With 50 characters, tons of stages, plenty of online and offline modes and almost absurd technical depth, The King of Fighters XIV is everything fans of SNKās long-running fighting game franchise could want, though itās shed a little charisma with the transition to 3D.
Iāve been following The King of Fighters series for ages, and Iāve really enjoyed the evolution the series traditional 2D graphics have undergone over the past 22 years.
I was particularly taken with the style of 2010ās The King of Fighters XIII, which looked like art come to life.
But thatās all gone now. The King of Fighters XIV thrusts the series into the third dimension. The characters move more fluidly than ever and the dynamic super moves are nifty, but Iām not sure the style sacrifice was worth it.
The transition to 3D has left the characters feeling flat. Maybe itās the lighting, maybe itās the shading; perhaps its a combination of the two. Even the most exaggerated characters feel plain compared to their 2D counterparts.
Other fighting franchises have fared much better in the transition to 3D, because they above and beyond. Street Fighter IV exaggerated the living hell out of its 3D characters, which preserved their larger-than-life feel perfectly. With its Guilty Gear Xrd games, Arc System Works laid D cel-shaded textures over 3D models, and the results were astounding.
All of that said, the beating heart of The King of Fighters still lurks under all of that plastic-looking skin. Thereās nothing quite like being presented with a character select menu filled with excellent choices and being asked to pick three (or one, if youād rather be all boring).
The gameās tutorial mode is perfect for showing new players how deep in over their heads they are about to get. Will they learn the three different types of jumps, or will they stick to the newbie-friendly square button mashing auto-combo? Either way, theyāve got plenty of options with which to suss that out.
I particularly like the inclusion of an online training mode, in which two players can get together and just screw around. Itās perfect for teaching, which I probably need as my early attempts at online battling have been beyond laughable.
Story mode is pretty much arcade mode with a few cutscenes and the odd bit of extra character dialogue. Thereās only so much you can do when youāve got 48 core competitors to choose from. Play through with your favorite teams, see some humorous quotes and unlock some nice art. Itās kind of relaxing, really.
So far Iāve had no issues with ranked online play that arenāt stemming from my own skill. Fights are smooth, even on my horrible internet (permanently set to NAT type FU).
Iāve attempted to get into a Free Match room, but I have no idea what the hell is going on in there. Look at this nonsense.
Iām sure Iāll figure that bit out eventually, and then I can start my march towards casual Team Another World domination.
Thereās more than enough good in The King of Fighters XIV to make up for the unfortunate trip to 3D land. If you find yourself missing the old 2D sprites, plenty of The King of Fighters art is just a Google query away. Might want to leave safe search on.
