SNK’s kings of wrestling are back, their super combos fill the screen and the mind-blowing arcade fighting sensations are palpable at the controls. The King of Fighters XV is the last great blow on the table of the Osaka company, and although it is not surprising visually, it retains everything that made the arcade and Neo Geo saga great and adds a powerful claim : now, online games are a real delight.
The highly polished team fighting formula the saga The King of Fighters and its classic mechanics are not satisfied with strengthening the classic modes single-player and they take the competitive online section much more seriously, and that is a total win for fans and casual gamers: It is a joy to see that the development of each round is celebrated without frame drops, freezes or uncomfortable interruptions during the execution of delicate attack sequences.
An absolute fighting spectacle with no more frustrations than the fatal consequences of failing to chain one blow to the next. Fortunately, dexterity and discipline are always promoted at KOF ’15. Effective cover and dodge is just as important as memorizing all attack sequences. And, to be honest, the saga had been crying out for a good online for more than a decade.
Because the presentation and staging of the SNK superstars is much more modest than what has already been seen in Street Fighter V, Tekken 7 or Mortal Kombat 11. Definitely, and despite the fact that it also uses the Unreal Engine, in a matter of finishes there are several leagues from behind. But, on the other hand, that the Rollback Netcode has been implemented so well puts the next installment in the KOF saga on the same level as all previous games.
A double challenge considering that, as we will see, a fluid game experience is absolutely essential to be able to squeeze the outstanding rhythm of the games and that special precision that is required to dominate The King of Fighters XV. Said that way it may sound intimidating, of course, but SNK has also done the work to make this installment the perfect entry point to the saga. Even for the not so seasoned in fighting games.
On iGamesNews we have already been able to play thoroughly The King of Fighters XV through its online beta and we have perfectly captured the message that SNK wants to convey: being faithful to the arcade legacy is essential, but knowing meet the demands of fans of fighting games It is what will really end up making the difference.
The best of the arcade past shine again on current and next-gen systems
KOF’15 it is exquisitely faithful to the initials it aspires to champion. From the first game. Get to the controls Kyo, Iori or an unexpectedly returned one Shermie in team battles and in relays it is a great pleasure in which SNK outlines what already worked and takes the opportunity to introduce new and very interesting possibilities through new mechanics and very well posed shortcuts.
The essential: KOF’15 redoubles its commitment to original gameplay. The one in which it is a priority to chain blows, but it also generously rewards the one that we get ahead of what the rival is up to, either rolling, with a good counterattack, covering us effectively or with a single blow capable of stopping it in its tracks. While mobility is essential in fighting games, KOF rewards precision.
Because in KOF ’15 it is not enough to know the special techniques: you have to understand how to get the most out of them or empower them efficiently. That philosophy is very present in this installment, of course, and the way to integrate the cancels (that is, substituting a running movement for another on the fly) constantly define the outcome of each initiative.
Now, although the above sounds intimidating, SNK continues to open up to new players. The very design of Shun’ei, the new protagonist of the series since KOF ’14, seeks to capture the attention of a new generation of video game fans, and his fighting style combines KOF traits with Fatal Fury to make it more accessible to everyone.
What’s more, KOF’15 is designed to make everyone feel comfortable at the controls:
- SNK offers a very simple combat scheme (two punches and two kicks, with classic combo sequences) that is understood in the first game but requires hundreds of hours in practice and training modes to achieve some mastery.
- Although if what we want is to hit buttons, also the autocombos system has been reinforced from the previous tournament: we will be able to carry out initiatives and simple chains of strokes with a single button, being able to choose between different shots depending on the fourth impact.
Logically, the autcombo system has little travel once we have gotten the hang of it. you dodge them and some blocks that gain an extra prominence. Something that SNK has balanced by being more strict with the guard bar under the salute bar and a new type of attack: el Shatter Strike.
In a matter of great playable novelties we find a shared technique known as Shatter Strike which, in essence, serves both to leave the rival defenseless for a moment and as a counterattack if we use it at the exact moment. Unlike Street Fighter IV’s Focus Attack, it doesn’t have a charge time that gives it an extra layer of strategy, although we can give it a much greater effect at the price of a combo bar charge.
