There are eight modes of play in DOA3, including Story mode, Team Battle, Tag Battle and Sparring mode. The latter mode is customisable and is a nice way for new players to learn how to play the game, while Story mode lets you take one of the 16 available characters through a series of matches, culminating in a fight against the über -powerful Omega. Once you defeat Omega, a short movie specific to your charaue is laughable) but the end-movies are pretty cool and its fun playing through the game as each of the characters.

The real meat of the game, though, is its combat, and DOA3 delivers in spades. Each character has specific attacks--such as Zacks Devil Elbow or Bass Armstrongs Stun Gun Chop--and once you get the moves down, the entire affair can unfold like a carefully choreographed ballet with combatants blocking blows, counter attacking and landing devastating punch-and-kick combos. Adding to the games appeal are the massive and detailed multi-level arenas (which were introduced in DOA2), where a precise kick or punch can send a combatant plummeting through the air down to the arenas next level.