Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Review: Good fighting game with a much greater potential

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In a fresh continuation of the legendary fighting game saga, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves returns, boasting an iconic group of fighters reimagined in novel forms. A promising newcomer joins the ranks, accompanied by some surprising guest stars. The game’s striking visual aesthetics and intricate combat system promise a challenging experience for genre enthusiasts. What more could one ask for?

Welcome back to South Town

Initially, I must confess, I was quite doubtful about the revival of Fatal Fury. Frankly, I wasn’t convinced SNK could deliver it successfully. I feared it would merely resemble the latest version of The King of Fighters in terms of aesthetics and gameplay, which isn’t inherently bad, but I expected more from a comeback – something that truly distinguishes itself from the competition.

Although it didn’t entirely meet my expectations, the new fighting game undeniably showcases a distinct identity and is well-crafted, boasting intricate details in its strategic combat system. This deep combat system will likely be a key selling point for many gamers.

The main menu immediately struck me as well-designed, offering a clean and straightforward layout without being overly complex. It elegantly displays the key game modes, ensuring that we can anticipate the full experience expected from a large-scale fighting game. A traditional ladder structure offers a glimpse into each character’s background (with the exception of Ronaldo, who lacks a narrative). The practice section encompasses standard training, challenges, and essential tutorials, which may initially overwhelm newcomers due to the variety of mechanics at play. However, I see no need to detail each game mode individually, as they represent the typical suite of gameplay options found in most fighting games. Notably, engaging in battles with “clones,” who mimic other players’ fighting styles, adds an intriguing layer to the overall experience.

For casual and single players, the standout choice is the “Episodes of South Town”, an adventure game blended with RPG elements. The setting is reminiscent of South Town’s map and neighborhoods, with interactive boards that host battles against enemies or enemy groups. When you defeat them, you gain experience points to level up and select your next goals. As you clear the map, your character evolves and a straightforward narrative unfolds. It’s entertaining, offers a distinct challenge, and maintains simplicity, making it feel like playing classic fighting games from yesteryears – something I highly appreciate.

Cristiano Ronaldo got lost

Looking at the lineup of fighters, it seems the predicament might be more challenging due to the majority of veterans and fewer newcomers. On day one, developers introduced 17 characters, many being rehashed heroes. Among the novelties, Preecha stands out with her adapted Muay Thai approach, similar to her mentor Joe Higashi. She appears tailored for beginners, featuring straightforward basic attacks and easy-to-grasp special moves.

Two rather unexpected figures make an appearance: soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo and musician Salvatore Ganacci. These two characters appear to be a poor fit in the setting of South Town and Fatal Fury, with Ronaldo’s model appearing hastily made, which is noticeable and unsightly. However, given that aesthetics are not typically a priority for most players, this marketing strategy likely won’t cause much concern among them.

In my opinion, having these characters in the game detracts from the overall enjoyment because fighting them can be frustrating. However, I found Ronaldo to be a strong character who uses the ball skillfully to keep his opponents at bay or rush towards them aggressively. On the other hand, Salvatore is more of a humorous character, with quirky animations inspired by his music videos, and he often catches opponents off guard with unconventional tactics. Despite my preference for Salvatore over Ronaldo, I feel that neither quite fits into this game, and I wish the developers had spent more time developing these characters instead. It’s also worth noting that the collaboration with Salvatore Ganacci extends beyond him being a playable character; he also created some electronic tracks for the game. While I appreciate his musical talent, I feel that these tracks don’t align well with the series’ theme and atmosphere.

It’s hard to ignore the fact that there aren’t many characters to choose from as playable fighters initially, and I can’t help but long for some classic favorites like Ryuji Yamazaki or Blue Mary. Fortunately, the developers have promised ongoing support through DLCs, and they’re even offering the first season pass for free. The characters available at launch cover a range of archetypes, each with unique playstyles, so there’s no reason to grumble about a lack of gameplay variety. Long-range fighters might opt for Kain, while those who love the “shoto” style can choose between Terry or Rock Howard. Hokutomaru is a quick and nimble ninja trying to confuse opponents, but to my surprise, I found myself favoring Tizoc, a strong wrestler – he’s slow, but he can deal massive damage with a successful grab. I think everyone should find a character they like by trying out different fighters.

PROS:

  1. combat system full of defensive and offensive mechanics;
  2. heavily stylized, colorful and comic-like graphics;
  3. really impressive and easy to perform combos;
  4. Episodes of South Town is a great single-player campaign;
  5. first season pass with extra characters is free.

CONS:

  1. modest set of characters;
  2. untapped potential of Two-Lane Battle mechanics;
  3. shortcomings there and then;
  4. totally miscast guest characters.

Wolves are sharpening their fangs

Speaking about the fighting mechanics, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves aligns with modern trends in combat-based games. The developers have made an effort to make the game accessible for new players by providing not only traditional controls but also a streamlined option. The game emphasizes creating combos, which are relatively easy to perform compared to some other fighting games.

While it’s tough to fully judge a fighting game until you’ve tried it in online battles, it’s clear that the developers have aimed for a balance between offensive and defensive moves. This is commendable because previous titles like Tekken 8 struggled significantly in this area.

The core of Fatal Fury’s fighting system revolves around the Rev mechanic, enabling you to swiftly switch between attack sequences, resulting in impressive combos. This feature can be employed strategically for defense, interrupting your opponent’s attacks and seizing control of the turn, or offensively, unleashing powerful special moves – always mindful not to overheat, a condition that temporarily restricts the use of several mechanics.

In essence, you’ll find that the closest relative to this system is undeniably Street Fighter 6 and its Drive mechanic. However, SNK’s combat game carries a more traditional feel, and with an amalgamation of diverse mechanics offering multiple application possibilities, it can initially seem complex – perhaps even overwhelming. To me, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves appears to have a slightly slower rhythm, but navigating the map is more significant. Consequently, while there are some similarities, these two fighting games are played in distinctly different ways.

The game boasts robust fundamentals, which is good because despite developers’ attempts, it isn’t overly easy to get into. This keeps things interesting since battling tough adversaries can be tough yet rewarding. Of course, the real meat of fighting games lies in encounters with real players, and that’s exactly what we’ll experience. Here’s hoping that Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves doesn’t make its duels overly predictable by focusing too much on combos. We’ll find out more about this in a few months.

There’s not enough excitement here

Despite the fact that Fatal Fury: City of Wolves appears to be an intriguing title, it seems to lack certain elements and gives off an impression of a game hastily released. Here’s why I feel this way: although the Two-Lane combat mechanic is included, in its initial version, it’s confined to only one battlefield. Moreover, the combat system doesn’t seem to have been thoroughly developed around this feature.

This two-lane combat system was a hallmark of the early Fatal Fury games, enabling players to evade enemy attacks by diving into the map background. This unique gameplay style, often referred to as 2.5D, could have set this new game apart from its competitors if it had been developed with this rule in mind from the ground up. In essence, it would have given us a one-of-a-kind fighting game that stood out in its approach.

A less extravagant budget is evident, particularly in the varying visuals. Some displays are breathtaking with their vibrancy and detail, while others opt for a more subtle approach, sometimes even appearing jarring due to background animations that aren’t appealing. Moreover, I found myself disappointed by the excessive use of loading screens, which took much longer than expected.

It’s good, although the potential was much greater

I find Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves lacks that key factor that would make me abandon other competitive fighting games in favor of it. Despite the enjoyable single-player modes and my intention to engage in online combat, I don’t sense an addictive quality that discourages me from moving on to other battles. It’s challenging for me to criticize this game openly because, as a fighting title, it doesn’t commit any major mistakes. However, I also can’t find anything exceptionally remarkable about it. I feel the game had greater potential and maybe with the upcoming updates, it could deliver something more substantial. At present, it’s an excellent representative of the genre, but I foresee myself setting it aside after a few months. I expect more from a game of this caliber, and personally, I can’t appreciate it to the extent I would ideally wish.

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2025-04-21 11:03