Fatal Fury’s Triumphant Return: City of the Wolves Redefines Fighting Game Greatness!

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The long-awaited comeback of the Fatal Fury series, which hasn’t seen a new entry since 1999 with Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, is certainly exciting for fans. For aficionados of the intricate and unique mechanics found in earlier Fatal Frame games, City of the Wolves offers a magnificent and well-earned modernization. Newcomers may discover a distinctive combat playground that sets itself apart from other popular fighting series, although it might be somewhat limited in terms of content.

Certainly, “Fatal Frame: City of the Wolves” is distinct from popular fighting games like “Tekken 8” or “Street Fighter 6“; it doesn’t feature elaborate alternate game modes, cinematic cutscenes, or visually stunning graphics. Instead, it caters primarily to fighting game enthusiasts, offering mechanics that reward strategic thinking and mastery much like classic arcade games. The game places a significant focus on learning universal techniques rather than character-specific ones, allowing players to quickly feel experienced as they navigate its roster. With engaging mechanisms such as Just Defense, REV Blows, and counters, “City of the Wolves” offers a rewarding gaming experience for those willing to learn its fundamentals.

The multiplayer aspect of “City of the Wolves” is likely to have a lengthy and rewarding lifespan due to its deceptively complex combat system. However, some may find its single-player offerings lacking in appeal, as they can seem outdated and uninteresting. With limited engaging storylines or substantial additional game modes, less experienced players might find “City of the Wolves” disappointing, especially when compared to popular AAA fighting series like “Mortal Kombat” or “Street Fighter”. The enjoyment you get from “City of the Wolves” will depend on your initial expectations. If you’re aware of what to expect, “City of the Wolves” could potentially be the best fighting game you play in the entire year.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Is Quick, Snappy, and Endlessly Entertaining

City of the Wolves’ Packs a Punch Where It Counts

Creating a modern fighting game isn’t a walk in the park. Developers frequently face the challenge of satisfying two different groups: hardcore players who are into competitive scenes, and casual gamers who want to enjoy a game with their friends. Considering City of the Wolves, it can be argued that SNK has accomplished this task effectively, managing to balance technical action with simple, unpretentious entertainment.

Exploring the move sets for any Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves character offers a straightforward and swift learning process; you won’t find intricate, essay-like combo sequences that require extensive memorization like in games such as Tekken. This might lead some to perceive the game as simplified, but City of the Wolves maintains a sense of depth even without grandiose and spectacular combination attacks. The game’s simplicity has its advantages, as mastering a new character revolves more around applying the game’s core combat mechanics to different character types, such as heavyweights versus acrobats.

In some instances, “City of the Wolves” might seem more akin to a solo-oriented action game rather than a typical fighting game due to its design. To put it into perspective, if we were to draw parallels with a game like “Dark Souls”, a character such as Tizoc could be likened to a heavy greatsword, while Hokutomaru might be seen as a rapier or spear. Though the basic button commands may remain consistent for both characters, the variations in reach, damage per second (DPS), and speed significantly alter the way the core mechanics are experienced.

In the heart of “City of the Wolves,” it’s the fundamental mechanics that shape the gameplay experience. Skills such as REV Guard, which enables you to guard from a distance, are crucial for success, surpassing the importance of character-specific combos. This gives the game a unique grace, allowing you to switch between characters smoothly. Understanding how these skills work is key to your survival in a fight, making it exciting rather than daunting to try out various characters.

Mastering these mechanics in this game is incredibly gratifying. With the ability to perform flawless blocks, counters, backsteps, Throw Techs, and REV Blows on the spot, you will feel like an expert in no time. The precision of the game’s hitboxes allows for frame-accurate dodges and last-minute attacks that induce a slight sense of elation. New elements such as the REV Gauge and S.P.G can shift the balance of a battle at any moment, making fights excitingly unpredictable without compromising strategy or fairness.

In simpler terms, the combat system in City of the Wolves is quite user-friendly, with simplified character-specific combos and special moves that make it easier for new players to join in. The attacks are visually impressive but may not be easy to execute. However, Smart Style, a feature similar to Special Style in Tekken 8, which provides an easier control scheme for complex moves, might seem unnecessary as the game already has straightforward controls. When activated, it can feel like the game is taking over the play, making the gameplay experience less engaging.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves’ Single-Player Offerings Are Respectable, but Undercooked

As a gamer immersed in “City of the Wolves”, I’ve found that it veers away from the conventional single-player narrative. Instead, it presents an engaging Arcade Mode, where you battle through a sequence of eight adversaries, and something truly unique called the Episodes of South Town mode. In this mode, I find myself exploring the bustling metropolis at the heart of the Fatal Fury series, engaging in a free-form series of battles as a single character. As I progress, my character levels up, enhancing their basic stats and unlocking special skills. These range from straightforward boosts to intricate, customizable perks, such as adding a launch effect to a dodge attack. Once unlocked, these abilities are available for all characters, allowing me to tailor the experience to my preferred playstyle. The RPG-inspired skills in Episodes of South Town undeniably add depth and variety to “City of the Wolves'”, single-player offerings.

City of the Wolves compensates with its Color Edit feature, enabling players to personalize a character’s attire by customizing their outfit’s color and patterns extensively.

In essence, while “City of the Wolves” offers an extended arcade mode called Episodes of South Town, it sometimes feels like a stretched version with extra features that aren’t necessarily needed. The separate campaigns within EOST are mostly unrelated, which is slightly underwhelming as it could have provided a richer and more immersive narrative, given the game’s lack of a strong single-player story. Furthermore, despite the game frequently mentioning “exploring” South Town through EOST, the mode primarily involves navigating various menus rather than true exploration. As a fighting game, “City of the Wolves” might not require more elaborate exploration systems, but it’s curious that it promotes EOST as an exploration experience when it is actually quite simplified.

As a devoted fan, I must say that despite some shortcomings in its single-player aspect, playing Fatal Fury: The City of the Wolves is an extraordinary journey. It might not offer the elaborate full-motion cutscenes, customization options, or fancy game modes that other games in its era boast, but it more than compensates with its rock-solid fundamentals. SNK has truly done a commendable job reviving this long-dormant franchise for the modern age, and I eagerly anticipate future installments to further refine the undeniable strengths of City of the Wolves.

On April 24, 2025, the game “Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves” will become available for play on PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S. For this review, Game Rant was given a download code for the PlayStation 5 version.

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2025-04-22 04:23