The legacy of Virtua Fighter looms large. A progenitor of 3D fighting games and a notoriously complex and mechanically rich series, Virtua Fighter has maintained a unique niche within the genre thanks to its emphasis on fundamentals. The arrival of Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. on Steam is an exciting move that sees the most recent entry in the series making its PC debut, albeit with the benefit of Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown‘s balancing updates, as well as the addition of rollback netcode for a smoother and more responsive competitive online experience and impressive new 4K visuals.
In celebration of Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O.‘s launch on Steam, Game Rant sat down with Virtua Fighter legacy project producer Siji Aoki to discuss how this newest release sets the stage for the franchise’s revival. While Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is hard at work on the next mainline Virtua Fighter game, Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. is stepping in as the new definitive release of 2006’s Virtua Fighter 5 and prepping PC players for the legendary series’ return to the platform. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
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Changes That Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. Brings to the Table
Q: For new and returning players, what are some of the most exciting reasons to play Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O.?
A: The implementation of rollback netcode which provides an environment where players will be able to play online comfortably without any stress, and the game balance adjustments for the first time in 13 years, which we feel creates a fair start for everyone.
Q: Can you walk us through what separates Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. from previous versions such as Final Showdown and Ultimate Showdown?
A: The main differences between this and Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown and Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown are that it supports rollback netcode and has a maximum internal resolution of 4K and a frame rate of 60fps.
Q: What were some challenges in integrating rollback netcode into Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O.?
A: Adding a new rollback netcode function to legacy source code from 13 years ago was certainly a technical challenge, but it became possible through the meticulous efforts of excellent programmers.
Q: Is Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O.’s balancing similar to the most recent PlayStation 4 version (Ultimate Showdown) or have there been any tweaks specific to the new release?
A: The game balance adjustments for the PS4 versions of Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown and Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. are exactly the same.
Q: For someone who might be jumping into the Virtua Fighter series for the first time with Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O., what would you say are the definitive elements that separate it from other contemporary fighting franchises?
A: We take great pride in the fact that Virtua Fighter focuses more on the fighting itself than flashy effects and combining this with the fact that the game can also be played in a variety of ways using simple controls with just three buttons, we feel sets it apart from other modern fighting games.
Virtua Fighter’s Future on PC
Q: With Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O.’s focus on online competitive play, will the team and SEGA be paying close attention to player counts to determine whether to bring future entries to PC?
A: In the fighting game scene these days, we think that demand for PC is increasing. We expect this trend to continue to accelerate, so we think that PC support will be essential in the future.
Q: Despite being playable in Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown, Dural is notably absent from Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. Are there any plans to rebalance the character and make her playable if player response calls for it?
A: The development team considered this, and we feel that Dural is not necessary as a playable character in a highly competitive Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown and Virtua Fighter 5: R.E.V.O. setting. There are no plans to change this at this time, but we will consider adding her if there is strong user demand.
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- ESRB
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T For Teen: Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence