Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme sees players as the manager of Venus Islands! Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying

Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme - Review Overview

What is Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme -?

Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme - (or simply as Venus Vacation PRISM) is a dating simulation game developed by KOEI TECMO and Team Ninja, released on March 27, 2025 in select Asian countries, for PC, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4. This title marks the first full-fledged romance game in the Dead or Alive Xtreme series, shifting focus from volleyball and mini-games to relationship-building mechanics.

In the sun-drenched Venus Islands, where summer is everlasting, players take on the mantle of a Resort Owner. This role centers on fostering connections with six different female characters: Misaki, Honoka, Tamaki, Fiona, Nanami, and Elise. Player decisions shape the development of these relationships and ultimately determine the story’s outcomes.

The game prioritizes building genuine connections through casual conversations and intimate moments. There is a photo mode that enables players to capture special moments during episodes, adjust angles and compositions, and submit photos to gain fans and unlock rewards, such as new outfits.

Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme - features:
　⚫︎　Build Relationships With Six Characters From the Dead or Alive Series
　⚫︎　Choices Influence Outcomes
　⚫︎　Episodes Are Filled With Minigames
　⚫︎　Photograph Your Dates
　⚫︎　Obtain Outfits and Hairstyles For Your Dates

For more gameplay details, read everything we know about Venus Vacation PRISM's gameplay and story.

Steam			PlayStation
Price		SGD 91.30

Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme - Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Fun Scenarios and Dates With The Venuses Actually Addictive Photo Mode Jaw-Droppingly Gorgeous Visuals	The Resort Feels Hollow Mini-Games Don’t Feel Like Games At All Not Worth The Price of Admission

Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme - Overall Score - 72/100

Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme - (or simply Venus Vacation PRISM) is fully committed to its identity, for better or worse. It has charming characters, a strikingly polished presentation, and an addicting photo mode, but it also stumbles with shallow mini-games, a lifeless world, and a steep asking price. There’s fun to be had here, especially for those who enjoy its particular brand of lighthearted escapism, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that it could have been so much more.

Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme - Story - 7/10

Venus Vacation PRISM doesn’t aim for the narrative depth of, say a JRPG, and really, it doesn’t need to. As a dating sim, its success hinges on the charm of its Venuses rather than an intricate plot, and in that regard, it delivers. Sure, the character arcs aren’t exactly Shakespearean tragedies, but each Venus has just enough personality and backstory to make them compelling. The game may not be big on story, but it knows exactly what it wants to be—and it does that well enough.

Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme - Gameplay - 8/10

The game delivers what you’d expect from a dating sim—fun conversations, branching dialogue choices, and the constant temptation to replay chapters just to see how different interactions could unfold. This core gameplay loop is enjoyable, yes, but the mini-games are a disappointment, especially compared to previous entries in the Xtreme series. Thankfully, the photo mode more than makes up for it. It offers a surprisingly deep level of customization that can easily devour hours—before you even realize you’ve taken a thousand snapshots.

Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme - Visuals - 9/10

The visuals are Venus Vacation PRISM’s strong suit, with character models almost meticulously crafted that every close-up feels like a showcase of just how much detail can be packed into a single expression. The lighting, especially at night, gives the island an almost dreamlike beauty, though the backgrounds themselves feel oddly lifeless—an empty resort that only claims to be bustling. Still, when the focus is entirely on the Venuses, the game excels. It may not be the most dynamic world, but it’s undeniably stunning where it counts.

Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme - Audio - 7/10

Venus Vacation PRISM’s audio is serviceable, but it rarely stands out. The background music is pleasant enough, with a few catchy tunes that might get stuck in your head, but it mostly fades into the scenery. The game, though, features an impressive cast that brings the Venuses to life with expressive performances. With talents like Minami Tsuda (Mio from Xenoblade Chronicles 3), Kaede Hondo (Hifumi from Blue Archive), and Saori Onishi (Ruan Mei from Honkai Star Rail) lending their voices, conversations feel lively and leave a lasting impression.

Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme - Value for Money - 5/10

Paradise, as it turns out, doesn’t come cheap. There’s plenty to admire here in Venus Vacation PRISM, but admiration alone doesn’t soften the sting of a SGD 91.30 (almost $70) price tag that rivals most triple-A games in the market. Even for the most devoted fans, this is a getaway that demands more than just your enthusiasm; it asks for a level of commitment that borders on the extravagant, especially when factoring in the hurdles of importing. And while indulgence has always been part of the Dead or Alive Xtreme series, one has to wonder if the ultimate luxury here isn’t the island itself but simply justifying the trip.

Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme - Review: Just In Time For Spring Break

For decades, Dead or Alive (DoA) has walked a tightrope between two extremes. On one end, it’s a fast-paced, counter-heavy fighting game where skilled players can dismantle opponents with pinpoint strikes. On the other, it’s a franchise so thoroughly enamored with the art of the "jiggle" that it has engineered an entire physics engine to ensure that its characters remain in perpetual motion, whether they’re in a fight or just standing around.

But while the mainline games have tried (to varying degrees of success, looking at how DoA 6 was received) to balance these elements, Dead or Alive Xtreme took one look at that balancing act and promptly threw itself onto a beach chair. Debuting in 2003 as a Dead or Alive 3 spinoff, Xtreme Beach Volleyball wasn’t so much a sports game as it was an interactive swimsuit calendar, where volleyball existed largely as an excuse for sun-drenched close-ups. This doesn’t diminish, however, how these are actually decent volleyball games.

Somehow, though, that evolution led here, and really, it was only a matter of time. Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE XTREME - is the latest iteration of the Xtreme lineage that brings the series’ beachside antics into a dating simulator. The question is, in a franchise that has already embraced leisure over gameplay, where is there left to go? And more importantly—does this newest entry offer anything more than just another excuse to admire the view?

Beach, Please!

Somewhere, in a paradise untouched by the worries of the real world, there exists an island where time slows, where responsibility fades into the sound of lapping waves, and where the most pressing decision of the day might be which dialogue option will win favor with a familiar face. At the center of it all is you—the manager of the resort whose sole duty is ensuring that this never-ending vacation remains, well, perfect. The role is less about overseeing the entire resort and more about nurturing bonds, strengthening friendships, and occasionally marveling at the sheer spectacle of it all.

The muses who populate this island are known as the Venuses, each with their own quirks, desires, and aspirations, all of which conveniently orbit around your ability to guide them toward self-improvement (or at the very least, a more fashionable wardrobe). As an immersive dating simulator, you’ll go on dates with six girls and try to win their hearts. This gives you carefully curated moments with them—conversations on the beach, leisurely strolls at sunset, and the quiet triumphs of newfound confidence.

If storytelling is the art of conflict and resolution, then Venus Vacation PRISM is content to simply sip cocktails by the shore. It’s an immersive dating simulator, after all. There’s no grand journey, no pressing stakes, no dark secrets waiting to be unearthed—just an endless summer framed around the ever-elusive Venus Festival—a vaguely defined event that exists more as an excuse for the cast to gather than as an actual narrative throughline. You, the newly appointed manager, are supposedly at the heart of it all, yet you bumble through your role with a level of inexperience that borders on endearing.

Fortunately, the six Venuses are here to guide you through it, and if that sounds like a thin premise, well, it is. But in a game where the biggest crisis is a poorly chosen dialogue option, that’s probably the point.

Getting To Know You

At first glance, the characters slot neatly into their expected archetypes—Misaki is the shy newcomer, Honoka is the bubbly gamer, Elise is the strict instructor, and Fiona is the inexplicably devoted princess who seems to know more about you than you do yourself. But while their introductions are comfortably familiar, the more time you spend with them, the more they reveal their own individual charms. Misaki is a part-timer working toward financial independence. Honoka may be a flirt at times, but her love for pro-wrestling and deep admiration for her grandmother make her more than just a surface-level trope. And Fiona? Well, her obsession with you might seem odd at first, but it’s rooted in loneliness, a result of her escaping the constraints of her royal life. They may not be the deepest characters ever written, but they are, undeniably, easy to care about.

