SEGA announce download-only Virtua Fighter 5 update: Final Showdown

Already available in arcades across Japan, SEGA of Europe and SEGA of America have now been able to announce the good news that their Virtua Fighter 5 revision, entitled Final Showdown, will be made available exclusively for download as a standalone title for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, in summer 2012. The title reworks the gameplay mechanics, character balancing – both online and off – tweaked animations and lots of new features. On top of all of that, there will be new arenas added to fight across, two new brawlers to take control of and a huge range of items for gamers to customise their characters with to their hearts’ content. One of th most enjoyable 3D fighters of the current generation is about to get a little bit better!

Haruki Satomi, Vice President of Digital Business at SEGA of America and SEGA Europe says that; “Virtua Fighter 5 has always been an authentic arcade fighter, even when played from the comfort of a home console. And, like any proper arcade dynasty, we’ve continued to support, expand and tweak the game in the years since its release… With Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown, we get to bring the ultimate expression of competitive one-on-one gaming to console players in one perfect package.”

Some of the new features and additions in the update will be:

• The Perfect Fighting Experience: Virtua Fighter 5’s signature style of hand-to-hand combat, with revised mechanics, balance, timing and more, along with simplified controls for new players while retaining the depth that veterans demand
• Dynamic and Interactive Arenas: Fighting areas in new shapes and sizes, including arenas with fences and walls that are different for every round – take unexpected advantage of fighters’ new wall-based moves, or break through the fences with special attacks
• A Mode for Every Fight: Dominate the leaderboards with Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown’s extremely responsive one-on-one online battle system, widely praised for having little latency, or take on an army of opponents yourself in a new single-player mode
• Customized Combatants: Enter the ring with one of 19 playable characters, including fan favorite Taka-Arashi from Virtua Fighter 3 and an all-new character, Jean Kujo, and customize them with unique costume and character items

Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown will be a standalone download title for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The title will be made available on the PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE in summer 2012.