Team Ninja serve another round with a meaty Power Blow system and interactive arenas more spectacular than ever. Loaded with content, fairly welcoming to newcomers, and balanced to reward reading your opponent's strikes.
Your verdict
Category
Fighting2 players16+
Description
3D fighting game by Team Ninja and Tecmo Koei, September 2012. DOA fighters clash in realistic arenas in the fifth Dead or Alive tournament. Power Blow and Cliffhanger mechanics adding depth, Virtua Fighter guest fighters and dynamic destructible environments. Fifth DOA franchise entry adding new combat mechanics.
Dead or Alive 5 review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
3D fighting taken to an unprecedented level of spectacle and depth, where interactive arenas and fluid chains create duels of gleeful intensity. The counter system rewards reading the game, while the accessible handling charms newcomers. Gorgeous, snappy and generous, a fighting game that pairs visual beauty and tactical richness with flair.
Dead or Alive 5 holds a particular standing on the Japanese 360, as that generation cemented Team Ninja's series, and this original version predates the many Ultimate and Last Round re-releases. Released in September 2012 by Tecmo Koei into a 360 market already deserted in Japan, its first disc edition circulated in limited quantity. The value sets this first pressing apart from the more common later revisions, sought by devotees of the franchise.
Is Dead or Alive 5 still worth playing in 2026?
A fighting game from Team Ninja, Dead or Alive 5 pits a varied cast in clashes built on the strike, throw and hold triangle, in interactive arenas with spectacular drops. The accessibility of the system, the fluidity of the animation and the sense of spectacle make it a snappy, readable versus, rich in finishers. The sometimes pandering tone of the presentation divides. An excellent fighting game for fans of technical yet accessible versus and multiplayer fight evenings on Xbox 360.
