Thankfully, the “Rush” system should help starters find their footing. In an era when the notoriously complex Guilty Gear chose to strip back its difficulty and tight input restrictions for Guilty Gear Strive, KoF XV retains its hefty learning curve, tight input windows, and plethora of movement mechanics, potentially warding off fresh meat. However, as much as this is a boon for expert KoF players, it also works somewhat against SNK’s hopes of roping in newbies. Add cancels, Super Cancels, and Climax Cancels to the mix, and you have an impressively deep combat system, requiring some of the most complex and efficient meter management in the current fighting game scene. EX moves, Supers, MAX Supers, and the fantastically cinematic Climax Supers KoF XV is packed with meter-eating mechanics. Blow Back can still be activated from block, providing a useful combo breaker while propelling the opponent a good distance for that all-important reset. I have previously likened this to Street Fighter IV‘s Focus Attack, putting its victim in a defenseless crumple state. New to the party is the Shatter Strike, which trades meter for a hefty single blow. Like riding a bike that’s punching me in the face. While KoF XIV is a title I did not delve too deeply into, I found myself immediately at home with KoF XV‘s controls and dynamic. Veterans will be pleased to see the return of the series’ four-button control scheme, along with time-honored mechanics such as evasive roll, Blow-Back, dashing, hyper-hops, and the devastating MAX mechanic. KoF XV does a fantastic job of retaining the speed, weight, pace, and overall “feel” classic King of Fighters, despite its different baseline engine and visual style. The new entry holds the KoF series’ legacy in great reverence, while making efforts to contemporize itself for modern fighting game players. While not a “Dream Match” title, (such as previous releases KoF ’98 and KoF ’02), KoF XV nevertheless feels like a “Best Of” offering, sporting arguably the greatest roster ever assembled for a canon release. The King of Fighters XV is the catalyst for decades of SNK fighting titles, an attempt to bring together the entire heritage of the KoF series for one almighty release. The King of Fighters XV ( PlayStation, PC, Xbox) So, ain’t nothing to it but to do it… Select The Order. But, with The King of Fighters XV, SNK is putting all of its chips on the table in an all-out effort to please the veteran KoF community, build a fresh competitive scene, and attract a plethora of new players to its star-studded battle royale. We don’t open with the “100 Meg Shock!” jingle anymore, and the market it finds itself in is as competitive today as it has been in 20 years. Hell, I’ve even played KoF on three separate continents. By the time the series had introduced annual updates, custom team builds, and awesome original characters, (including my long-time muse, Leona Heidern), I was already hooked, whether battling on an imported Sega Saturn, a hazardously cobbled-together Supergun, or the roughshod MVS cabinet nestled snugly in my college’s cafeteria. was but a twinkle in Nintendo’s eye, was so damn exciting. Its crossover concept, when Super Smash Bros. I became enamored with the legendary fight franchise back in 1994. If you tally up the hours, the purchases, the import miles, and the sackfuls of 20p pieces, SNK’s team-based slugfest has swallowed up more days, weeks, months, and years of my life than any other fighter… Any other game? Quite possibly. There is no fighting game franchise I’ve spent more time playing than The King of Fighters.
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