Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate

While I originally placed Kokoro upper-mid and then later mid, I'm beginning to think she's not even quite a mid-tier-ish character. The more I play the other cast members and the more I discover what they can do and what they're capable of, the less I feel that Kokoro is in the same range as some of them.

For one thing, one of Kokoro's main strengths is her damage, but it turns out that a lot of characters are just as capable of putting out that same kind of damage. So this isn't really as strong as I originally believed. Another strength was her capability of getting players into red stun quickly. This is still true, but I feel like characters that have multiple critical bursts from the most recent patches (Jann Lee, Rig, Ayane, Helena, etc) have better options. For one, Kokoro's are all pretty well known and feel pretty rigid in getting to them. Less so with the other cast. The unique thing is that Kokoro doesn't have the play with stuns for very long, and I still think is a strength. But I do feel her ability to put opponents in red stun quickly is more of a balancing factor of her lack of long or multi-hit and multi-range (high, mid, low) strings available to her.

Then there's Heichu - let's not mince words here - it pales in comparison to Lei-Fang's stance. It doesn't have the best of transitions like Jann Lee and doesn't have any defensive components like Lei-Fang's, Jann Lee's, Pai's, Sarah's, Bayman's or even Hayabusa's. Its a more functional combo filler and less of useful tool for mind-games or punishment.

I'm also finding that Kokoro has a lack of crushes compared to some of the other cast members. Her best being 2H+KK, but this also happens to be her best low, its not even that good of a low. And her P-starting strings still feel like they lack range to me.

So when you combine this with her other weakness (little to no tracking options, lack of lows, frame-punishers, weak defense, somewhat weak approach), I'm thinking that she might be moving from middle tier to lower-mid, though not too low. I don't think she's stuck with the same problems as Mila has, but I think she might be in the same position as Hitomi is. Not really a bad character, just outshined by some of the stuff the other characters have.

So here's hoping they actually give her some new stuff - and good stuff - for DOA5U.
 
I have my doubts about netcode. When asked about it at E3 TN acted kinda dodgy. They said they fixed lag in some stages, which is exactly what they said when v1.03 came out
 
Windstar said:
While I originally placed Kokoro upper-mid and then later mid, I'm beginning to think she's not even quite a mid-tier-ish character. The more I play the other cast members and the more I discover what they can do and what they're capable of, the less I feel that Kokoro is in the same range as some of them.

For one thing, one of Kokoro's main strengths is her damage, but it turns out that a lot of characters are just as capable of putting out that same kind of damage. So this isn't really as strong as I originally believed. Another strength was her capability of getting players into red stun quickly. This is still true, but I feel like characters that have multiple critical bursts from the most recent patches (Jann Lee, Rig, Ayane, Helena, etc) have better options. For one, Kokoro's are all pretty well known and feel pretty rigid in getting to them. Less so with the other cast. The unique thing is that Kokoro doesn't have the play with stuns for very long, and I still think is a strength. But I do feel her ability to put opponents in red stun quickly is more of a balancing factor of her lack of long or multi-hit and multi-range (high, mid, low) strings available to her.

Then there's Heichu - let's not mince words here - it pales in comparison to Lei-Fang's stance. It doesn't have the best of transitions like Jann Lee and doesn't have any defensive components like Lei-Fang's, Jann Lee's, Pai's, Sarah's, Bayman's or even Hayabusa's. Its a more functional combo filler and less of useful tool for mind-games or punishment.

I'm also finding that Kokoro has a lack of crushes compared to some of the other cast members. Her best being 2H+KK, but this also happens to be her best low, its not even that good of a low. And her P-starting strings still feel like they lack range to me.

So when you combine this with her other weakness (little to no tracking options, lack of lows, frame-punishers, weak defense, somewhat weak approach), I'm thinking that she might be moving from middle tier to lower-mid, though not too low. I don't think she's stuck with the same problems as Mila has, but I think she might be in the same position as Hitomi is. Not really a bad character, just outshined by some of the stuff the other characters have.

So here's hoping they actually give her some new stuff - and good stuff - for DOA5U.
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good stuff. i noticed this problem to a while back. not to mention that that stance Heichu can be sidestepped punished easily. you can't really bait out a side step from people the hit faster off of sidestep (i.e. Pai, Kasumi, Akira, etc.) so it is a useless move against higher level players.

also i think i talked about her 214P glitch several times. and she has the slowest sidestep follow up in the game that, unlike the rest of the cast, has a MUCH higher risk to its reward factor. Windstar already touched on pretty much everything else i wanted to touch on. oh, did we mention kokoro's lack of decent launchers? nearly, all of her launchers are slow with the exception of 46P (which is a high). her 4H+P, 9K, 7K are all pretty slow. the fastest of those is 7K but it being one of her most common launchers and being a mid kick, it's countered often. the next fastest is 9K. it's uncounterable (meaning if someone counters the high kick they just side step) so it's the safest but due to it's long recovery time, there is little damage potential afterwards. 4H+P is, in my opinion, the best launcher for her but i need to take it to the lab to compare it to 46P. both are highs but i don't exactly know the launch properties of 46P. i'm guessing it doesn't launch as high but against those players that know how to slow escape well, it will have to do.

but for those people that counter launchers a lot:

214T+6T+46T all day. (hope i got those directions right.)
i think it's one of the best throws in the game. it was in DOA4 i believe but now Hayate has a grab that does massive damage and a big knock back now too.
 
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