Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves review: South Town showdown

by

As a dedicated SNK fan, it’s been a while since we last got our paws on Garou: Mark of the Wolves back in 1999. Though Terry Bogard and the Fatal Fury gang have graced us with appearances in numerous King of Fighters games, and even ventured into other universes like Street Fighter 6, it’s the pure SNK fighting experience that I crave. A fresh Fatal Fury game in the 2025 fighting scene would be a treat if it offered the classic SNK combat style distilled neatly for newcomers to grasp and veterans to master. However, some puzzling choices seem to have impacted the characters, battles, and modes, which is a bit of a letdown, considering how long I’ve been anticipating this.

Some time has passed…

City of Wolves: Legacy of Fatal Fury

The game, City of the Wolves, serves as a direct follow-up to the occurrences in Garou: Mark of the Wolves, focusing predominantly on Rock Howard and Terry Bogard’s outcomes in that title. In the latter, Rock decided to train under his uncle Kain to explore more about the Howard lineage and his abilities. Meanwhile, Terry chose to continue his wanderings, trusting Rock’s judgement, and over time, several characters matured a bit as years passed.

Now, an enigmatic force has made the Howard legacy the centerpiece of a new King of Fighters tournament, causing quite a stir. The original cast members, including Rock, Terry, Kain, and others, along with some fresh faces who add excitement to the mix, have returned to compete in this event. However, one character remains absent for now; we’ll delve into their story later on.

In City of the Wolves, there’s a nice blend of classic and modern characters that looks great. Characters like Terry, Rock, Mai, along with familiar faces such as Tizoc, B. Jenet, Kevin, Marco, and Dong Hwan are present and they look cool. Some characters, such as Hokutomaru and Gato, have been given a more mature appearance to signify the passage of time, and they fit well within the game’s art style. In the Arcade Mode, character intros, super moves, and outros are presented in a way that resembles a comic book, which is enjoyable to watch. All characters seem like improved versions of themselves. Newcomers like Preecha and Vox contribute fresh aesthetics to the game. Preecha is Joe Higashi’s student and shares many of his moves, while Vox appears to have some connection to Garou sub-boss Grant. The game is filled with lore references that longtime SNK fans will enjoy exploring.

Regarding the majority of the team, the City of Wolves’ roster is typically set. However, Cristiano Ronaldo and Salvatore Ganacci were unexpected additions as celebrity guests late in the game development. Frankly, their inclusion initially seemed strange. As time went on, I grew to appreciate Ganacci more. He collaborated with SNK on creating original music for the game, and his character embodies silliness. He was mentored by “Duck King” and features animations influenced by his music and videos, making him a perfect fit for SNK’s style. It seems like he played an active role in shaping his character within the game.

Conversely, in City of the Wolves, it seems as though SNK was working more to accommodate Ronaldo rather than collaborating with him. He doesn’t appear like the real Ronaldo, and his unique, perhaps even excessively detailed fighting style gives off a vibe that suggests he is more of a marketing ploy than a dedicated fan’s dream come true. It’s unfortunate that he occupies a fundamental roster position when characters such as Jae Hoon, Freeman, Blue Mary, Yamazaki, and other options were viable alternatives. Setting that aside, Ronaldo doesn’t disrupt the gameplay, and the overall cast and presentation are excellent. However, it’s important to note that this strongly hints at executive-level decision making and interference.

In summary, engaging in combat within this game using these character sets is exhilarating. The REV and SPG mechanisms function effectively, providing players temporary power-ups while requiring them to maintain a meter. This can potentially leave you vulnerable if overused, creating an intriguing balance between defense and offense as you strive to manage your REV meter while finding openings against opponents. The question of whether to unleash all moves to deplete 30% of their health bar or hold back for future opportunities is a constant dilemma I enjoyed grappling with. Despite some similarities to Street Fighter 6’s Drive systems in certain aspects, such as REV Blows during SPG, it’s not overly repetitive to the point of feeling cheap or incorrect. Moreover, the characters are entertaining enough to play that I often found myself swapping between them based on each fighter’s unique abilities. This isn’t usually the case for me when it comes to experimenting with a game’s roster.

