Round one: the first night
Virtua Fighter uses just three buttons: guard, punch and kick. There is no simplified mode and no meter, just you, your fighter and very exact timing. That makes the first night harder than in Street Fighter 6 or Fatal Fury, which is why this round scores lowest of the four.
The free World Stage update helps. Its solo campaign pits you against CPU rivals modelled on real competitive players, and the training tools and replays have been improved to show what happened in each exchange.
Three buttons and a direction, and twenty years of players still finding new things in it.
Round two: online
Rollback netcode and crossplay across PlayStation, Xbox, Switch 2 and PC have given the game a healthy online scene for the first time in years. Matches are tight, and ranked rooms fill quickly in the evenings.
The community is small but welcoming, and many players will happily explain what just beat you.
Round three: depth
This is the most precise game here. Every move has exact frame advantage, throws can be escaped with the right input, and the side step and evade system makes 3D movement a skill of its own. Akira Yuki is famous as one of the hardest fighters in the genre to master.
Twenty fighters is a modest cast, but each one has more moves to learn than most whole games.
Round four: the bill
It is £15.99 on Steam UK, and the only paid fighter, Dural, is £6.49. That makes the full cast about £22, cheaper than any modern game on the card except Rivals of Aether II.
Costume packs are cosmetic and optional.
| Steam UK | Usual | Today |
|---|---|---|
| Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage, base game | £15.99 | £15.99 |
| Dural | £6.49 | £6.49 |
| Full cast | £22.48 | £22.48 |
There is no season pass. The only paid fighter is Dural, the chrome boss, at £6.49; she is not allowed in Sega's official tournaments. Three costume packs, including Yakuza and Tekken 7 collaborations, are sold at £7.99 each.
Who to pick first
Jacky Bryant
Fast punches and strong kicks with clear combos. The standard first pick for good reason.
Wolf Hawkfield
A wrestler with huge throws. Teaches you the throw-or-strike guessing game at the heart of Virtua Fighter.
Before your first ranked match
- Learn to escape throws. Pressing guard plus punch with the right direction at the right moment saves rounds.
- Use the evade. Stepping to the side of a straight attack is the safest way to start your turn.
- Watch replays: the improved replay tools show frame advantage for every exchange.
Is it for you?
Buy it if
- You want the most precise fighter ever made
- You want a full cast for very little money
- You like 3D games
Skip it if
- You want a beginner mode
- You want a big story mode
- You want a large cast
The verdict
A masterpiece of 3D fighting, finally online properly, and very cheap. It gives nothing away to beginners, but for patient players nothing else is as exact.
Sources
Played on PC by the Battle Themes team. Facts and prices checked 4 November 2026.