The King of Fighters XV

The King of Fighters XV still feels left in the past when it comes to its single player offerings, but what it lacks in ambition, it makes up in solid fundamentals and great netcode that make the online experience the best the series has ever seen.

King of Fighters XV isn't revolutionary, but it's a solid, feature-laden package with personality and style.

Playing KoF 15, I recall one of my favorite memories – one where I spent multiple hours playing fighting games at an arcade during a trip to Japan. By staying true to that identity as an arcade fighter and focusing on what it is are good at, rather than making sweeping changes in the hope of appealing to crowds other than the communities that have risen around these games for decades, SNK has created a game that reminded me of the quality that can be found in a simple, honest fighting game without too many bells and whistles.

Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.

Fighting game fans can't really go wrong with King of Fighters XV - a sequel that doesn't shy away from the technical depth of its predecessors. It's obviously still early days, but it feels like SNK has improved upon King of Fighters XIV in all of the ways that matter. Better visuals, expanded mechanics, and, perhaps most importantly, smooth online netcode make for fighter that's hard to fault - even if it's lacking the cutting edge of its peers.

King of Fighters XV feels like a solid refinement of a lot of its predecessors, learning from their mistakes to become something altogether better here. It’s not perfect, it’s not easy to learn, and there are some characters missing that I feel are must-haves. However, a solid visual redesign, good netcode, original and returning music, a great collection of fighting mechanics, and a wide offering of tutorial and training tools make KOFXV feel like one of the strongest entries in the franchise yet. Where they go from here is anyone’s guess, but this feels like the standard for 2.5D KOF that King of Fighters XIV couldn’t quite reach and I’m glad SNK has finally cleared that bar.

The King of Fighters XV features excellent core combat that serious fighting game fans will enjoy, though its single-player offerings leave a bit to be desired.

Overall, The King of Fighters XV is the excellent love letter to the franchise we all needed. It brings a perfect mixture of the best of every Saga while having a more celebratory feel all around. The experience offers everything in a straightforward fashion, and even the Story Mode feels great to play and a great way to learn new characters.

The King of Fighters XV is a solid 2D fighter on its most basic level and a natural must play for fans of the franchise.

The King of Fighters XV is a satisfying experience. Changes like making EX moves available without activating Max mode, slowing down the maximum possible attack speed, and improving the responsiveness of the controls make this my favorite The King of Fighters game to date. The ability to access and use music from previous King of Fighters and other SNK games is a fantastic bonus. It's promising, and SNK should expand upon it in the future rather than see it as a standalone effort.