As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I can confidently say that the announcement of a new Virtua Fighter is like a breath of fresh air in a gaming world filled with sequels and reboots. I remember the thrill of playing Virtua Fighter back in the arcades, its 3D graphics and fluid gameplay setting the bar for fighting games to come.
2024 has been exceptionally fruitful for Sega and Atlus, outperforming many AAA publishers and developers at present. They’ve released a string of successful games such as “Metaphor: ReFantazio”, “Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth”, “Sonic X Shadow Generations”, among others throughout the year. The future looks promising for them, with “Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii” scheduled for early 2025, and a revival project underway to reintroduce classic franchises like “Shinobi”, “Jet Set Radio”, “Crazy Taxi”, etc. There’s even buzz about the potential return of “Virtua Fighter 6”. Fortunately, another “Virtua Fighter” is on the horizon.
In a conversation with VGC, Justin Scarpone, Sega’s global head of transmedia, shared that the classic series, Virtua Fighter, will soon get a new chapter. Whispers about a fresh Virtua Fighter game started back when Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown was released in June 2021. Since then, leaks on Twitter and ambiguous developer comments have added to the buzz. As recently as early October 2024, Sega themselves tweeted a short video labeled “SE6A,” which only intensified the speculation. It’s understandable that those not deeply invested in the series might be perplexed by the excitement, but fans are thrilled that a nearly twenty-year gap in releases is coming to an end.
The History of Virtua Fighter, Explained
Since it first appeared in arcades back in 1993, Virtua Fighter has been a significant player in the fighting game genre. Although not the very first 3D fighting game, Virtua Fighter paved the way for future 3D combat games, leading directly to the creation of Tekken and influencing the three-button control scheme of Dead or Alive. It was highly successful in arcades and made a smooth transition to Sega’s consoles, earning recognition for its gameplay and innovative visual presentation. However, as global arcade popularity moved towards console games and Sega’s console line came to an end, it signaled the beginning of Virtua Fighter‘s decline.
Virtua Fighter 5’s Era Seemed Like The Series’ Final Stop
The majority of the 24 recognized “Virtua Fighter” games appeared before “Virtua Fighter 5” hit arcades in 2006 and consoles in 2007, which meant that the series thriving on updates of “VF5” for a while didn’t raise any red flags. However, the period between the 2012 revision of “VF5” for PS3 and Xbox 360, titled “Final Showdown,” and the release of “Ultimate Showdown” for PS4 in 2021 was concerning to fans, as it seemed the series was nearing its end. For a long time, the series survived only through modern versions of “Yakuza” games featuring emulated copies of “VF5FS.” Even after “Ultimate Showdown” attracted new followers, optimism for “Virtua Fighter” to break free from life support remained low.
Virtua Fighter’s Hiatus Has Now Officially Ended
The long-standing dominance of the final console version of “Virtua Fighter 5” as the sole representative of the Virtua Fighter series is about to conclude. Following the surge in popularity of fighting games after the console launch of Street Fighter 4 in 2009, the high-definition 3D combat competition of Virtua Fighter has largely diminished, with few notable exceptions.
The Present and Future of Virtua Fighter
The blueprint for what seems to be Virtua Fighter 6, much like Sega’s other strategies for reviving their intellectual properties, remains somewhat unclear at the moment. With no initial trailers or details available to judge progress, it’s possible that the new Virtua Fighter may still be several years off. Long-time VF players are also cautious due to occasional hints from developers about incorporating elements to make the modern Virtua Fighter stand out, as this series usually prioritizes consistency and efficiency over the visual spectacle common in other fighting game franchises. Nevertheless, with the official announcement, a new Virtua Fighter is indeed in development, and given the wait, that alone is reason enough for excitement.
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2024-11-10 15:03