultimate Showdown revival for the last core entry in the series being known as Virtua Fighter Esports in Japan, it is clear Sega is eager to follow in the footsteps of other major fighting games that are dominating the competitive online space. Virtua Fighter 5 REVO World Stage is the latest attempt to do just that, and after a release on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series systems last year, Nintendo Switch 2 players can now trade blows in this iconic franchise.
Widely known to be the first 3D fighting game, 1993’s Virtua Fighter paved the way for those that followed, with perhaps Dead or Alive being the series most obviously inspired by Yu Suzuki’s polygonal arcade hit. Anyone familiar with Koei Tecmo’s one-on-one battles will instantly recognise the three-button control scheme implemented in Virtua Fighter, which utilises a very simple triangle system.
Strikes will always beat throws, throws get the better of guards, while guards are the sure-fire way to defend a strike. Piece of cake, right? In theory, yes. Executing it is another story. Kicks, punches and guards are all assigned to specific inputs, and combining these will produce other moves, such as throws being unleashed when the punch and guard buttons are pressed at the same time.
Naturally, there is a necessity to understand exactly when to let loose with a kick or risk a throw, and learning the ins and outs will separate the rookies from the pros. Dead or Alive players will have an advantage here, but Virtua Fighter 5 REVO World Stage has a decent tutorial section designed to teach everything from basic movement to tricky combos, so nobody is going to be left behind.
From mix-ups and advantages to evasions and punishments, key terminology is explained through convenient battle tips, where players are encouraged to experiment with their combat style, but tutorials are also supportive so as to make sure newcomers take their time before moving onto the more technical aspects of gameplay.
Character-specific details are accessible to help get to know the styles and differences between each of the 19 playable fighters, and command training and repeatable combo sequences deliver handy means for grasping the particulars of each combatant, of which their unique abilities ensure there is someone for everybody. Jacky and Pai’s more basic movesets make them great starter characters, but even they have intricacies that can turn them into forces to be reckoned with.
Once the Virtua Fighter fundamentals have been embedded into the noggin, characters with more defined attributes can be trialled. For those happy to be on the backfoot and get a real thrill out of punishing button mashers and strikers, Aoi’s parry-based style is extremely satisfying to master. Putting foes on the defensive with the luchador El Blaze enables him to chain into highly damaging throws, making him a solid choice to deal with opponents that like to guard. Then there is the swift-footed Sarah, whose stance switches allow her to let kicks fly at a rapid pace; grapplers like the aforementioned El Blaze will have a tougher time against a good Sarah player.
Although there is a wide-ranging selection of fighters on offer, there is disappointment that the roster hasn’t been expanded by introducing new characters with Virtua Fighter 5 REVO World Stage’s release. Long-time fans will of course have their favourites, but at this juncture, at least one or two additions would have gone some way to making this feel like more than just another re-release. In fact, when looking at Virtua Fighter 5 R, this is the exact same line-up as the 2008 arcade title. It’s surprising that in all the revisions since then, not a single new fighter has been welcomed in.
To make matters worse, despite series boss character Dural being playable in Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown, she has subsequently been turned into downloadable content in the REVO World Stage iteration of the game. Not only that, but Dural isn’t able to be used in the single-player arcade mode, throwing up even more questions.
There doesn’t seem to be a great excuse as to why a character like Dural, and indeed a plethora of customisable items, have been locked out of the main game. It used to be that when later versions of a title were released, previous DLC would be included at minimum, but add-ons that were available for the PlayStation 4 release are still being kept separated for this Switch 2 version.
Given some of this DLC features soundtracks from previous Virtua Fighter games, it makes the lack of features in the base game like customisable stage music even more prominent. The hundreds of items to personalise costumes being tied to these packs reinforces this unfortunate situation.
What is new for this edition, though, is the title’s namesake World Stage mode. Despite many customisable items being hidden away through DLC, this is where tons of adornments and pieces of clothing can be unlocked, although full costumes are few and far between (there really should be more than the handful available). Strictly a single-player affair, World Stage plays out in a linear format, with players fighting their way through opponent after opponent, increasing their rank and fighting bosses along the way.
