Tecmo Koei and Team Ninja released a new trailer for their latest fighting game, Dead or Alive 5, today, and it showcases some pretty impressive new environments and returning characters. Although the combat animations looked smooth and lightning-fast, even more so than usual, the real star of this video is the Hot Zone stage on which the combatants fight.

There is simply tons of action going on behind the fighters, so much so that I almost wonder if it will prove to be a distraction in the final game. Soldiers battle in the dilapidated streets, rubble falls from buildings, and, most impressive of all, a helicopter crashes and explodes right next to the arena. It looks like interactive environments will be making a welcome return as well. In this trailer, Christie can be seen throwing her opponent through a barrier of sandbags, likely dealing heavy damage in the process. 

With Team Ninja's infamous frontman Tomunobu Itagaki long gone, can Team Ninja pull it together to make another great DoA game? Ninja Gaiden 3 seemed lost without his direction, but this trailer is thankfully pretty promising. Check it out for yourself below, and stay tuned to GameShampoo for the final word on Dead or Alive 5.