Just mentioning the name Dead or Alive is likely to elicit a number of different responses depending on who you ask. Some will merely roll their eyes and talk about beach volleyball with girls in skimpy bikinis while others will laugh at how bad the Hollywood adaptation starring wrestling's Kevin Nash and Jamie Pressley was. There are those who remember how much fun the core experience was -- and luckily, Dead or Alive 5 is built for those gamers. It may have taken seven years, but Team Ninja has finally delivered the latest chapter in the long standing fighting franchise, and thanks to a few tweaks and innovations, it's easily one of the best to date.

"...a mix of different styles with an interesting MMA overlay..."

Like much of the modern day brawlers, button mashing will only get you so far in Dead or Alive 5.  The combat is a mix of different styles with an interesting MMA overlay that makes the game feel much different than others on the market. The majority of actions in DoA 5 can be categorized in one of three ways -- strikes, holds and throws. The genius of this system is that each category of movie either beats or loses to another, so for instance a strike would beat a throw but a throw would beat a hold. It may sound a bit confusing but if you just think of it as a really elaborate game of paper, rock scissors it becomes a bit easier to understand. It also makes you attempt to learn your opponent's tendencies before merely going into battle swinging.

There are two new additions to the Dead or Alive formula this go-round, the critical burst and the power blow. The critical burst is a seemingly normal looking attack used during combos to leave your opponent in a dazed state, ensuring a ton of damage. The power blow is much more of a defensive maneuver as it can only be done once per match and when your health is below the halfway point.  All of this leads to an impressive fighting engine that's built on weight and counters rather than luck and timing. It's also interesting to note that as deep as the Dead or Alive system can be, it's also incredibly accessible for those just jumping on.

"...easily one of the best looking fighters we've ever seen."

The Dead or Alive series has always had incredible visuals, and the latest installment is no different. DoA 5 takes more of a minimalist approach than most fighting games and features very little to clutter up the screen. Much of the game's key information is portrayed through passive on-screen cues that would be quite easy to miss if you're not quite sure what you're looking for. This may seem annoying but it gives much more of an appreciation for the game's mesmerizing character animations and backgrounds. Dead or Alive 5 is easily one of the best looking fighters we've ever seen.

Dead or Alive 5 has a storyline, but what exactly happens in it, we're still not sure, and thankfully you won't have to enjoy the experience. In short, series regular Helena is in charge of DOATEC, and they do something and for some reason start a tournament. Really, that's all we know, and that's all you have to know. People are going to fight. Boom. DoA 5's story mode explained. In truth, not many people would likely play through the mode, but thanks to its training mode, it's the best way to get better at the game's key new additions and strategies. Essentially, each fight will start with a challenge, which will find you completing certain in game tasks to finish. It's an interesting way to integrate a tutorial into a game with a rather steep learning curve, but if you miss one or two the game makes it incredibly hard to go back and find them thanks to an incredibly complicated user interface.

Dead or Alive 5 is a welcomed return to form for the fighting franchise. After a seven year hiatus, the folks at Team Ninja have taken a break from beaches and bikinis to give us one of hell of a deceptively deep fighter that's a complete blast to play. It may take some veterans of the series longer to get into some of the changes, but they all do their part to make this the most expansive Dead or Alive to date.