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It’s time to engage in SNK’s iconic fighting game after decades. Fighting games have been one of the most popular gaming genres for years. These games blend action, strategy, and mind games impressively to create a unique experience for gamers.
For a lot of veteran gamers, especially those who have been playing games since the early 2000s, Fatal Fury is the most renowned name.
Fatal Fury sets its footprint with the release of Garou: Mark of the Wolves in 1999. Unfortunately, that was the last game of the series. After this 25-year gap, SNK made a bold comeback with City of the Wolves. So, if players are confused about going for it or not, here’s an elaborate review.
A sequel that takes nearly 26 years to be made is supposed to be something grand. The entire gaming industry has gone through massive transformation in the meantime. New technologies have made their way to the gaming world with improved graphics, advanced hardware, and multiple other new mechanics.
At the core of the story, this game has picked up events that happened a few years after the events of Garou: Mark of the Wolves. So, naturally, the focus has shifted to Rock Howard from the iconic Terry Bogard. The story revolves around this young man searching for his past. In this journey, he keeps encountering new and classic Fatal Fury characters.
Aside from Rock and Terry, several other classic Fatal Fury characters have made their way to the City of the Wolves. This list includes names like B. Jenet, Kain R., Hokutomaru, Gato, Hotaru Futaba, Heinlein, Kevin Rian, Kim Dong Hwan, Marco Rodriguez, etc.
However, at the heart of this latest installment lies the newly added REV system. This adds a dynamic mechanic to the game to offer more depth to combat. The components that the REV system has introduced are
REV Arts: Enhanced versions of special moves.
REV Accel: Allows chaining of REV Arts for extended combos.
REV Blows: Powerful attacks that can turn the tide of battle.
REV Guard: A defensive option to push back opponents.
Well, here, players should note that managing REV is necessary. Overusing these abilities can lead to an overheated state, which will temporarily disable REV actions and leave players vulnerable.
To complement the REV system, the game has brought a revamped version of the T.O.P. system, newly named S.P.G., or Selective Potential Gear system.
What this means is that using this feature, players can designate a part of their health bar to activate bonuses like increased attack power and gradual health recovery when within that range.
Apart from that, the game has brought two new control schemes:
Arcade Style: These are the traditional controls for skilled and veteran gamers.
Smart Style: These are simplified commands designed especially for newcomers to understand and use special moves and combos with ease.
With these options, the game has ensured that whether one is a seasoned player or a newcomer, everyone can enjoy the game equally at their preferred pace.
City of the Wolves has showcased a roster of 17 characters at launch. While the returning characters like Terry Bogard and Rock Howard are on the list, new additions like Preecha and Vox Reaper are also there.
The most interesting part is that the game has added guest characters like football star Cristiano Ronaldo and DJ Salvatore Ganacci to add new flavor to the lineup.
Next comes the single-player mode of the game. The Episodes of South Town offers an RPG-like experience by blending engaging missions, character level-up, and customization.
Basically, this mode provides a fresh narrative perspective to incline the replayability of the game beyond traditional arcade battles.
No matter how well a game is made, visuals matter a lot. City of the Wolves has presented players with a comic book-inspired art style that delivers vibrant animations and dynamic camera angles to enhance the overall aesthetic of the game. Almost the entire gameplay is richly designed with every detail kept in mind.
The latest Fatal Fury installment has surpassed player expectations in many ways, but there are still some lacks. The in-game menus are not designed in detail. When compared to other features and the overall design of the game, the design of the menus looks a little lacking.
The simple black and yellow scheme that keeps the key elements inside boxes doesn’t fit the aesthetic of the game. This makes the in-game menu unattractive and confusing to navigate. This is one thing that SNK should be more careful of while making a multi-million-dollar project.
To sum up, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves has successfully bridged the gap between nostalgia and innovation. From game modes to characterization, this game has exceeded players expectations in almost everything. The most appealing part of the game is the meticulously crafted defensive fighter who can block at the perfect time.
While there are some areas where the game should improve, such as creating in-game menus and background detailing, the strengths of the game can easily surpass these shortcomings. With an 80 Metacritic score, it can easily be said that SNK’s latest Fatal Fury installment not only rejuvenates the franchise but also sets a new benchmark for 2D fighting games in the modern era.