These personalities shine brightest in the game’s dialogue choices. Misaki recoils at flirtation, preferring sincerity, while Tamaki delights in watching you stumble over your words. Fiona is unwavering in her affection, a dynamic that shifts from comical to oddly touching as you get to know her. Your bond with them deepens to the point where it becomes heartbreaking to witness the moment you have to select a date and see the light fade from the eyes of those you reject.

What Even Is a Venus Festival?

Yet for all the talk of the Venus Festival, the event itself remains curiously abstract. The characters speak of videos and photos being taken, of moments captured for an unseen audience, yet the game only ever shows you what happens after. It’s a strange omission, one that makes the festival feel less like an actual event and more like a macguffin—constantly referenced, yet never truly experienced.

But perhaps that’s fitting. After all, Venus Vacation PRISM isn’t a story of action but of presence—a quiet, indulgent fantasy where the real satisfaction comes not from what happens next but from simply being there with the characters. But still, it’s a missed opportunity, especially since the actual photoshoots could house more creative mini-games—something that this game seems to be lacking on.

Press X to… Bond?

Don’t get me wrong—Venus Vacation PRISM hasn’t entirely abandoned mini-games. Much like its predecessors, it sprinkles interactive moments between its dating sim sequences, which allows you to engage with the Venuses in ways that go beyond mere conversation. There’s Hand Sumo and Sit-Ups and Water Fight—activities that kind of serve a purpose, sure. Participating in mini-games strengthens the bond between you and your chosen Venus, raising her Interest Level and making her more receptive to your presence. The higher the Interest Level, the more engaged she becomes in conversations. It’s a system that ties interaction to progression and reinforces the illusion that you are, indeed, growing closer.

But in practice, the mini-games feel more like glorified photo ops than actual games. There are only a handful of them, and they all boil down to pressing a button at the right time—nothing more, nothing less.

Gone are the days of placing bets in Blackjack, spinning the roulette wheel, or even scaling cliffs for no reason other than to see a character struggle their way to the top, as in previous Xtreme entries. Instead, PRISM distills its mini-games into fleeting moments, designed less for engagement and more as an excuse to frame its characters in soft, picturesque lighting. It pairs down the mini-games to their most simplistic form, and strips away yet another layer of what once made Dead or Alive Xtreme feel like more than just a digital swimsuit catalog.

PIcture Perfect Paradise

If Venus Vacation PRISM has a defining gameplay feature beyond its relationship-building mechanics, it’s the photo mode. In a game where the ocean remains perpetually serene and where every moment is an opportunity for perfectly framed indulgence, the camera becomes your most compelling tool. The entire game orbits around photography, with the Venus Festival serving as the justification for your endless snapshots. Each chapter begins with a message from the office detailing specific "Points to Focus" on—posing, expressions, characters—elements that, when captured correctly, increase the popularity of the Venuses and, in turn, their growing fanbase.

The evaluation system adds a layer of planning to scenarios, albeit a light one. You’re given the freedom to take as many photos as you want throughout the chapter, but only six can be submitted for review. Quality over quantity is key here—rapid shots can capture multiple angles of a scene, but only one from a set can make it to the final selection. More fans mean new outfits, and the combined fan count of all the Venuses determines the scale of the festival itself. It’s a gameplay loop that thrives on visual appeal and rewards you not for precision or skill but for capturing the right aesthetic at the right moment.

To its credit, PRISM takes this role seriously. The photo mode is its primary mode of engagement. You can adjust angles, tweak lighting, experiment with frames, stickers, filters, and more! The game gives you an almost overwhelming level of control.

Outside of photography, the Boss’s Office serves as your personal space for managing relationships and styling your stars. Here, you can interact with the Venuses, change their outfits (which then carry over into scenarios), and check your phone for progress updates. It’s all incredibly relaxed and reinforces the idea that Venus Vacation PRISM is all about immersion and making memories.

