Virtua Fighter 4

Game industry News (GiN) ( )

VF4 returns to the golden age of 3D fighters, when all that matters was intensely deep gameplay based on a simplistic control scheme. Now although I am giving this title the 5 Gem rating it surely deserves, this doesn't mean that Sega is forgiven for what they have done. They still have a long way to go to earn my forgiveness.

The Video Game Critic (A)

While VF4's graphics take a backseat to its outstanding gameplay, this game still sports some of the finest visuals you'll see on your PS2. The arenas that let you fight in snow or shallow water look amazing. My favorite stage features Greek ruins and a raging thunderstorm, with lightning toppling sections of the huge monuments. Virtua Fighter 4 is outstanding in every way, and its sets a new high water mark for fighting games.

UOL Jogos ( )

Virtua Fighter 4 é um dos mais profundos, mais completos e mais gratificantes jogos do estilo. É também um dos mais frustrantes para quem não está disposto a investir seu tempo nele. Mas como ele oferece todas as ferramentas para servir de Sensei para o lutador dedicado, ele faz valer cada centavo de seu preço - afinal, essas pessoas gastarão DIAS destrinchando essa pérola.

PSX Extreme (9.8 out of 10)

To conclude, I will re-instate what I said earlier. Virtua Fighter 4 is arguably the best fighting game of all time. It's been since Soul Calibur that I've praised a fighting game this much, and not since Street Fighter 2 Turbo have I been addicted to a fighting game this much. Virtua Fighter 4 has conquered my expectations and has shaped up to be one of my all time favorite fighters. I admit to being a fan of the series, but I've never really herald it as much as I am now. It's not only the best looking fighter on the market, but it's the most intuitive, well-crafted and deepest. I can only imagine how Soul Calibur 2 and Tekken 4 will turn out. Virtua Fighter 4 will be ready to hit shelves in the middle of March. Get your pre-orders ready, because this is a game you do NOT want to miss out on.

GameSpy (95 out of 100)

We definitely wouldn't recommend you rent this title. We'd suggest you cancel all important social activity (unless it revolves around this game), choose Lei Fei, and spend the next four weeks perfecting him in Training and Kumite modes, while ordering your friends to do the same (but with different characters), before a grand master's challenge is announced. In an age where $50 is continuously forked out for games that last ten hours, the infinite replayability of VF4 is a breath of fresh air in the stale atmosphere of disposable gaming. It has the replayability of Grand Theft Auto 3, the attention to detail of Gran Turismo 3, and the deep fighting fun of Virtua Fighter 2. Virtua Fighter 4 is unbelievably good.

Game Critics (9.5 out of 10)

Nary a negative thing can be said about this game. If anything, the AI mode takes up valuable memory that couldve been used for more rewards in Kumite mode. The game is a gorgeous and perfectly balanced game where no fighter is better than another is. Kumite mode helps define this game as purely skill-driven, but its simplistic controls make it accessible to anybody. More than any other game, Virtua Fighter 4 lives up to its "simulator" label by exemplifying the struggles of a martial artist through its depth and addictive Kumite mode. Its inhibition in violence and gimmickry sharply contrasts the far-reaching depths of its gameplay.

Fragland.net (94 out of 100)

I could go on and on about how great Virtua Fighter 4 is and how it sets the next step for fighting games, but I don't want to bore you to death with my everlasting sentences so I'm going to conclude with the following : Virtua Fighter 4 IS martial arts while other games TRY.

IGN (9.3 out of 10)

Once you're done with that, we can look forward to the most interesting year there's ever been as far as 3D fighting goes, with three major franchises entering the ring in the space of perhaps eight months. Despite all the options available, I meant what I said at the beginning -- you should be playing this. Even if you've never been a partisan of the series (and even though it may not convert you, this still being very distinctly the child of its obvious parents), give it a look and find out what you might have been missing.

GameSpot (9.3 out of 10)

You can't tell right off the bat, but Virtua Fighter 4 is the best fighting game in years. Even if you've never liked the Virtua Fighter series before--and there's a reasonable chance that's the case, considering the series has never taken off in the US like it has in Japan--you should still give Virtua Fighter 4 a try. The quicker pacing, the perfected controls, and the great-looking character designs, along with the outstanding AI and the unparalleled gameplay depth, make this a fighting game that just about everyone will agree on.

Gamesmania.de (91 out of 100)

Virtua Fighter 4 ist endlich mal wieder ein Spiel dem man in jeder Hinsicht die Liebe zum Detail anmerkt. Ganz gleich ob man den perfekt ausgearbeiteten Trainingsmodus oder die innovative Idee der KI-Kämpfer zu Grunde legt - Virtua Fighter ist und bleibt der Genrekönig und stellt die komplette Konkurrenz konsolenübergreifend in den Schatten!

