Before TGS begins, Team NINJA decides to keep the hype train rolling steadily on the tracks with a 2/15/2019 release date, new character reveals, a new stage and pre-order selections that also reveal characters coming to Dead or Alive 6. The release date trailer also gives us an idea of what they intend to do with the story, and that it will be a prominent feature of the final product. According to the Tokyo Game Show schedule, this is not the special TGS trailer that will be shown during the tournament in Japan.
Story Elements
Team NINJA opens the video with what is speculated to be a heavily guarded MIST operation. Ayane is introduced for the first time in DOA6 infiltrating the area in a beautiful combat suit; likely looking to rescue her half-brother, Hayate, or searching for his whereabouts. Marie Rose is then introduced right after the Team NINJA logo is shown, and in the next scene we see Honoka sitting on the floor with the two newly announced girls. Showing off these characters before TGS was a great idea, as these characters are the most popular in Japan and will offer more gameplay variety during the TGS demo.
During the next part Leifang says "Well aren't you strong?" to Jann Lee who knows already and agrees anyway. It has already been mentioned in Leifang's biography that "perhaps her feelings towards him have begun to shift from simple competitiveness into something more." Fighters have wondered for years if these two would ever get together, and it's a good idea to tie into the tournament scene because something like this could potentially happen to competitors that attend offline events.
Rig and Hayate have a different relationship though, and it's a lot less playful and fun. The next scene shows Hayate grabbing hold of Rig's throat with Hayate asking "Who the hell are you?" Fast forward past a few clips and we see Rig again, now being approached by Jann Lee, and when he turns around you see those demonic red eyes. Rig is the son of MIST leader, Victor Donovan, and it's likely that that evil cur has experimented on his own son!
Bad ass Bayman also makes his triumphant return, and in his first clip we see him carrying off Marie Rose. All we know about Marie Rose is that she's a servant and a potentially evil character or trickster. Seeing Bayman lift her away could indicate that she is either a servant of Helena (unlikely) or Victor Donovan. There is more to this character than meets the eye.
Team NINJA has a few other random clips from the story. Zack is laid out with Helena looking at him with disdain, and this seems to be a common occurrence for him that doesn't necessarily provide proof of him being a more serious character. Shenanigan stories continue with Leifang and Hitomi (both in alternative outfits) running from the Octopus on Forbidden Fortune. These two have provided players with much needed comic relief in an otherwise serious narrative for years, and it's always nice to see it return.
On a more serious note, Helena is extending herself out to someone in the next shot, and she's saying "Don't go!" What should stand out to long-time players here is the attention to detail with her face animation. Her plea is convincing and there's no doubt that DOA6 is a graphical milestone for Team NINJA. We also see Ayane falling down to the ground, while Hayabusa and Kasumi emerge from an explosion. Are they making an effort save the prismatic butterfly?
Gameplay Elements
The gameplay portion of this trailer starts off with Ayane, and we see a modified PPPK from DOA5 plus a back-turned Genra blade move done on Kasumi. This move is probably early in development; it's hard to tell what all the properties are, but the blade seems like it will add some range to an otherwise short poke. Kasumi's beautiful parry and Kageri-Oboro also return.
Bayman's two opening punches return along with his Russian hook, and that is literally all they show for Bayman. He's likely early in development, but his new look is welcomed. His vest is less puffy, his muscular build is more apparent and he is sporting shades in the darkest stage because he's the baddest character in the game and he can do what he wants. The EVO Showdown champion, @Rikuto approves of his new design as mentioned in his growing Twitch stream.
Another welcomed addition is Honoka's new air grab cross-body that is performed on Marie Rose. This character was missing something from DOA5, and an air grab after a weak launch will certainly give her more options for damage. Marie Rose also gets her first gameplay demo that mix-mashes her flash combo options into a fatal rush as made evident by the blood in the border. The rest of the gameplay shown is mainly stuff we've seen from other videos to catch newcomers up.
The new Dinosaur Park looks to be another stage that utilizes what we like most about DOAs gameplay; environment destruction! Team NINJA's love for dinosaurs continues and a Pterodactyl and Tyrannosaur enter the field of battle! The Pterodactyl activates after a character is slammed into its newly born baby and lifts the already afflicted fighter, the T-rex is activated by ramming your opponent into a vehicle. Some players might remember Experimental Playground in DOA4 and could see this as the updated version.
This level will be great for slip-stuns since there are large puddles of water on the field. There is also an opportunity to knock your opponent off a waterfall, and as they are falling, you might recognize a reused asset from Dead or Alive: Xtreme 2... the infamous water slide! Have dinosaurs invaded Zack Island? Probably not, but it's a cute touch to the design.
More than likely there are new discoveries to find in this trailer, but they will be left for our upcoming "This Week at FSD." Have fun dissecting the game in the Dead or Alive 6 portion of our forum!
Purchase Options
There are a few different purchase choices listed in Team NINJA's new product page for DOA6. You can not pre-order the physical deluxe at the moment, but you can pre-order the Deluxe Digital Version that will include Phase 4 as a playable character and additional goodies:
Based on the advertisements we are shown, there will be an exclusive DOA6 Physical Deluxe available for PS4 with the artwork, soundtrack and character portrait buttons available in Japan. If you are up for import costs you can upgrade your physical deluxe with a weird bath poster, mouse pads and an additional bonus yet to be revealed.
If you commit to pre-ordering any version of DOA6, you will receive Nyotengu as an added bonus character. Many players feared for her return because of how little she currently matters to the story, so this announcement is HUGE and should alleviate your concerns.
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