SNK’s legendary fighter finally returns six years after the last instalment. Making its debut on the latest generation of consoles The King of Fighters XV looks to shatter all expectations.
The King of Fighters XV is the second part of the fourth saga. Picking up where KOF XIV left off, after the defeat of Verse.
This game sees a new tournament being held by a different director named Anastasia after Antonov’s retirement.
Elsewhere Chizuru Kagura, a previous host of the tournament senses something interfering with the seal of Orochi, otherwise known as Gaia's Will.
In an attempt to discern what the new tournament may be a front for, she forms Team Sacred Treasures with Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami.
Elsewhere two new fighters look to cause a ruckus by joining the tournament, Isla, the self-proclaimed rival of Shun'ei and the mysterious Dolores who may have a link to Verse.
Believe it or not, fighting games actually have well-scripted stories that just aren’t adapted as well as they can be, like in Guilty Gear Strive.
There is a story here but unless you’re really invested in the past three sagas then it's probably best to stick to the fighting.
But it’s great to see all the major past heroes from the Orochi, NESTS and Ash Sagas do battle once again.
The King of Fighters XV is the second game from SNK to run on Unreal Engine 4 after the last Samurai Shodown.
Visually it has improved leaps and bounds from KOF XIV, which used stiff 3D character models that were a far cry from the series 2D excellence.
This time around SNK has done an admirable job at capturing all the qualities and personality traits that made these characters so memorable.
Each special attack pops off the screen with dazzling particle effects that really accentuate their brazen display.
Special moves still retain their slick camera angles and zooms which all just look that much better with the updated aesthetic.
The soundtrack features over 300 songs from the entire KOF back catalogue, which is great as there are some gems.
There is a good mix of music from electronic to even jazz. Some of the do tracks feel a little out of place in a fighter like ‘How about a trip to paopao cafe’ may suit Robert Garcia, but it's far too jolly for combat.
Each character has voice acting which is always a great addition, as it elevates the excitement during battles. Hearing your favourite character yell their attack before or during the sequence never gets old.
KOF XV also includes the amazing announcer who comes in two different styles. I recommend always using the exciting option as their voice over is really entertaining.
The King of Fighters XV is a three-on-three fighter that features a whopping 39 characters and there’s more on the way.
The team battle element is fun but players can’t switch characters at will, which may not fit with the KOF’s history, but it would’ve added a whole extra level to gameplay and strategy.
Players can also just fight one on one in the Versus mode which is a nice option to focus on one character.
KOF XIV introduced a new fighting system that really streamlined the past mechanics making gameplay much more accessible than before.
The King of Fighters XV returns with pretty much all that made KOF XIV gameplay so satisfying. Each character pretty much has the same move set as they did in KOF XIV, which makes it easy to just jump into KOF XV.
Some of them do come with new Climax Super Special Moves that have new input commands.
MAX Mode returns but with a few added tweaks, it costs two bars of the power meter instead of one and each character's attack and Guard Crush Strength increases once activated
EX Special Moves can now be used outside of MAX Mode, consuming half a bar.
Max Mode has a second version in KOF XV called Max Mode Quick, which allows players to immediately combo into the next action without leaving an opening.
However Max Mode Quick does not increase attack power or Guard Crushes and has a shorter duration.
Rush mode returns, allowing players to once again execute an auto combo by pressing the light button three times ending with a different fourth input to execute a special move.
I’m all for having auto combos to help players get into fighters but it still feels way too simplistic and takes away from the years of input command learning.
Another new feature is the Shatter Strike mechanic that acts as the game's new parrying move. The caveat being that it depletes one bar from the power meter, meaning players will have to save it for those crucial moments.
The fight mechanics are fantastic and flow really well with each other. I am really looking forward to how creative players are with their strategies.
The King of Fighters XV comes with four offline modes that are versus, story, training and mission mode. The versus and training mode are self explanatory, while the story mode serves as the games arcade mode.
Mission mode allows players to become more familiar with the main character while completing quick mission tutorials.
Online Mode comes with modes that you would expect in a fighter, they include ranked matches where the outcome will affect the players online ranking.
Casual matches will allow players to fight against people across the globe where the outcome won’t affect your rank.
While room matches will allow players to create an isolated space to battle friends. It’s good to see there is an online training mode where players can practice against people online.
This game is also the first in the series to utilise GGPO’s rollback netcode that has featured in many past big fighters and more recently Melty Blood: Type Lumina.
Verdict
The King of Fighters XV is a great comeback for the series in a genre filled with such big titles. SNK has done a great job at creating a complex but accessible fight system that will appeal to old and new audiences.
The King of Fighters XV is out on 14 February for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S and PC