REV it up

In the game “Fatal Fury: City of Wolves,” they’ve made an effort to offer numerous gameplay options, many of which are enjoyable, though a few seem slightly incomplete. The Arcade Mode in

In essence, South Town Sagas serves as the main narrative in City of Wolves, and I must admit, I yearned for more. In this gameplay mode, you select a character and explore South Town, engaging in battles and progressing your character’s story. I use quotes because it essentially involves choosing destinations on a map to reach the next plot point or combat sequence. The mode is brimming with fights against nondescript opponents that enhance your character’s level and attack power. Despite wanting more lore, the experience feels like a tedious list of defeating numerous generic enemies before encountering a story battle with an in-game character. It’s serviceable, but it lacks excitement and pizzazz. Oh, and at the moment, you can’t play as Ronaldo in this mode (as of now).

Switching gears, the Color Edit and Jukebox modes in this game have become my go-to hangouts, where I find myself spending hours on end. From the moment I stepped into the Jukebox mode, I was smitten. You see, City of the Wolves has a collection of tracks that resonate with me deeply – their original tunes are already captivating. But then, I stumbled upon an even bigger surprise: every single soundtrack from the Fatal Fury series, along with some King of Fighters and Art of Fighting tracks, not to mention Garou’s originals!

The ability to create a custom playlist and associate any song with your desired character or stage is simply marvelous. It didn’t take much effort to set up a match against Vox with Yamazaki’s C62 Shirokuni track from Fatal Fury 3 playing in the background. I’ve found myself drawn to some of the original Garou tracks, like Dong Hwan’s Loose Genius, and I’ve enjoyed blending them seamlessly into my gaming experience.

What struck me was the versatility and application of these options – they allow for a level of personalization that’s truly unique. And, as I discovered some characters without an original song, I couldn’t help but wonder why…

Color Edit is simply fantastic! It offers an array of pre-set colors, a color gradient tool, and approximately 30 patterns with seven different colors each to select from. When editing a character, you’ll find a diverse range of customization options for any clothing item, prop, or accessory on your chosen character. For instance, I was able to tweak Tizoc’s Griffon Mask, beak, gloves, tights, and boots colors. Similarly, I had fun adjusting Billy’s sunglasses, hair (base, beard, and highlights), jacket, undershirt, gloves, boots, bo staff, pants, and more. The number of options available varies depending on the character you select, but there’s certainly a plenty of choices to help achieve your desired look with your character. I can’t wait to see what creative combinations people come up with! As for now, it seems that some characters’ colors can’t be edited (yet).

This online game operates flawlessly in terms of functionality but can be somewhat complex to navigate. It offers ranked matchmaking, casual matches, room creation, and search modes. However, one drawback is that character and stage choices must be made before any matches begin, which I find less than ideal. Additionally, maneuvering through rooms and adjusting settings can be frustrating. The user interface could be more intuitive, and despite overcoming the learning curve, it still feels cumbersome.

This system operates in stark contrast to the exceptional standard of matches, as I’ve experienced during my review period. I had the opportunity to compete with players from Dallas, Texas, New York, and England. Remarkably, there was no lag or glitching whatsoever, even while we played numerous sets. The online and crossplay functionality seems flawless and well-prepared.

A dream fight with just a splotch of “hmm”

For decades, I’ve eagerly anticipated many aspects of this game. It’s a robust fighting game set within one of my cherished series, offering both offensive and defensive strategies that are well-balanced. The initial cast is exceptional, hinting at even greater potential in the future. It also offers various game modes, features music I enjoy, allows for classic tracks, boasts a comicbook-inspired visual style, and provides an editor to customize character appearances.

However, I must admit that recent developments related to this game over the past two months are less than ideal. Some elements have turned out to be subpar and problematic (not Ganacci; he’s fine). Additionally, a narrative mode based on checklists and a somewhat complex online interface detract from the overall experience. As a result, while this game doesn’t fully realize my ultimate fighting game fantasy, it certainly satisfies those who have been yearning for a new Fatal Fury title. In essence, if you’ve been longing for a fresh installment in the Fatal Fury series, City of the Wolves delivers exactly that.

The assessment I’m providing here is based on a digital copy of PlayStation 5 provided by the publisher. The game, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, is scheduled for release on April 24, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. If you pre-order digitally in premium format, you’ll get early access from April 21st.

Read More

2025-04-21 10:28