"Aren't girls great? Aside from the gnashing of teeth, comical efforts at reverse parking and an unhealthy interest in the film catalogue of Hugh Grant, at their finest they're a sight to behold."

That's the most sexist intro to an IT Reviews review you've seen to date. But not without reason, for Dead Or Alive 4 relies for its initial impact on an inherent liking of girls who are a) wildly attractive, b) wearing very few clothes and c) not real. Fortunately, behind all of that is a devilishly tricky beat-'em-up that furiously makes the most of the Xbox 360's graphical prowess.

Bluntly, it looks stunning, from the silky-smooth animation of the lavishly detailed characters through to the interactive environments and cast of extras who are happy to look on in the background. This is really what a next generation fighting game should look like.

Ironically and, as it turns out, wisely, Dead Or Alive 4's cutting edge visuals are supported by gaming that's got 'old school' stamped all over it. It harks back to a day when fighting games were extremely testing and where the player who could mix in wily tactics, cunning and fast reactions would more often than not emerge superior over the casual button-masher.

In true fighting game style, Dead Or Alive 4's bouts are won by mastering combos, by taking advantage of critical hits and by knowing when to defend and when to block. The single player story mode - where you dig into the background of all the characters in the game - is devilishly hard. You're not likely to mind, as the zip and pace in which the game scrubs you down and gets you back up for another fight rarely leaves you a chance to dwell. But this is a game that demands your time to master, albeit one that'll accommodate you tackling it in small doses.

The trick, on top of the combos, is to get to grips with each character's special moves. The game doesn't hide these from you - indeed, an in-game menu will tell you what they are - but learning them takes time and taking full advantage of them takes longer. If you're not getting the message yet, this is a far deeper game than at first appears, and in our view all the better for it.

The single player experience is better balanced and that bit fairer than it was in Dead Or Alive 3, save for some not entirely welcome boss battles. And if you were being picky, there are moments where the graphics don't always quite gel. But these are faults quickly forgotten when you pass a second controller over to a friend or head online. Dead Or Alive 4 is multiplayer magic, and if social gaming's your thing then this will repay you the hefty purchase price time and time again.

A casual single player, attracted by the thought of striking visuals, a bit of titillation and a good fighting game, will get just that. Be warned though; while undoubtedly a very good fighting game, Dead Or Alive 4 is far from plain sailing. But if you can cope with that, and aren't, er, put off by scantily-clad girls fighting, then this is one of the best Xbox 360 titles to date. Even thought that's not quite the compliment it should be.

Super fighting action, rock hard single player mode and some adorable visuals define Dead Or Alive 4. And while it's not quite a classic, it is extremely good at what it does.