Foes are supposedly designed around the combat styles of renowned players in the Virtua Fighter competitive scene, with handles attached to each one that almost give the impression of fighting real online opponents. It is difficult to say with any certainty how accurate this all is, but it’s an interesting concept all the same, and there are some battles that seem to be more difficult to adapt to than others, even with a difficulty setting to adjust the challenge.
Hundreds of battles can be fought here, with a vast number of challenges to complete to gain access to the costume pieces available. Most of the requirements are simple, such as playing or winning a certain amount of matches with each character to escaping throws, inflicting mid attacks, and accumulating damage. There is a lot of busywork involved to check off every box.
Tournaments will show up after milestones are reached, where knockout-style events against CPU opponents must be gotten through to take home the top prize rewards, with each one getting progressively bigger and tougher.
World Stage is a grind-heavy distraction from the multiplayer-focused modes that are being pushed in this modern update of Virtua Fighter 5, and although it is a good means of testing out one’s own capabilities while unlocking garments and accessories, it doesn’t quite account for the lack of a story mode.
The arcade mode exists to offer a shorter burst of traditional solo play, but since that is startlingly lacking in any cutscenes or ending sequences, the World Stage mode fails to offer that small narrative fix. Fighting games will always be geared towards local and online multiplayer, but there are still many fans of the genre that love a good story mode, where a better understanding can be had of who these characters are and their personal plights can be learned about.
Interactions between opponents add a layer of depth to their personas, but it is distinctly lacking in Virtua Fighter. World Stage will be enough for many players as a long-term solo affair, but those after something that will offer any kind of insight into the combatants’ lives won’t find it here. Nor will they engage in bouts with unique gameplay conditions, such as what was exhibited in Soul Calibur II’s brilliant Weapon Master mode. Some variety in World Stage could have prevented it from becoming stale too quickly.
It is clear a lot of focus has gone into the online portion of Virtua Fighter 5 REVO World Stage, and despite a lack of opponents to fight prior to launch on Switch 2, this version promises a smoother experience due to the implementation of rollback netcode, as well as crossplay with other platforms, widening the pool of rivals that can be encountered in ranked and lobby matches.
The high degree of freedom for custom room matchplay settings shows off the intent with Virtua Fighter to carve out its own space in the competitive fighting world, and scheduled tournaments throughout the year will offer more reasons for players to keep getting back into the game.
Where the Nintendo Switch 2 edition falters is naturally in its graphical output. Thankfully, framerates appear consistent at 60 fps, with it being difficult to notice any drops in docked or handheld play, but the Dragon Engine from Yakuza developer Ryu ga Gotoku Studio that is used as the base for this re-do of Virtua Fighter 5 has meant tweaks were necessary to ensure gameplay speed stays intact.
The resolution takes a huge hit, especially when played portably. Even when battling on the TV, there is the appearance of a game that feels like it belongs on previous generation consoles, with character faces looking static, a blurry sheen overlayed on top of the screen, and a ghosting effect that rears its head throughout matches.
This is still a visually impressive game, and the vibrancy of stages helps to mask the flaws. The strengths of the Dragon Engine are apparent; it’s just a shame the Switch 2 struggles with it, needing to be on the receiving end of a big reduction in quality. The important aspect is indeed the framerate, though, so it can more easily be accepted if this is what it takes to keep gameplay smooth.
Despite the shortcomings, it’s great to see a series that has evaded Nintendo platforms for so long (forget Virtua Quest) finally seeing the light of day, allowing Switch 2 owners to experience yet another major fighting game franchise on the system, following the release of Street Fighter 6. The effort gone into getting a version running for the console must have been challenging, but it is safe to assume most Switch 2 players are okay with visual setbacks if they can receive high calibre releases like these.
Hopefully Virtua Fighter 5 REVO World Stage will perform well enough to convince other companies to bring their big names to the console, such as Koei Tecmo with Dead or Alive and Bandai Namco with Tekken. Until then, Switch 2 players now have another solid fighting game to engage with that stays true to its roots and doesn’t overcomplicate things. A welcome return for a beloved classic, even if there is a desire for more (story, costumes) from a single-player perspective.
