Virtua Fighter 5 Revo is finally here, bringing the beloved fighting game to the PC platform with rollback netcode and a balancing patch that changes things up quite a bit if you’ve been playing it since its initial release the whole way back in 2006 or played its many revisions throughout the years.
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Nonetheless, if you’ve recently discovered the genre or are looking to try it for the first time, there are many things you should know beforehand. Virtua Fighter’s surface-level simplicity can trip newcomers up due to its high skill ceiling, making learning the systems and mechanics extremely rewarding but frustrating if you’re not anticipating it!
Input Legend For Virtua Fighter 5 Revo
Learning The Power Of Your Jabs
Even without knowing who your main is, we already know what their best moves are. How do we know this? Simply put, everyone’s best moves are their 5P, 2P, and 6P, as those will be their fastest strikes that can set them up for lots of success when used to implement your offense or stuff your opposition’s.
5P will be your fastest High Attack and will always leave you plus on block, making it an excellent way to implement pressure and start your offense. However, since it is a High Attack, it can be ducked and countered, which is where 2P comes in, which will typically be your character’s fastest Low Attack.
So, if your opponent is spamming their 5P, a simple 2P will evade it and land a Counter Hit, which will lead to considerable damage. However, while 2P is a solid attack overall, 6P will beat it, as it will typically be the fastest Mid Attack at your disposal. Mid Attacks will hit crouched opponents, making it the perfect counter to anyone spamming 2P to evade High Attacks.
While 6P will be most character’s fastest Mid Attack, there will be some exceptions, as some will have to input 66P and do a quick dash beforehand, so ensure you learn what your character’s fastest Mid Attack is, or your opponent will open you up with their 2P if they’re spamming it!
Understanding The Triangle System
Another crucial aspect of Virtua Fighter 5 Revo’s combat system is the triangle system, which results from its three-button layout and makes for many engaging encounters. As the Input Legend at the top of the guide explains, the game has only three buttons: Punch, Kick, and Guard.
As a result, you end up with a rock-paper-scissors-style system that rewards you for reading and countering your opposition’s attacks. Guarding beats all Strikes, while Throws beat Guarding, with Strikes beating Throws.
Unlike most fighting games, Throws will lose to Strikes, meaning if your opponent wakes up and tosses out an attack with a long startup, and you try Throwing them, you will lose the interaction. So, if you become too predictable with your throws, you can be punished for it if you aren’t careful!
Again, some characters will have some exceptions to this general flow and system, but they will be odd cases and match-up specific. For the most part, this will be the go-to flow chart, allowing you to capitalize on your opponent if they are becoming too predictable!
Throws Are Mighty Strong
Every character in Virtua Fighter 5 Revo is essentially a grappler at heart. Throws (P+G) are some of the best actions at your disposal and are crucial to applying pressure and keeping your opposition on their back foot. Throws will almost always be your character’s fastest action overall, making them tremendously powerful.
There are three types of Throws: P+G, 6+P+G, and 4+P+G, which also goes hand-in-hand with how you tech throws in the game as well. For example, if your opponent goes to use their Back Throw (4+P+G) on you, you must input 4+P+6 to break it, and so on and so forth.
However, unlike most other fighting games, all throws look largely the same in Virtua Fighter 5 Evo, meaning you cannot look out for specific animations to know which throw tech you must use to break it. Instead, you must have match-up knowledge and situational awareness to make the best, most educated guess about which throw they want to try using.
For example, if your opponent’s back is against the wall, they will likely be trying to Back Throw you to swap positions with you, making that the likely option you want to try teching with. Some characters also have extremely high-damaging throws that will be their go-to, which you will naturally feel out by playing more and more!
Implement Throws into your offense, as they are your best option and will force your opponent to look out for them, allowing you to play mind games and mix up your offensive pressure even more. It doesn’t matter who you choose as your main; you should always mix in Throws, especially if your opponent is guarding too much!
Guarding And Evasion Are Crucial
Defense is just as crucial as offense in Virtua Fighter 5 Revo, and having Guarding as a dedicated button forces you to actively use it during encounters, which can trip up many newcomers that may be coming from other fighting games. Unlike, say, Tekken, you cannot block incoming attacks by holding Back or Down Back.
Having to move around the arena while also actively pressing Guard to block incoming attacks can take some getting used to if you aren’t too familiar with this system. However, it does play a larger role, which we covered in the triangle system earlier in the guide.
