The tutorial alone warrants a purchase.
NOTE: This review was written by me years ago, but it's never been posted on GB, so enjoy!
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Before I begin this review, I must mention that VF4: Evolution is my first entry into the VF universe, so I’ll be writing this review from a newcomer’s perspective.
I’ve always wanted to get into the Virtua Fighter games to see what all the fuss was about. Everyone who played the games raved about how great it was, but I never had a chance to play, because: 1) I didn’t frequent arcades; 2) I didn’t own a Sega Saturn. I knew VF was big business because Japanese magazine Famitsu had regular strategy guides for the games’ characters. But I never had a chance to become a believer in Virtua Fighter; it just didn’t catch on in North America like it did in Japan. I wanted to weather the storm that was the VF craze.
With VF4: Evo, I finally got my chance, and it’s a lot deeper than I imagined. It’s easy to see why the Japanese love VF, and it’s hard to not appreciate what VF adds to the genre. Man, does it ever add MUCH to the genre. It does things that no other 3D fighter can claim.
I had not expected VF4 Evo’s training mode to be so in-depth. Beginners won’t have to worry about the typical “fend for yourself” type of training mode; in VF4 Evo, the game will walk you through every single mechanic and explain--in extensive detail—how to effectively use those mechanics, and how NOT to use them...you will literally spend hours in just the standard tutorial alone!
Then there’s the Quest mode, the single-player mode that everyone’s talking about. It’s true—Quest mode is truly the best single-player mode in a fighting game, bar none. I haven’t had this much fun since Street Fighter Alpha 3’s World Tour mode. Of course, playing against a friend is always best, but the Quest mode is a damn fine substitute.
Playing VF4 Evo makes me wish that I had gotten into the series sooner, but I’m glad that I’ve finally jumped in. The fact that Evo is being sold as a Greatest Hits title should attract more gamers, plus it gives them less reason to jump on the bandwagon. Sega making good decisions aren’t very common, but this is one decision that can’t backfire. That one magazine was right—VF4 Evo will make you a better fighting game player. You owe it to yourself to pick it up, especially if you’re new to the series, like I was.
