Version tested:  PlayStation 3

Dead or Alive 5 (hereafter DOA5) is now available on consoles, almost seven years after the previous installment, and it doubles as the series’ debut on PlayStation 3. You have to go all the way back to the year 2000 when Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore graced the PlayStation 2 for the last entry on Sony’s hardware. But before I get too far into the review, I want to talk a little about the father of Dead or Alive, Tomonobu Itagaki.

Tomonobu Itagaki, creator and former lead of Team Ninja, unceremoniously resigned from Tecmo (now Tecmo Koei) several years ago. An outspoken developer and studio lead, his games were known for their uncompromising difficulty, impeccable gameplay, voluptuous ladies, and badass ninja. It’s difficult to go wrong with such an excellent mix. Since his departure, the quality of Team Ninja’s output has been questionable at best, with its strongest effort being the Ninja Gaiden 2 remix, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2.  Read More