King of Fighters is not a common household name in the fighting family. Especially when you look at fighters like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. With that being said, the latest entry in the series does a solid job of keeping up with the competition. King of Fighters XV boasts a ton of content and modes that will fill hours of your life, but there are a few hiccups that get be flagged immediately like the premise.
The premise is a generic pick your team, fight through the tournament, and vanquish the evil that surrounds it. There is even the resurrection of previously dead characters, time-traveling, and even reality jumps. Otherwise, the main story can be finished rather quickly but has tons of replayability that builds on the love the developers put into it. For example, you can unlock special scenes that only occur with specific teams.
There are other modes other than story mode. You have versus mode which allows you to fight AI or a friend on the couch. Then there is a training mode, which helps you practice the basics and have a better understanding of the fighting mechanics. Followed by a mission mode to help learn special mechanics in the game. And of course, the game mode that claims modern fighting games is the online mode. The great thing about online play is that it brings in rollback netcode, which gives online matches a more competitive feel. The rank mode will be the go-to mode for players to climb the ladder. The King of Fighters XV also throws in a casual mode and online training mode for players to practice together.
The detailed tutorial helps make it easier to understand the various mechanics and easily explain each concept. MAX Mode gives players a limited time of increased defense and increased attack power to do more damage. Rush Mode, a great returning ability for greener players, is simply done light punching, which then initiates a combo, and varies on the final button pressed. Rush mode in particular may seem unbalanced for veterans of the franchise but can actually be a double edge sword for newbies. The Shatter Strike system allows the player to counterstrike an opponent with a power attack that even stuns the opponent, allowing for a turnaround in the match.
There are also four special move types you learn on top of your regular combos. EX Special Moves are used in Max mode and consume a small amount of the mode’s bar. Super Special moves are activated when specific input is used and consumes a whole block of the meter. Max Super Special Moves are similar to the previous except they cost two bars of the meter. Lastly, there are Climax Super Special Moves, which are activated similarly to the previous two, but use three bars of the meter. From here, there is not much of a difference from your average fighting game except for characters.
There are 39 characters in total, each with their own unique abilities and fighting styles. Ryo Sakazaki for example is slow, but his defense and reach are much better. Or Mai Shiranui whose speed is unmatched and can make Rush mode a more viable plan of action. Each character is truly different and makes you learn the fundamentals of the combat to utilize them to their fullest capacity. Especially when you look into the move sets for Max Mode, which offers an even steeper learning curve. It can be more tedious compared to other fighters like Street Fighter but can be just as satisfying when you find the right characters.
A lot of effort was put into the visuals of The King of Fighters XV. The game is beautifully touched by the various level designs and the way all of the colors fill the screen. Character models are detailed and truly come to life while in combat. The Max abilities even add a little flair and breath a new life when making contact in combat. One of the many reasons to enjoy this labor of love. Another reason to give The King of Fighters XV a chance is the soundtrack. There is a variety of genres like pop and metal, but they brought soundtracks from all of the games and more. You are sure to find your favorite tracks and make your customized tracks to be the top fighter.
You can find a lot of the extras in the gallery. You can find character voices and in-game cinematics as some of the standard lists. Along with that list is also the DJ Station with the list of all the songs previously stated. Now the cherry on top of this gallery is the special animated short. It was directed by the world-renowned animator Masami Obari. By far this is one of the better galleries you can find in modern games.
King of Fighters XV is truly a contender of its own for those who are new to the franchise and veterans. The tutorial helps new players up to speed and gets them to try something other than button mashing. The story is generic and leaves a lot to be desired, but the various game modes make up a lot of its shortcomings. With 39 characters and a huge catalog of soundtracks, you are bound to find your perfect setup and become a true King of Fighters.
MORE SCREENS
