An absolutely gorgeous new update to the series with some fantastic additions like breakable stage props and much more insane transitions when you ring out in just the right place, though sometimes these take just a hair longer than they should considering how much you'll be replaying the same stage over and over. The normal difficulty AI feels more harsh than ever but the input reading isn't as big of a deal when the counter damage has been nerfed across the board. I still prefer the way DOA2 HARD*CORE is balanced, and the amount of content on offer here seems to be even less than the previous game, but the package is so polished and a joy just to watch unfold.