Netjak (9.1 out of 10)

Soul Calibur has moved on in my world. Virtua Fighter 4 has moved in next door and I am coveting my neighbor until I am sore. My eyes hurt, my fingers are cramped weekly, and my butt is asleep 4 hours a day. But there is motivation, young Reader-san, and it involves the High Emperor. Even if you are a casual fighting game player, you owe it to yourself for this in-depth gameplay and hours and hours of reaching different Ranks. So fight and be merry.

SEGA-Portal.de (9 out of 10)

Zum ersten Mal erscheint Virtua Fighter nicht für eine SEGA Konsole. Doch auch auf einer PlayStation 2 reiht es sich sogleich zu den besten Spielen des Beat´em Genres ein. Nicht nur, dass hier ein super Spiel abgeliefert wird, welches nicht auf die Button-Smasher-Taktik (wie die meisten seiner Mitbewerber) zielt, nein - es wird mit dem K.I. System noch ein völlig neuartiges Spielvergnügen integriert. So heißt es nicht nur Prügeln: prügeln lassen ist nun die Devise. Zwar nerven in den Modi rund um K.I. gegebenenfalls die ständigen Ladezeiten vor, nach und während der Gestaltung des Charakters, jedoch kann man über solch kleine negativ auffallende Dinge gern hinweg sehen. Denn der Spielspaß stimmt, auch wenn es viel Übung und Training bedarf, bis man seinen Lieblingskämpfer so perfekt wie möglich beherrscht! Nicht umsonst gehört Virtua Fighter seit jeher zu den besten Beat´em Ups überhaupt!!!

GamersMark (9 out of 10)

Fighting games are indeed making a comeback. So far we have seen the Incredibly lacking DOA3, and the somewhat appealing Tekken Tag Tournament. Now we have Virtua Fighter 4, the game that places the crown on Sega as one of the best developers out there. Only time will tell if Tekken 4 has what it takes to knock this one down. So out with the reigning Soul Calibur and in with Virtua Fighter 4.

Jeuxvideo.com (18 out of 20)

Pour son premier passage sur PS2, VF4 marque un très grand coup et devrait facilement conquérir les joueurs encore non initiés au phénomène Virtua Fighter. En dehors de la qualité de sa réalisation et du charisme de ses personnages, le jeu mise principalement son intérêt sur l'aspect technique du gameplay et la profondeur du jeu. Voilà une série qui n'a pas fini de faire parler d'elle, surtout quand on sait qu'un certain Virtua Fighter Quest est d'ores et déjà prévu sur GameCube.

Gamereactor (Sweden) (9 out of 10)

Vore det inte för de små brister som spelet ändå har i form av att det är svårt att röra sig i djupled, lite väl enkel grafik på sina håll och liknande petitesser hade detta varit en i det närmaste fullpottare. Nu blir det "bara" ett mycket högt betyg för det första Virtua Fighter som AM2 släppt för hemmabruk på en konsol som inte är från Sega. Och även om de verkligt inbitna lär fortsätta att hävda Virtua Fighter 2 som det bästa Virtua Fighter så är detta fortfarande ruskigt bra, och alla med minsta intresse för fighting som erbjuder ett tuggmotstånd utöver det vanliga bör omedelbart springa och handla!

Level 7 (9 out of 10)

Med hög kvalité rakt igenom grafik, spelkänsla och varaktighet är Virtua Fighter 4 det bästa fightingspelet som finns för närvarande. Ett givet köp för alla som gillar fighting.

Peliplaneetta.net (90 out of 100)

Mutta silti tämäkään ei muuta sitä tosiasiaa, että Virtua Fighter 4 on huippupeli. Toisin kuin keskimääräistä turpiin vaan ja onnea -pläjäystä joka ratsastaa hienoilla grafiikoilla tai älyttömillä komboilla, sitä jaksaa oikeasti pelata myös nähtyään n+1 variaatiota teemasta. Eikä siihen tarvita edes mitään bonusta hyvälle pelisarjalle tai tinkimättömälle kehitystiimille.

SegaFan.com (8.9 out of 10)

Finalmente comentar que no soy muy partidario de poner notas a los juegos, sobre todo teniendo una obra maestra entre manos, pero las normas son las normas...

Gamezone (Germany) (89 out of 100)

Virtua Fighter 4 ist ein mehr als würdiger Nachfolger der bekannten Prügel-Serie. Die Grafik ist trotz ihrer PS2-speziefischen Mankos immer noch sehr ansehnlich und das sehr ausgefeilte Kampfsystem bietet auch für echte Profis eine anständige Langzeitmotivation. Gerade im Verglich zu "Dead or Alive 3" merkt man wie viele kampftechnische Details in diesem Spiel stecken. Für Prügelfans und solche die es werden wollen ein absoluter Pflichtkauf!

