Tecmo Koei and Team NINJA released a day 1 patch for Dead or Alive 5 that addresses numerous issues with the game. Most notably, there have been several balance tweaks to nearly every character. Other changes include some minor improvements to the online mode.
I received a copy of the game last week and the online portion wasn’t really playable for reviewing purposes. There were only a handful of people online and they were mostly from Taiwan and Japan. I would be weary of any reviews that discuss the online mode because of this. The few games I did play against someone in the US had noticeable input delay, but further testing is required before anyone can make judgements about the netcode yet.
There’s also a bug on PS3 where the game will pause mid-match during offline play if Throwdowns are enabled. You need to disable this option after selecting a Fight mode in the main menu to avoid this game breaking problem.
These are the modes available in Online Mode:
Simple match (unranked quick matches) – You can search by rounds and region. That’s it.
Rank Match – Search by rounds, Region, and opponent rank. You can set a minimum and maximum rank. There is no way to filter out players by connection strength. In fact, you can’t even see your opponent’s connection at all.
Lobby match – You can set time limit, max health, number of players, and filter out what gets to be used in Random Select. The max players in a lobby is 16. You can choose to simply spectate matches, even if you’re the host. Spectator mode allows you to move around the camera freely. There is a chat room as well and, unlike Tekken Tag 2, it actually stays hidden. The biggest problem with Lobby Matches is that you can’t kick a player out after a session has begun. This option, along with the other match settings, simply disappears. Outside of politely asking, there is nothing you can do once a 1 bar connection joins your room after a game has started.
Fight rules in Lobby Match – Winner Stays, Loser Stays, Tournament, Kumite, Online Dojo. Fight Type can be solo or tag.
Patch Notes
Offline Mode
Removed the ability to change the stage models displayed in the background in order to improve load times.
Survival Mode: even if you are unable to clear the course, your points (Results Screen) will be displayed and the World Ranking will be updated.
Online Mode
During the pre-battle entrance animation, each character’s Grade and Title will be displayed.
The matchmaking system has been improved so it is easier to find and join a match.
In Lobby Match, the Random filter will display within the client’s settings rather than the host’s.
The cursor location will be remembered in the Character and Stage Select screens.
Added the ability to adjust the Hit Settings (Normal/Counter/High-Counter) in the Online Dojo.
Minor fixes to areas that had the possibility of causing instability within the game.
Overall
Slight adjustments to some of the character motions and moves.
Character Changes
Akira
Mid K while sidestepping
Hitting a character with this while their back is turned downs them.
66P
Hitting a character with this as a normal back hit causes a small stagger
46P,43P,64T
Increased input time
Ayane
Expert mid P hold
Changed damage: 25 -> 5
2P,1P, back-turned 2P,back-turned 1P,back-turned PP2P
Changed to stagger on back-turned hi counter and back-turned low hi counter
66K, back-turned PP6K
Changed damage reaction to small when landing as a normal hit
Eliot
236P
Change frame advantage on guard to +2 (guard break)
4P+K (when not triggering a Power Blow)
Changed reaction to knock-back on low hi counter and back-turned low hi counter hits
Helena
4P+K (when not triggering a Power Blow)
Changed reaction to knock-back on low hi counter and back-turned low hi counter hits
Kasumi
PP6P6KK,6P6K,9K
Changed behavior to a jump hold when held
4P+K (when not triggering a Power Blow)
Changed reaction to knock-back on low hi counter and back-turned low hi counter hits
Christie
Tag throw when partnered with Hitomi
Changed damage: 10+20+70 -> 10+20+40
Tag throw when partnered with Helena
Changed damage: 50+50 -> 35+35
Back-turned P
Changed damage reaction to small when landing as a normal hit, same as landing as a counter hit
Back-turned 2P
Hitting a character with this as a normal back hit causes a small stagger
1K6K while in Jakeiho
Changed damage reaction to crumple stun when landing as a low counter or hi counter hit
H+KK
Changed stagger reaction to small when landing as a normal hit, same as landing as a hi counter hit
Gen Fu
1P+K (when not triggering a Power Blow)
Changed damage reaction to launch when landing as a low normal hit
Kokoro
236T
Increased recovery on unsuccessful grab by 4 frames.
