The King Of Fighters XV Review – Wanna Play Some KoF?

The King of Fighters XIV, which came out in 2016, was the start of a new era for SNK’s The King of Fighters series. It had a new main character and a cast full of new characters. The King of Fighters XV, which came out six years later, is the second part of the “Shun’ei Saga.” It continues China Team’s story and adds a few new features that give the series a more modern feel.

The core gameplay builds on XIV’s strong foundation, including the controversial Rush Combos. Hardcore fighting game fans don’t like these simple, low-damage attacks, but they make the game much more accessible for newcomers to learn and don’t make it likely that an experienced player will lose to a newbie. Max Mode is also back, but it now costs two bars of meter instead of one. A Quick Max Mode also lets you cancel extra moves instead of making super attacks stronger. EX special moves can now be done at any time, not just during Max Mode. However, they now cost half a bar of meters to do.

These small but essential changes make matches more exciting and give high-level players more ways to fight. Even though the tutorial could be a bit more detailed and do a better job of explaining how to use these systems during matches (you only get to use them once and then read a short explanation), most players should be able to figure out how they work.

The other two new characters are both on the Rivals Team, which is against Shun’ei, the new main character of the show. Isla, a streetwear hypebeast with telekinetic powers similar to Shun’ei and two purple hands she uses to attack from a distance, is in charge of the group. Her attacks are just as stylish as her clothes, and she uses spray paint as a weapon in her final super special move. Isla is one of the best new characters to join the cast in the last ten years. Her look and attack animations are both unique.

Delores is the last of the new people. She is a priestess who can talk to the earth itself. So, when Delores can control range, she is very unpredictable because she can attack from the other side of the screen by calling up some creepy-looking soil with eyes. It’s an exciting move set showing how well SNK made all three new characters.

The King of Fighters XV is an excellent addition to the fighting game series, but it doesn’t have enough single-player content or modes for more casual players to get into the game’s depths. But people who have been waiting for a new KOF game for six years will find a lot to like in this one. The roster is full of fan favourites and three great new characters. SNK isn’t trying to change the genre or compete feature-for-feature with many of its competitors, but the action is solid and can deliver a pretty impressive knockout blow.