Dead or Alive 4 will break new ground on Xbox Live featuring simultaneous 4-player tag battle for the first time in the series, up to 16-players online at one time, and a stylized and accessible online lobby system that allows players to choose an avatar and a "theme" for their house which will serve as their online lobby that other players can visit to get matched up for a fight.

DOA4 is a move in the right direction for the series in the long run, even if, in the short run, the changes to the counter system, blocks, throws and the ground game are a little annoying at first. The fighting is now deeper and more sophisticated, and while it may not seem so at first, there is a solution to every attack. For instance, if you see the warthog driving toward you in Gambler's Paradise, you can jump it. You can still counter nearly everything, and the ground game and the use of the environment is much greater. DOA4's online mode is also a tremendous improvement, giving the series another layer of play that should take off and breathe new life into the series. The game is also incredibly funny, too. The breadth of game endings is vast, and some are incredibly hilarious (Zack and Kasumi for starters).