Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution

The update to one of last year's most popular beat 'em ups crash-lands at Kikizo. Join us as we scour the wreckage in our full review.

	Version PS2	Developer Sega-AM2	Publisher Sega	Genre 3D Fighting

By Mo Imran

It's Wednesday 12th March 2003 and I could have sworn Adam just told me he had Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution for PlayStation 2. "It's not even out in Japan yet" I inform him. Well thanks to the wonders of early deliveries, and the brilliance of our friends at top importer The Computer Exchange, Kikizo just happened to have some copies of said game.

Everything is put on hold, as we set up a detailed plan to meet up and collect the software ("I'll see you for drinks in an hour"). Before I set off I ring up Ryan Hart, one of the best Virtua Fighter players in the west. It's all secret, I tell him, so keep it under your hat, I advise. Before I leave the house I suddenly have to answer a dozen phone calls, so much for keeping it under the hat, never one to keep a secret, that Ryan...

Picture the scene: penthouse suite in the center of town, me and half a dozen tanned and lithe beauties... ah who am I kidding, it's a small dining room, the floors covered with joysticks and Japanese consoles, and all complimented by a television the size of Australia. The tanned beauties are actually a motley crew of hairy male beat'em addicts who really should get out more, or stay indoors so as not to scare the public. The disc is inserted, and the familiar PS2 audio chimes in. The few seconds of loading seem to last for hours, it's always the same for any hot new release, and finally a distinctly Japanese voice whispers 'Sega AM2'.

Eventually the game's intro fires up, and so do the arguments! "That's not the graphics, it's FMV" one ill-informed caveman mutters, someone else grunts in agreement. I beg to differ, "look at the resolution, that's being rendered by the hardware". I'm proven right, as I always am, when we start to play the game. Although the intro is a very high quality FMV file, the games graphics do it justice. Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution looks sensational. And it plays even better, so that's it. Full marks. Ten out of ten. Goodbye.

"The all-new Challenge mode tests your knowledge with CPU exam-style battles."

One of the main criticisms volleyed at the original PS2 conversion of VF4 was the slightly ropey look of the game. Poor resolution and dodgy texturing made the home port pale in comparison to its arcade counterpart. However, AM2 admitted that the ridiculously short conversion time (rumour has it they only had six-months!) meant some sacrifices had to be made. What a difference a year makes. VF4E looks crisp, with massive amounts of detail packed into all the characters and locations. Everything looks polished, and zips along at the same breakneck pace, with no slowdown, EVER. And once again the game-play is absolutely perfect. AM2 have even sped up the coding routines so loading times are kept to a bare minimum, absolute genius

Now before we dig deep into the new features lets get one thing straight, Evolution is NOT VF5, think of it more as a stop gap, a VF4.5 if you like. But as you'll discover, it's so much more than a mere sequel-come-upgrade. The most obvious new addition is the two new characters. Sadly no new female fighters this time around, but we do get the hilariously named Brad Burns, a slightly camp looking kick-boxer, and Goh Hinogami, Judo maestro and ruthless assassin... nice.

"Money can be used to enhance your character, and there are hundreds of new items to unlock."

However, the rest of the fighting crew needn't worry - they've all be tweaked with new moves, power-ups and downgrades. What that basically means is Sega has tried to balance out all the characters. Some characters have gained plenty of new attacks, others have been toned down because they were deemed too strong, and some characters have even been completely revamped! This has all been done to aid the gameplay, and the end result is probably the most balanced roster of digital martial artists ever compiled in a fighting game.

All the fighting arenas have had minor to drastic cosmetic face-lifts too. Some stages are set during different times of the day, others have atmospheric effects added like rain and fog. Some stages have even been re-modelled to add more variety, for example a lot of the low walled areas now have the corner segments removed - you have to be careful where you are, or you might fall out of the ring. Also, stages that have no walls have been increased in size meaning 'ring-out' orientated characters like Kage and Wolf have a harder time getting a cheesy win.

