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PS2 | Fighting | Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution

Boxart for Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution
Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution 60 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 4.5
  • SOUND: 4.0
  • CONTROL: 5.0
  • FUN FACTOR 5.0
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.4
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.8
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Review: Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution

Review by TOKYODRIFTER | 08/05/2003 | 10:08:35 AM PST

The best bargain ever for fighting game fans? Believe it!

Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution beats its predecessor with souped-up visuals, new characters and moves, improved tutorials, hundreds of unlockable items, and the amazingly deep Quest mode. And this is a Greatest Hits title? Insane bargain alert!

Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution doesn?t quite pack the type of new features to warrant calling it Virtua Fighter 5, but what?s there is enough to keep fighters busy for many years until that game is released. The evolution begins with the smoothed out visuals?slightly jagged edges around characters and the environment are a thing of the past. The fighters have new animations and many unlockable items that can dramatically alter their appearance in cool and fascinating ways.

The two new characters also look great, and they contrast well with the returning VF4 crew. The audio features much improved background tunes and richer sound effects.

The main meat of this game is the Quest mode, which pits you against the lifelike A.I. of fighters from around the globe. Since VF4: Evolution doesn?t support online play, this is as close as you?re going to get unless your buddies come over the house. You travel to arcades far and wide to earn money, unlock items and features, gain experience, and win tournaments. Along with the improved tutorials, persevering through the many realistic opponents should eventually reveal a Zen-like moment not unlike when, in The Matrix, Neo realizes he can stop bullets. You?ll be able to predict attacks before they?re initiated and feel the underlying rhythms of a fight.

If you missed VF4, there?s just no excuse not to enroll in this fight club now. Owners of the previous version can upgrade without regret thanks to Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution?s budget price. In other words, every fighting fan must have this game.