The King of Fighters has been around since 2D arcade fighters were at the height of their popularity thanks to games like Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat, though the origins of this particular franchise are more unusual. SNK jumped on the fighting bandwagon with Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting. In 1994 The King of Fighters was the first fighter crossover, it was SNK vs. SNK where Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting were pitted against each other, along with a couple other characters from other SNK games. The franchise grew and developed its own storyline and characters. After almost thirty years the franchise has proven to be a worthy contender in the genre as we now have The King of Fighters XV.
KOF XV has the standard modes one would expect from a fighting game. Offline there’s a training mode where players can hone their kills on an inactive CPU opponent, a versus mode where they can face off against a CPU opponent or their friends in three on three or one on one matches and story mode, which is a series of three on three matches that culminates in the final match that crowns them champion of the King of Fighters tournament. There are training missions where players follow the input guides on screen to learn combos. Online options offer ranked matches, casual matches, room matches and online training.
The story takes a team of three through several matches before facing off against the final boss. This is basically the arcade mode. There are a few cutscenes that don’t really change based on who is on your team but there are different ending scenes depending on who is on the team. An interesting aspect about this is if the player chooses their three teammates it will stay the same throughout the each battle but a randomly selected team will change. There is a big difficulty spike at the final boss which is not entirely unexpected. Completing story mode will take approximately a half hour. There is some semblance of a story but let’s say KOF XV isn’t the type of game one plays for the story.
Fighting games have always been designed to be enjoyed while facing off against human opponents. Local versus is supported, which is great because kicking the crap out of your friends on the couch is always a good time. It’s suspected that most KOF XV matches will take place against other players online and unfortunately at the time of this review the online servers were not accessible so we can’t comment on the online portion of KOF XV.
KOF XV has a roster of 39 fighters split into 13 teams and one boss character. 12 more fighters split into four different teams are planned for future DLC. Most of the fighters are familiar faces to SNK fans but there are some newcomers such as Delores, Isla and Krohnen McDougall. Like its predecessor KOF XV uses a parry system called Shatter Strike. It does have an energy bar cost but can be useful in sending an opponent flying and turning the tide of battle. The energy bar can also be used to store up powerful attacks that can lead to devastating results.
KOF XV is an enjoyable but limited fighting experience. The robust character roster provides plenty of characters to master, including many fan favorites. The game mechanics are such where elite fighters will need to spend time mastering all the nuances rough where newcomers are able to get a fighting chance. The arenas feature creative design choices that are enjoyable to check out and there is a DJ option to have some control over the game’s music. The fights in KOF XV are fast paced spectacles with no graphical hiccups during the single player experience. It follows the ground rules for how a good 2D fighter should play, but doesn’t push the boundaries or bring it into any new or exceptional territory. This is a game that is limited by its rather bare bones content. Aside from training modes and a short story mode, there isn’t much to offer in terms of single player. The large roster of fighters to master can help ensure that KOF XV won’t wear out its welcome anytime soon, but this is the type of game that will only hold one’s interest as long as there are other people to fight, whether they be local or online.
Closing Comments:
The King of Fighters XV is a solid 2D fighter on its most basic level and a natural must play for fans of the franchise. The game mechanics will make hardcore fighters work and feel a sense of accomplishment when they master a few characters but it’s also accessible enough for casual players. The roster of 39 fighters that are immediately available shows that this is a title that’s ready to throw down. The high number of playable characters can provide many hours of competitive play, but there isn’t a whole lot to do outside having countless matches against people. The single player content is limited and completing the short story mode takes roughly a half hour without much incentive for replays. Overall this seems like a game that would be good for die hard fighting fans who love playing against other people, but not recommended for anyone looking for a substantial single player experience.
