Virtua Fighter 5: The Trailer, Mini-Preview

The finest looking fighting game in existence? Right now, we certainly think so. See for yourself...

Update: Click here for awesome video and lots of screens.

Take a look at Virtua Fighter 5 in this impressive trailer, first shown at the recent JAMMA AM Show in Tokyo. The forthcoming title comes from Sega's AM2 studio and respected series producer, Hiroshi Kataoka.

The sequel to the hugely popular fighting game runs on the new Lindbergh arcade hardware, which is capable of delivering graphics that are clearly much improved over the most recent Naomi 2-powered predecessor, Virtua Fighter 4: Final Tuned.

A myriad of spectacular and dynamic lighting effects help to create convincing images. One scene in particular shows father and daughter characters, Lau and Pai, on the returning Great Wall backdrop during a strong sunset, that actually obscures forground detail when the overwhelming brighness of the sun is on screen. This kind of sophisticated graphical implementation has simply never been seen in any fighting game before.

The characters show off just a small helping of the new moves and techniques that are set to be in the game, and gives a sneak peak at the two new characters making their way into the mix, a young female combatant and a male wrestler.

The Virtua Fighter series has always been renown for its impeccably balanced gameplay and unsurpassed level of depth. With VF4 and its updates, Evolution and Final Tuned, many players felt that the gameplay had reached its absolute peak. But with so many of the same talented staff from the VF4 games still in the driving seat, including Hiroshi Kataoka and AM2 veteran Makoto Osaki, it seems very likely that VF5 will once again surpass players' expectations.

We'll be bringing you a lot more on VF5, including some very special coverage later this year. Don't miss it.

Update: Click here for awesome video and lots of screens.

Adam Doree
Director, Kikizo.com