This is one of those “Meet me at the back of the school at 3pm” fights, isn’t it?

Despite our initial preview only showcasing Hayate and Ninja Gaiden hero Ryu Hyabusa, the 2% of our brain fearing that Dead or Alive 5 had become a boys-only club were quickly laid to rest when we got to try the previously showcased construction-zone stage, complete with Ayane and Hitomi as playable brawlers. 

Duck Power Blows to put the ball back in your court.

In it, we learned what Team Ninja head Yosuke Hayashi means by wanting to create “fighting entertainment.” Charge up a Power Blow with RB, and if you can get it off before your enemy’s counterattack interrupts you, you’ll be treated to a kinetic mini-cutscene that shows you abusing your foe. The longer you charge, the greater the damage dealt. You’ll even have a split-second to direct where in the environment you wish to push your opponent, whether you want to fling them into a car, a steel beam, a power generator, or even clear off the roof of the collapsing building you’re brawling on (they can tap X at the right moment to hang on for a moment, though, which will minimize their damage when you kick them off anyway). 

Navigating the environment and learning how to best use it is key to success in DOA5.

Adding a little extra flair to the proceedings, fighters can now get dirty in real-time as they’re flung around the stages. These girls are sugar and spice and everything…powerful.

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PUBLISHER: Tecmo Koei  •  DEVELOPER: Team Ninja  •  MULTIPLAYER: Yes  •  RELEASE DATE: TBD 2012  •  FOR FANS OF: Collapsing buildings, girl power