The free-to-play version of Dead or Alive 6 has arrived with an updated credit system to let you unlock the character costumes that you want.

Dead or Alive 6 arrived on March 1st for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC (on Steam, natch) with updated sweat and blood effects, visible damage as fighters get beaten up during a round, and slow-motion impact effects that are slightly reminiscent of Mortal Kombat, but without the whole “seeing someone’s spine snap in half and then make a blended smoothie out of all their internal organs” thing.

It also has the series’ signature jiggle physics, for those that are into it.

And it arrived with a price of $68.99, which is something we’ve come to expect from triple-AAA blockbuster titles. Perhaps there was once a time when Dead or Alive had that kind of clout, but these days, the Team Ninja fighter isn’t quite so famous.

That’s why they made a free-to-play version which came out two weeks later. On March 14th, Dead or Alive 6: Core Fighters released on all previous platforms that allow anyone to download the game for free and then play most of the game’s content, albeit with just four fighters to choose from.

DOA6
via GamingBolt
DOA6

Publishers Koei Tecmo had a similar version of Dead or Alive 5 that allowed them to sell the game piecemeal. Much like DOA5, DOA6: Core Fighters comes with a few “core” fighters, namely Kasumi, Diego, Hitomi, and Bass, and allows you to purchase more for $3.99 each. Or you can buy package deals to unlock more at once, such as the all-male cast of 9 characters for $33.99, or all 11 female characters for $39.99. Or you can just get all 20 additional characters for $49.99.

Core Fighters comes with every game mode unlocked, including time attack, DOA Quest Mode, and online ranked 1v1 multiplayer, so you can get right to fighting without any additional costs. Story mode is an unlockable extra for $19.99.

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So buying all the characters and story mode would set you back the same amount as just buying the game outright. But this way, DOA6 lets players dip their toes into the water before committing to that kind of money, and even allows them to purchase precisely what they want. It’s a great way of both allowing players to try the game for free and also squeezing every dollar you can out of a release.

Dead or Alive 6
via Steam
Dead or Alive 6

In addition, DOA6: Core Fighters also has a revamped credit system that allows players to accumulate in-game currency and unlock character costumes for the character they’re actually using rather than towards random characters they might not even own.

So if you’re not into the current batch of big name fighters, give Dead or Alive 6 a try. You’ve got nothing to lose.

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