How To Evade Attacks
Evasions are also important, as they will allow you to swiftly dodge incoming attacks and get your offense started. When you see an attack coming, simply tapping Up (8) or Down (2) will have your character perform an Evasion, having them sidestep the attack, opening your opponent up considerably.
But be careful, as tapping Up or Down preemptively will have you eat the attack, and it only adds to the mental stack of Virtua Fighter 5 Revo’s combat system. Your opponent must be performing the attack in order for you to Evade it, so keep that in mind, as you do not want to be caught by an attack while moving.
This also applies to every character in the game and not just the more ‘agile’ ones, as you may have expected. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing; you can take full advantage of the Evasion system to up your defensive prowess to the next level!
Know Your Wake Up Options
‘Wake Up’ is the term used to describe the state you’re in when getting up off the ground after being thrown or knocked down in a fighting game, and that is no exception in Virtua Fighter 5 Evo, as you will be on the ground a lot throughout the course of a match.
Therefore, you must learn how to properly tech your fall to get back up, as you do not want to remain on the ground too long, especially against some characters. Of course, if you stay on the ground too long, pressing nothing, you will eventually stand back up, but we strongly advise against doing so unless for very specific situations.
How To Tech Roll
Instead of just laying on the ground until you stand up, the moment your character hits the ground, pressing P+K+G will have them perform a tech roll, having them instantly stand back up in place. And the best part is they will have some invincibility frames upon recovery, making them one of the best options for waking up.
Additionally, holding 8+P+K+G will have you roll away from the screen before getting up, and holding 2+P+K+G will have you roll toward the screen before recovering, which will be useful for repositioning yourself or avoiding some actions. Be mindful that teching this way will have you recover in a crouched position.
Lastly, you can also recover with a swift Kick that can force your opponent to keep their distance after knocking you down, as there are two types you can perform. Just pressing Kick while on the ground will have you perform a Mid Attack Kick, while pressing 2+K will have you execute a Low Attack Kick. Use these if your opponent is being a bit too aggressive after knocking you down!
You can bind a macro for P+K+G in the menu to a button on your Pad, Fightstick, or Leverless Controller, making it easier to tech roll when hitting the ground instead of having to manually press all three buttons simultaneously. We recommend doing setting it to a button you can easily reach, as you will be using it frequently!
Movement Is Key
Now that we’ve extensively covered the importance of defense and offense, there is one more aspect of Virtua Fighter 5 Revo that is crucial to your success: your movement. Your movement empowers your defense and offense, depending on how you utilize it.
Dashing (any direction twice) in Virtua Fighter can be canceled into another Dash, allowing you to quickly and efficiently navigate around the arena to either create space or close the gap on your opponent. Most characters also have unique actions while Dashing, which can further expand your offense.
Furthermore, pressing either 2 or 8 + P+K+G will have you perform an Offensive Move, having your character quickly dash to the side, allowing you to reposition yourself. This is excellent for getting away from the edge of the arena to avoid Stage Outs or even repositioning your opponent to open them up to your offense!
Use Training Mode To Improve
Training Mode, like in every fighting game, is a tremendously powerful tool in Virtua Fighter 5 Revo, allowing you to hone your skills and master your favorite character. While it can seem tedious at times or like a chore, we encourage you to spend some time in Training Mode to learn your character’s capabilities.
Practicing combos, knowing what to do when landing Counter Hits, or how to transition into specific stances can go a long way if you plan on playing online. Additionally, if a particular character is giving you trouble, labbing how to beat their most overwhelming actions will prepare you for your next bout against them.
Do not sleep on this mode, as it only serves to make you better at the game and your character of choice. It may not be as in-depth as some of the more recent games that have been released, but what’s there is enough to get you on the right path and to better your gameplay!
Choose The Character You Find Most Interesting
Lastly, Virtua Fighter 5 has been around for quite a while, and while it is a much different game now than it was when it initially launched, you won’t find a shortage of tier lists or discussions on which characters are generally considered the best or the worst.
The thing is, you shouldn’t base who you play on ranking or other people’s opinions, as picking the character that looks the most interesting to you is almost always the best decision you can make when selecting your main in a fighting game. If you like the character you’re playing, the sky is the limit for what you’re willing to learn to get better and better with them.
Never feel discouraged when picking a character you like. If they’re considered ‘OP’ or ‘Trash,’ that should not be your deciding factor. Give them a whirl, and if their playstyle clicks with you, then learn them and have fun. That’s all it’s about. Don’t take things too seriously!
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