Dimensions has 26 playable characters, more than any previous installment in the franchise had to offer, and uses a modified engine of Dead or Alive 4. The story of the game is a brief version of the stories of the previous four main Dead or Alive games. It is the first game in the series to have a "Teen" rating from the ESRB since Dead or Alive 3 by toning down the content for the female characters.