Yeah, and I thought VF 3 was a decent game but like I said before it was quite a change from the rest of the series. They made quite a few changes that were not present before VF 3 and did not continue after VF 3.
First off they changed the characters outfits, and while i'm not against expanding their wardrobes a bit (some of them looked really good.), most of the changes were uninspired and lacking. Gone was Sarah's iconic blue outfit, replaced by cutoff blue jeans and a red top and Wolf in the cowboy hat was a neat idea (it fits his character) but it just came off goofy looking.
Then there was the varying terrain. I thought it was cool mechanic but it added an extra level of depth to the game which I didn't need. For me it changed the feel of the game and didn't provide the quick instant gratification that 1,2 and 5 provide.
Then there are the stages. I felt some of them, like the outfits, were uninspired as well. Then there were the weird optional camera views like overhead and first person that were somewhat experimental. All of these things were only present in VF 3 and haven't surfaced since.
To me VF 1, 2, 4 and 5 feel like they were cut from the same cloth, (even if 4 got the frayed edge of the cloth) VF 3 really feels like it's own thing. It's a decent game but it doesn't provide me with what I want or expect from a Virtua Fighter game.
Because VF 4 is lacking that extra 15% of awesomness that VF 5 has!
In all seriousness though, music is very, very, VERY important to me. When I see a movie preview or a movie, one of the first things that I really pay attention to is the musical score. I am no different with videogames.
In film a great musical score can elevate a crappy movie. Like wise a crappy score can really hurt a movie. IMO the same goes for a game. Their an audio, visual and interactive experience. For instance, if VF 2 had a terrible soundtrack It would have been much more difficult for me to enjoy. But, I can't tell you how many times I would be in class and all of the sudden Sarah's song,
"Black Cat Moon" would pop into my head. Then all I could think about was getting home to play Virtua Fighter 2 along with its awesome music!
IMO, on the musical side of things VF4 is horrendous. This is no hyperbole. Imagine some of the worst songs you have ever heard, some songs that you absolutely can't stand. Then imagine listening to them and only them the entire time you play Virtua Fighter 4. Thats honestly how I feel.
It drastically impacts the games enjoyment and can't draw me in like the other installments music can. So a good 1/3 to 1/2 the game experience is ruined by the soundtrack for me. The VF 5 music however is fantastic and really sets the mood and draws me into the fights. As a result it has that "I'll try one more time" effect when I get beat down, because the music makes me want to keep playing.
As for the actual gameplay... It's been a while and I can't remember the exact details but Sarah and Akira are the two characters that I use and I had serious issues with them in VF4. Some of their moves I found difficult to pull off and had no problems pulling them off in VF5. No doubt a good amount of the problem is the PS2 controller, which I'm not a fan of.
But there were other things as well. I'll toss VF4 in this next weekend and see if I can't remember the exact issues that I had.