With its upcoming launch as a PlayStation Plus game in June, many people are wondering: what exactly is Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown? The original version of Virtua Fighter 5 came out almost 15 years ago, and yet here it is releasing as a new game on the PlayStation 4. So what exactly can players expect to get when they pick up Ultimate Showdown?
The best way to describe the game to people is as an enhanced preservation effort. The game is a reconstruction of Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown inside Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Dragon Engine, which was used for Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Because of this, the game also features overhauled high-definition graphics that run at a smooth 60 frames per second. The game is a faithful remaster, playing as Final Showdown did before it. The new engine and graphical changes highlight the fluid animations and smooth gameplay of the now aged title. This is also the first version of Virtua Fighter 5 to run natively on modern hardware.
The game includes a myriad of modes such as arcade, offline versus, and a suite of online modes. These online modes include room matches, ranked matches, and tournament modes. In particular, the tournament mode is expanded from Final Showdown, including the ability to create in-game brackets and round robins. These online modes include robust spectator options. The wealth of modes also includes training, which has both free training and a mode to run through various combos and different attacks. This combo training is available to familiarize players with every member of the game’s roster. There is also a tutorial included alongside this mode, which together are meant to provide players a place to learn and practice the game’s mechanics.
Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown delivers the gameplay of Final Showdown with a new coat of paint and a wealth of new online features. This reconstructed port brings the game to a new generation of hardware and players. The game provides a wealth of modes for both online and offline players and those who wish to play with friends, strangers, or even by themselves. You can check out the trailer here.
Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown Will Release on PlayStation 4 on June 1st, 2021.