However, what will really end up defining the spirit of this installment is the Max Mode and the Max Mode Quick. The first is not very different from the classic Max Mode of the KOF series: it is activated with Quick Kick and Strong Punch and increases the attack and the punch in block, while the second is executed in the same way after making a blow (even if it is blocked) and serves to chain new chains of attacks on the fly. Something like a Roman Cancel Guilty Gear, but SNK style.
The result? More and better combos, a way to incentivize offensives after giving blocks more presence and above all, a brilliant way to open up new possibilities and give unexpected twists to the most delicate situations. Something that is very in line with a saga in which, for decades, what separates the victories by the minimum and an epic finish is the skill of the player hardened by experience.
The King of Fighters XV, the most competitive game of the entire saga
As we commented, The King of Fighters XV knows how to connect very well with any gamer profile. Something that distinguishes it very positively from the installments of the Playmore stage. In addition, you will find yourself at home whether you have dedicated your good hours to The King of Fighters XIV as if you still have the fond memory (and muscle memory) of the installments released around the turn of the millennium.
And, as we said, it also offers very valuable resources to those who want to introduce themselves in the game, in addition to a Tutorial and a Mission mode.
Now, what makes us look at this new edition of the tournament with new eyes is not the modest but more than palpable visual leap from KOF ’14 (SNK is a lot looser with the Unreal Engine, although not enough to match Capcom or Bandai Namco) but the way to approach the competitive nuance.
In other words, those from Osaka have given as much weight and prominence to the online options as to the rest of the modes through a simpler matchmaking system, a way of redirecting ourselves or using the most efficient and even gaming rooms. promote a community of players Above limiting itself to offering an alternative to play online to what is already offered offline. Something that, it must be said, no great current fighting game can afford at this point in the game.
To be honest, the online section of KOF It is something that (removing some very specific review of the classics) has not been an element for which this saga has been distinguished. And, although competitive, creative and open-to-all gameplay is something that should be a priority, it must be admitted that KOF ’15’s secret weapon is the Rollback Netcode. In fact, the predictive game system makes this installment a scandal.
In 50 games on PS4 and PS5 we have only experienced a connection problem and, taking probabilities, we suspect that the origin of this was in our rival. KOF ’15 It allows us to manage online quality in a simple way, filter the type of rival and, consequently, rarely does the amount of Rollback frames (shown on the screen) exceed 4 frames.
In other words, the fluidity of friendly games against random opponents is almost as if we were playing with the other person next to us and from the same console.
Not everything is perfect, for the record: the room system means that the waits are not as well managed as in Street Fighter V O Dragon Ball FighterZ. In fact, even the Guilty Gear Strive (another benchmark in Rollback Netcode with rooms with wide room for improvement) are more interesting than those of KOF ’15. In fact, the current design of the rooms is simple and there are unnecessary detours to change equipment or any adjustments. Although, as we said, the version we were able to play is still in development.
That said, that u have been integratedn Online Training system (to practice combos and put them into practice) or aspects such as that our player profile is being given a good presence, channels of repetitions are added, there is a ranking system and we are even given the option of creating a room on the fly after giving a couple of rematches to the opponent with whom we have been playing several friendly games they are steps in the right direction.
Too bad we couldn’t prove the new Draft mode, in which the competition starts from the wrestlers selection panel itself. However, the sensations of this first contact are really good and the future of the saga even more promising.
With the promise to offer 39 starting fighters (plus two rounds of three that will arrive post-launch), the collision of superstars and hopefuls of the saga The King of Fighters It already has a very strong foundation, new ideas, an online that is already a delight, a very loyal fan base and a very promising future.
SNK has redoubled energies to claim its privileged position among the titans of the fight on consoles and four months ahead to achieve it: the brutal rivalry between Kyo and Iori will be settled again February 17, 2022 on The King of Fighters XV.
- Plataformas: PS5, PS4 / Xbox Series X|S y PC
- Multiplayer: Yes (2 local and up to 8 players online in rooms)
- Developer: SNK Corporation
- Company: SNK Corporation
- Release: February 17, 2022