4Players.de (89 out of 100)

Lange haben wir überlegt, ob Virtua Fighter 4 den Award verdient hat. Dass wir uns letzten Endes dagegen entschieden haben, liegt vor allem an zwei Punkten: das fehlende Anti-Aliasing, das die schöne Grafik vollkommen unnötig nach unten zieht und die hin und wieder auftauchenden Frust-Phasen im ansonsten hervorragenden Kumite-Modus. Und auch der Sound ist nicht unbedingt hitverdächtig. In allen anderen Bereichen kann Virtua Fighter 4 jedoch auf ganzer Linie abräumen, selbst wenn es mit 13 Kämpfern vergleichsweise wenige Charaktere vorweisen kann. Die Steuerung passt optimal und bietet sowohl Anfängern als auch Fortgeschrittenen und Profis eine gute Kontrolle über die unzähligen Kombos. Trotz kleinerer Mankos übernimmt Virtua Fighter 4 den PS2-Prügelspiel-Thron und blickt dem im Laufe des Jahres folgenden Zweikampf mit Tekken 4 gelassen entgegen.

Gaming Target (8.7 out of 10)

Virtua Fighter 4 is a very deep fighting game that is extremely well put together. I mentioned the jagged edges and faded colors before, but that is merely due to the PS2 hardware, and simply cannot be avoided. However, to be able to pull these kinds of visuals from the PS2 is proof that Sega are among the best programmers and game writers in the world. While this game may turn off the general public due to its incredibly tight and deep fighting engine, VF4 has a lot to offer. Easy to pick up and play, but at the same time difficult to master. I’ve been a VF player since VF1, and I still don’t have all the moves worked out. This game isn’t for everyone, of course nothing is. However, if you are a Virtua Fighter fan, this may be the reason you were waiting for to pick up a PS2 if you haven’t already done so.

Computer Bild Spiele (1.96 out of 6)

Leider trübt starkes Kantenflimmern den sonst durchgehend erfreulichen optischen Eindruck. Doch was soll’s: Das Kampfsystem von Virtua Fighter gilt nicht umsonst als unübertroffen realistisch und ausgefeilt. Nur mit etlichen Übungsstunden, einem schnellen Auge und noch schnelleren Fingern bringen Sie es zum unschlagbaren Kumite-Meister. Doch mit diesem „guten“ Spiel vergeht die Trainingszeit wie im Flug.

The Age ( )

The object of the game is to beat your opponent senseless or force them out of the ring. Each arena features polished graphics with dynamic backgrounds. New game modes are featured, including AI, in which you become the coach of a CPUcontrolled character. The final objective is to pit your fighter against a rival character trained by one of your fellow PS2 owners. As well as several singleplayer modes, there is also a "Versus" mode.. Virtua Fighter, however, has some of the lamest ring names of all time - Tough Guy and Bad Girl, for example. If you can get past the stereotypical characters and settle into the carnage, you're bound to release some builtup aggression.

GamesFirst! ( )

Depending on how you feel about spending hours and hours training and working, and how you feel about the Virtua Fighter series in general, you will either love VF4 or hate it. I'm not going to tell you that you need to go buy this game, as so many others have. I'll suggest that you rent it and see if you can get over the hump in a weekend. If you can play through fifty matches in Kumite mode and still enjoy the game and want to learn more, then by all means go out and buy Virtua Fighter 4. If you get bored or frustrated after fifty matches or less, then you will have saved yourself $45 by renting it first.

GamePro (US) (4 out of 5)

The world can be such a topsy-turvy place sometimes. Virtua Fighter was once the most arcane game to fully comprehend and was the champ of bare-bones menu of arcade-to-home ports. Virtua Fighter 4 on the PlayStation 2 has decoded its secret language for those not blessed with the dedication of Sopan and features an interface that is too sexy for its shirt. So sexy it hurts.

Computer and Video Games (CVG) (8 out of 10)

This PlayStation 2 conversion is a no-frills offering, in contrast to home versions of Tekken. Dedicated fighting fans certainly shouldn't let it pass, but if you're les serious about the genre, VF4 isn't the showcase PS2 title some claim it to be.

Retrogaming.it (6 out of 10)

In conclusione Virtua Fighter 4 non è un gioco totalmente da buttare via, purtroppo diciamo la verità: rasenta la sufficienza, vista la concorrenza spietata che ha intorno, ma secondo me è un pezzo che non dovrebbe mancare in ogni collezione. Poi oltre agli appassionati della saga, agli appassionati dei Beat’em up 3D, il consiglio è rivolto ai retrogamer Arcade, che non vogliono impegnarsi più di tanto nelle molteplici modalità offerte dai titoli alternativi, questo non vuol dire che il gioco manchi di spessore e longevità, solo che il tassello mancante a questo gioco sarebbe arrivato l’anno successivo con il “Quest Mode” (e non solo) di Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution.