Fatal Fury City of the Wolves: Near Perfection Marred by One Major Flaw

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Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is almost among the greatest fighting games out there. Unlike many games in this genre that emphasize offense, this one prioritizes defense, which is a nice change. However, some minor issues prevent it from achieving true greatness.

It’s evident that SNK Corporation sees Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves as their strongest contender against Street Fighter and Tekken in the competitive gaming market.

Generally speaking, it performs well, and it’s undeniably among the top-tier fighting games available today. Yet, there’s a small issue that prevents City of the Wolves from reaching its full potential.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Screenshots

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What is Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves about?

Even if you missed playing Garou: Mark of the Wolves when it was initially released over two decades ago, there’s no need to feel left out. While having prior knowledge about the characters’ histories can enhance your experience, the primary storyline provides a comprehensive overview that brings new players up-to-speed effectively.

In the episodes of South Town mode, the plot serves more as a backdrop. It’s presented in brief exchanges between characters or dialogue boxes within conversations. You engage in repetitive battles, many of which are against side characters, primarily to gain experience points and advance levels.

As you progress, it gradually familiarizes you with several key mechanisms of CotW, such as the S.P.G. meter, which increases as your level does.

Each character has their reasons for engaging in combat, albeit these motivations appear rather superficial at first glance. However, they create enjoyable interplay moments. In certain areas of the narrative content, there were some grammatical inconsistencies, suggesting that more attention was not given to this aspect compared to other game components.

While primarily engaged in combat with other players, I’m quite content. Simultaneously playing online advances the main storyline a bit, offering incentives for those interested in progressing story-wise. However, it’s the secondary focus compared to engaging in player-versus-player battles.

To put it simply, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves stands out for its unique aesthetic. Compared to Street Fighter 6 or Tekken 8, it may not appear as expansive in terms of scale, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in charm. Its cell-shaded artwork and distinctive character designs give it a personal touch. Coupled with fantastic music, impactful sound effects, and clear animations, it offers an appealing experience overall.

The best offense is a good defense

In contemporary combat-style video games, the primary emphasis often lies on offensive strategies. This encompasses innovative attacking methods such as Street Fighter 6’s Drive Rush and Drive Impact mechanisms, Tekken 8’s Heat system, or the straightforward offensive moves found in Dragon Ball FighterZ and Guilty Gear: Strive. The trend in fighting games has been towards making grand, spectacular moves and combinations easier to perform and more impactful.

In another way of saying it: This method has a disadvantage because if the choice is to attack, defense becomes irrelevant. If you choose a more defensive playstyle, you might end up in a 50/50 situation where you’ll get hit with a combination move that takes away half your health. Tekken 8, I see what you did there!

In the game “Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves,” they’ve taken care to offer a greater number of interactive elements compared to other games in its class at the time. Not just defense pays off here, but it also demands finesse and skill.

Mastery in fighting games typically revolves around initiating combos or strategizing an attack. In CotW, the most proficient players will be those who figure out how to thwart their opponent’s strategy. In the current FGC scene, it’s particularly invigorating to witness. A thoughtful and patient player usually triumphs over someone with exceptional mechanics but limited game awareness.

Regarding the characters, each one seems distinct, showcasing their individual strengths and weaknesses. The beta testing has effectively balanced out overpowered characters such as Tizoc, ensuring no fighter feels too strong. Not even the poke-focused fighters like Billy Kane and Kain feel annoying to battle against.

Here are some characters for quick combinations and agile moves: Hotaru, Dong Hwan, and Hokutomaru. For powerful strikes that pay off when players time their attacks just right, consider Kevin, Vox Reaper, and Marco. This collection covers a variety of character types you might be looking for.

The guest characters Salvatore Ganacci and Cristiano Ronaldo find themselves distinctive and satisfying to play. For an unexplained reason, Ronaldo is the most challenging character in the game, demanding a deep understanding of setplay and a mastery of his exceptional ball-control poking technique.

In the meantime, Salvatore Ganacci shines brilliantly. His playstyle is extraordinary, brimming with character that leaves one in awe. He continually outmaneuvers his opponents, leaping through the air and contorting into splits for an attack. Strength-wise, he may not be top-tier, but his entertainment value is so high that it’s challenging not to be captivated.

In terms of gameplay, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves stands out as exceptional. However, developing a strategy-heavy game with intricate mechanics often presents an age-old challenge in fighting games: making it accessible for beginners to grasp.

A game made with the FGC in mind – for better and worse

Newcomers might find Fatal Fury challenging because it doesn’t offer many resources for learning the game, even for those who are already accustomed to similar genres.

In many cases of Combos of the Week (CotW), the successful execution relies on accurate, swift movements within narrow time frames.

Or, for a more casual tone:
When it comes to Combos of the Week, nailing those precise moves in tight windows can be quite challenging!

In simpler terms, the training modes don’t provide actual practice or guidance on how to execute combos effectively. There seems to be a shortage of helpful tools for players who are finding it difficult to master combo timing and fundamental gameplay mechanics.

The “Smart” input style may seem intelligent, but it oversimplifies the control options to such an extent that it becomes frustrating. Instead of providing guidance, as one might expect from training wheels, it’s more akin to leaving a child in daycare, where they are restricted and not allowed to explore freely.

In contrast to many other games, the controller plays a significantly larger role in CotW. While I can manage motion inputs on a rigid Korean bat top lever for Street Fighter 6, it’s not feasible for Fatal Fury. Among all the controllers I tested (PS5 pad, Haute 42 B16, Razer Kitsune, arcade stick with a Knee lever), the ones without levers performed significantly better.

Indeed, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves seems tailored towards veteran Fighting Game Community (FGC) members who pine for the era of combat games featuring deliberate, strategic gameplay and a steeper learning curve. Regrettably, it doesn’t offer enough support to help novice players navigate and surmount this challenge.

Verdict

If you were anticipating that Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves would be a return to the elements that made fighting games exceptional, you might find it’s not just a comeback; it surpasses expectations and serves as an ode to the genre itself.

On the other hand, mastering it requires time, which some players may find daunting due to their limited patience for learning the more advanced features.

For beginners, a different fighting game might be a better choice initially. However, if you’re an experienced player, this game (CotW) appears fantastic with a superb feel and an exceptionally high skill ceiling. It showcases excellent aspects of a pure fighting game, but it doesn’t provide guidance for novice players.

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2025-04-21 19:49