Back-turned PP
Changed damage reaction when landing as a low counter or hi counter hit from the back-turned reaction to front-facing reaction
Changed damage reaction when landing as a back-turned low counter or hi counter hit from the front facing reaction to back turned reaction
3P+K (when not triggering a Power Blow)
Changed reaction to knock-back on low hi counter and back-turned low hi counter hits
PK
Changed to damage reaction on back-turned low hi counter from the front-facing reaction to the back-turned reaction
Sarah
9K
Changed behavior to a parry when held
4PK
Changed initial frames: 19 -> 18
9H+KKK
Changed initial frames: 24 -> 20
Change wall-hit distance to 1.5m
4P+K
Changed damage reaction to crumple stagger when landing as a hi counter hit
1P+K (when not triggering a Power Blow)
Changed reaction to knock-back on low hi counter and back-turned low hi counter hits
Jann Lee
H+K
Changed damage reaction on low hi counter hits to a large sit-down stun, just like with hi counter hits.
Changed damage reaction on back-turned low hi counter hits from front-facing reaction to back-turned reaction
Tina
46P,46T
Increased direction input time
Bass
PPK
Changed damage reaction on normal hit to stagger
4P,4PP
Changed stagger on low normal hit to small
7P+K (when not triggering a Power Blow)
Changed reaction to knock-back on low hi counter and back-turned low hi counter hits
7PT,3P+KT
Changed damage: 20+43-> 20+35
Back-turned 6T
Changed damage: 35 -> 50
Pai
Back-turned 9K
Changed to make it guardable.
Basic Tag Throw
Changed so opponent cannot tech roll after being thrown.
2P,3P, back-turned 2P
Changed damage reaction on back-turned hi counter and low hi counter hits to stagger
H+KP during Meishouho
Changed damage reaction on back-turned hi counter hit to stagger, same as on back-turned normal hit
PP4P, P4P during Bokutai
Changed attribute from mid to high
PPP7K
Changed damage reaction on counter and high counter hits to stagger, same as normal hit
6KP7K
Changed damage reaction on low counter and hi counter hits to stagger, same as on low normal hit
1P+K (when not triggering a Power Blow)
Changed reaction to knock-back on low hi counter and back-turned low hi counter hits
9K
Changed damage reaction on back-turned normal hit to small stagger, same as back-turned hi counter hits.
Bayman
1P+K (when not triggering a Power Blow)
Changed reaction to knock-back on low hi counter and back-turned low hi counter hits
Hayate
3K
Changed to damage reaction on back-turned low hi counter from the front-facing reaction to the back-turned reaction
P during Tenshin Sen
Changed damage reaction on normal hit to small stagger, same as landing as low hit
Hitomi
PP6PP,66PP, sidestep P
Changed damage reaction on low counter to crumple stun
46P,46K
Increased input time
Brad
Gyoin-Dantai
The properties of “K during Gyomi-Inshusei” and “K during Tenshin-Hiinshu” were different, so we standardized on the first (K during Gyomi-Inshusei).
4P+K (when not triggering a Power Blow)
Changed reaction to knock-back on low hi counter and back-turned low hi counter hits
P during Dokuritsu-Ho
Hitting a character with this as a normal back hit causes a small stagger
6P in Kasenko
Changed general reaction when landing as a back hit to small stagger
46P,64P
Increased input time
La Mariposa
236K
Changed behavior from a jump hold to a normal hold when held
4P+K (when not triggering a Power Blow)
Changed reaction to knock-back on low hi counter and back-turned low hi counter hits
64T
Increased input time
Mila
4P+K (when not triggering a Power Blow)
Changed reaction to knock-back on low hi counter and back-turned low hi counter hits
PP6K
Changed to damage reaction on back-turned low hi counter from the front-facing reaction to the back-turned reaction
Rig
Back-turned P+K during Bending Stance
Was the same move as H+K, so made it a different move
4P, back-turned 4P, P in Turn Leg Cut, sidestep P
Changed to damage reaction on back-turned low hi counter from the front-facing reaction to the back-turned reaction
1P+K (when not triggering a Power Blow)
Changed reaction to knock-back on low hi counter and back-turned low hi counter hits
4P, back-turned 4P, P in Turn Leg Cut, sidestep P
Changed to damage reaction on back-turned normal and hi counter hits from the front-facing reaction to the back-turned reaction
PPK,6P
Changed damage reaction on counter hit to stagger, same as hi counter hit
66K
Changed reaction to knock-back on back-turned low hi counter hits
Leifang
Back-turned 4P
Changed damage reaction to stagger when landing as a low normal hit, same as normal hit
64P,46P
Increased input time