The Venuses Are The Main Event, And Boy, Do They Know It

It helps, too, that Venus Vacation PRISM is undeniably gorgeous. The six Venuses are rendered with an almost obsessive level of detail. The strands of their hair, the flicker of light against their skin—carefully crafted to ensure that they remain the absolute focus of every frame. Close-up shots, whether intentional or accidental, highlight just how much effort has gone into their designs. It’s hard not to be at least a little mesmerized when the game so eagerly flatters its own subjects.

The environments, though, while still aesthetically pleasing, tell a different story. The beaches glow under the soft embrace of moonlight, and the sunsets paint the sky in warm, cinematic hues, but for all the talk of the Venus Festival being a grand spectacle, the resort itself feels eerily empty. It’s a paradise without people, a lively event without an audience. The game speaks of bustling festivities, of parties for whoever whenever, yet there are no guests lounging by the pool, no background characters adding life to the scenery. The world exists solely for the Venuses, and while that certainly reinforces their status as the centerpiece of the experience, it also makes the island feel strangely hollow.

Still, Venus Vacation PRISM is nothing if not visually indulgent, and it knows exactly where to direct your attention. The lighting, the soft glow of the characters against the scenery, the deliberate framing—it all works together to ensure that every shot looks like it was pulled straight from a photo book. If only the world around them felt just as alive.

Is Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme - Worth It?

Too Pricey For Too Little Content

If there’s anything holding Venus Vacation PRISM back from being an easy recommendation for fans of the Xtreme sub-series, it’s the price. At SGD 91.30 (nearly $70), the game asks for the same financial commitment as a full-fledged AAA title—a bold ask for what is, at its core, a niche dating sim with a lavish photo mode. Sure, the experience is enjoyable, but it’s difficult to justify the cost when the roster itself feels incomplete.

Longtime Dead or Alive fans will be disappointed to find that many of the series’ heroines—Kasumi, Ayane, Helena, Hitomi—are nowhere to be found, leaving only Honoka as the sole representative of the franchise’s mainline fighting games. The remaining cast is drawn from Dead or Alive Xtreme Venus Vacation or Dead or Alive Xtreme 3, which, while still charming in their own right, may not be what some fans were hoping for.

That said, they are characters whom you’ll care for once you get to know them, and they’ll make you want to experiment with different dialogue choices and revisit chapters for better outcomes. It’s tempting to dive back in, if only to see how things could have played out differently with another approach. But ultimately, these alternate routes are still relatively short-lived.

I don’t regret my time with Venus Vacation PRISM. There’s fun to be had here—the characters are charming enough to make the journey worthwhile. But whether it’s worth the asking price is another story entirely.

Steam			PlayStation
Price		SGD 91.30

Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme - FAQ

Who are the characters in Venus Vacation PRISM?

There are six female characters who players can interact with:

　⚫︎　Misaki, the shy part-timer who wants to be close to the player.
　⚫︎　Honoka, the secretly gentle schoolgirl who comforts the player.
　⚫︎　Tamaki, the mature and sexy beauty who seduces the player.
　⚫︎　Fiona, the naive princess who falls for the player.
　⚫︎　Nanami, the naturally cool beauty who shows interest in the player.
　⚫︎　Elise, the cool and beautiful instructor who is strict with the player.

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Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme - Product Information

Title	VENUS VACATION PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE XTREME -
Release Date	March 27, 2025 (Asia)
Developer	KOEI TECMO Team Ninja
Publisher	KOEI TECMO Digital Touch
Supported Platforms	PC (via Steam) PlayStation 5 PlayStation 4
Genre	Adventure, Dating Simulation
Number of Players	Single-Player (1)
ESRB Rating	CERO D (17+) IMDA M18
Official Website	Official Website for Venus Vacation PRISM - DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme -

L A R Opalec

Lloyd grew up bonding with his big brother over video games. While RPGs like Disco Elysium and Final Fantasy IX hold a special place in his heart, he's always up to try new genres.