The King of Fighters XV is an early contender for this year’s staple fighting game. The roster is huge and varied, the gameplay is layered and satisfying, and the visuals are far better than they were in KoF XIV. If you’re a fighting game fan, you need to be present for the return of the king.
The King of Fighters XV
Developer: SNK
Price: $60
Platform: PS4, PS5 (reviewed,) Xbox Series X, and PC
MonsterVine was supplied with a PS5 code for review
The King of Fighters is simply one of the best fighting franchises in the gaming industry. It combines characters from across SNK’s library of excellent fighting games with a wacky story and smooth gameplay. The latest entry, The King of Fighters XV, is no exception. It has everything I wanted from a new King of Fighters, plus rollback netcode, a huge roster, and slick visuals. If you have even a passing interest in fighting games, you can’t miss this one.
The King of Fighters XV has a Story Mode that follows the beats you would likely expect. People around the world join the King of Fighters tournament, compete and battle against one another, and the winning team ends up battling a super powerful villain who disrupts the tournament. Depending on the team you pick, you may get more elaborate cutscenes than with others, which adds some replayability to the mode if you’re accustomed to single-player heavy fighters like Mortal Kombat. Each team has an illustrated ending to cap off your playthroughs, which are often full of charm and fun moments for series fans.
Obviously the main draw of any fighting game is the gameplay, as that’s the aspect that decides whether you’ll dump hours into Training Mode or not. The gameplay of KoF XV is excellent, as there’s a speed to it that feels almost addicting. Combos and special attacks flow out with satisfying fluidity, but it never feels inaccessible. You can pick up and play KoF XV as a newcomer and have a blast, because of how strong the core foundations of the gameplay are.
“My online experience thus far has been smooth and consistently fun, and I hope this example and last year’s Guilty Gear -Strive- get more Japanese developers to seriously consider rollback netcode in future releases.“
If you’ve never played The King of Fighters before, you pick three characters as a team and use them against your opponent’s team. You get to pick the order your team members are used in each fight, which adds a bit of strategy to the mix. Do you put the character you’re most confident in first to snatch an early lead, or last as a potential Hail Mary? What order will your opponent pick for their team? These questions add a bit of extra depth to fighting, and mind games are always fun when it comes to fighters.
The online play of KoF XV is excellent, largely thanks to the wonderful rollback netcode. I had my settings on Any region, and I had no issues battling opponents. My online experience thus far has been smooth and consistently fun, and I hope this example and last year’s Guilty Gear -Strive- get more Japanese developers to seriously consider rollback netcode in future releases.
“I’ll likely always prefer the crisp sprites of previous titles, but this is a stellar upgrade to the visuals of KoF XIV; one that properly allows for the personalities and expressions of the eccentric cast to shine through.“
There are a few modes outside of Online and Story Mode, like Training, Mission, and Versus. These are pretty straightforward, and let you practice your characters in various ways, try to pull off long combo strings, and beat up friends locally. I do wish there was just a bit more content to play on your own, but the available content is so good that this isn’t a major complaint.
Thankfully, The King of Fighters XV looks great. The biggest problem with The King of Fighters XIV was that it looked off in its transition to 3D models. This time around, SNK has found their own appealing style in the third-dimension. I’ll likely always prefer the crisp sprites of previous titles, but this is a stellar upgrade to the visuals of KoF XIV; one that properly allows for the personalities and expressions of the eccentric cast to shine through. My only real complaint is that the menu to navigate between these modes is pretty shoddy. It’s not a big complaint in any way, it’s just weird that such a vibrant game has such a bland main menu.
The music is energetic and exciting, which bolsters you to wail on foes with renewed vigor. You can unlock songs to listen to in the DJ Station by fighting different teams, so you can jam to your favorite tunes at any time. There are even tracks from previous KOF games, so you can listen to old favorites. The voice acting is as wonderful as ever, with characters like Terry and Mai having a seemingly endless amount of enthusiasm. A King of Fighters game is only as good as its “ARE YOU OKAY” is, after all.
The Final Word
The King of Fighters XV is, as the name implies, the King of Fighters. It looks good, plays incredibly, and has silky smooth online play. I wouldn’t be opposed to more single player content, but there’s so much to love about KOF XV that I don’t even mind. If you want a fighter to sink your teeth into, look no further.
MonsterVine Rating: 5 out of 5 – Excellent