"Once unlocked, 'Hyper Action Battle' speeds up the moves and timing, allowing you pull off insane combos."

Virtua Fighter is a complex game and AM2 know this. For VF4E they've improved the already impressive training mode with dozens of new sections to aid you in becoming a master pixel-pummler. The command, tutorial and advanced tactics sections return and are complimented by some ingenious new training modes. The all-new Challenge mode tests your knowledge with CPU 'exam' battles. You may need to throw your opponent a designated number of times before the timer runs down, or dodge a barrage of incoming attacks. There is a wide variety of challenges to accomplish and they are highly enjoyable mini-games in their own right.

Lastly we have the Quest mode. Best described as a fighting RPG, you begin by selecting your character and than find yourself staring at a map of Japan with various gaming arcades highlighted. Your task is to visit these arcades and challenge opponents, winning money in the process. This mode is very similar to the Kumite option in the previous game. Every once in a while you may have to participate in a 'special battle' whereby you'll gain a higher rank, extra cash or a prize upon winning. All the accumulated money can be used to enhance your character and AM2 have crammed hundreds of new items to unlock.

"Put simply, this is finest beat 'em up ever created and should be snapped up by any fighting fanatic."

The further you progress, the more areas you unlock - and the harder the battles become. Eventually you'll also unlock new game modes, ultra rare items and even snazzy new wallpaper for your PS2 menu screens, but it doesn't end there. Certain areas also unlock new battle modes that certainly spice up proceedings. For example there's the 'Hyper Action Battle' that speeds up the moves and timings allowing you pull off insane combos, or the 'Iron Fight' where both fighters posses near super-human strength and a single fight can last over twenty minutes! And all the while your progress is unlocking loads of cool new sections of the game.

Quest mode is huge and we've only scratched the surface, it's a great addition and an excellent way of beefing up the single player game.

The original Virtua Fighter 4 was arguably the best fighting game available on any platform, and it seems only Sega has the ability to better it with this sequel. AM2 has taken an already near-perfect beat'em up and done the impossible by making it much better.

The simple three-button system is easy to get to grips with for 'newbies', but offers the depth of control needed to pull off astounding attack combinations once you start mastering the game. And herein lies the beauty of VF4E, the game is simple to pick up and play with 'button-mashing' friendly characters like Lei-Fei and Brad, but also offers very complex and detailed characters like the expert level rated Akira and Shun.

No matter if you are a casual gamer or hardcore fan-boy, you're well catered for here.

Graphics Sound Gameplay Depth Presentation OVERALL 9.5 7.5 10.0 10.0 9.0 9.5

THE VERDICT: Put simply, this is finest beat 'em up ever created and should be snapped up by any fighting fanatic. 2003 marks the tenth anniversary of Sega's Virtua Fighter series, slot VF4E into your PS2 and celebrate by kicking the crap out of your pals.

Video Coverage (See Latest Videos & Video FAQ Here)
PLEASE DO NOT DIRECT LINK TO ANY MEDIA FILE ON KIKIZO
Description	Dur.	Size	Details
The first of two stunning intro sequences - the 'blue' version for Goh.	1.20min	11.7MB	MPG
The second of two stunning intro sequences - the 'red' version for Brad.	1.20min	11.7MB	MPG
See all the characters like you've never seen them before, in new clothes and styles.	0.32min	4.81MB	MPG
All the new features in the training modes demonstrated in this vid..	1.01min	8.07MB	MPG
The Quest mode revealed - and a sneak preview at what it entails.	1.08min	10.0MB	MPG
A short clip showing the insane things possible in Hyper Mode.	0.22min	3.31MB	MPG
Goh VS Goh in a three round fight.	1.39min	11.3MB	MPG
More crazy hyper fighting, this time with Akira showing Vanessa a thing or two.	1.44min	12.0MB	MPG
Mo almost shows us how Kage is meant to be played.	1.03min	6.88MB	MPG