Sometimes, content in games isn’t trying to bring about any new players. After watching the above Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate trailer — essentially a dopey visual feast that shows off the game’s upcoming Halloween DLC — I have to say that I can’t imagine it being put together for anybody but DoA fans and DoA fans alone. It wasn’t more than 30 seconds in before I was cracking up at series resident lovable toolbag Zack as he hurtled through the air in a green skeleton jumpsuit and “Let’s Party” top hat, only to be instantly countered in bone-crunching defeat. Some guys just never learn.
Of course, half the reason DoA’s ridiculousness works is because it also happens to be a great game, and though I doubt I’ll fork over $25 just to get my hands on these new costumes, it might be a different story if I hadn’t been playing the game so much lately. A fun, seasonal coat of provocative Halloween paint might be just the thing to rope dormant DoA-ers back into the fold for another month or two, be it purely for eye-candy or not. Frankly, I doubt Tecmo Koei really cares how it keeps people hooked, as long as it’s ultimately able to.
The new Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate duds can be had at $1.99 a pop if you just want them for your favorite characters, or if you’d rather dress up the entire cast you can save a little bit overall and buy the whole set for $25. My personal favorite is definitely Hitomi’s new angelic look, though Pai’s makeover is pretty great as well. The DLC is available now, so be sure to check out Team Ninja’s gallery before deciding whether to pull the trigger yourself. Trick-or-treat… but mostly treat.