Is KOF XV a team Game? Is Hard? The King Of Fighters XV Review. SNK

The King of Fighters is a 2D fighting game series created by SNK.

The first entry was released for the Neo Geo in 1994, and would be followed by twelve sequels and numerous spinoffs. There was at least one new KOF released every year from ’94 through 2003; not even SNK’s bankruptcy slowed the series down.

KOF XV

since the abandonment of the Neo Geo, and especially since the adoption of high-definition sprites, new KOF games are released less often.

The King Of Fighters XV Review

Few fighting game series can claim to have the sort of cross-generational impact and enduring history that King of Fighters does, but in recent years, developer SNK has struggled to stay on equal footing with its competitors. With 2016’s The King of Fighters XIV suffering from dated-looking visuals and wonky online matchmaking that even the most polished gameplay would struggle to overcome, the new generation of KoF stumbled out of the gate, turning off the new blood it wanted to bring in and leaving many series stalwarts somewhat dissatisfied.

Sometimes you learn by taking hard knocks, though, and SNK has clearly taken KoF XIV’s reception to heart, giving its newest title a pleasing visual revamp, tidying up the gameplay, tossing in some extras, and making the online combat better than it’s ever been before. Though it won’t mop the floor with its opponents, it’s enough to make KoF XV a serious contender again.

The King of Fighters series’ claim to fame is that it introduced the concept of a team-based fighting game. Instead of a single character, in KoF you create a team of three fighters to go up against your opponent’s squad. But unlike other well-known 3-on-3 games, like Marvel vs Capcom 2 and 3 and Dragon Ball FighterZ, there’s no tag element. Once a character is in the arena, they aren’t leaving until they’re knocked out.

This makes team construction a crucial part of strategy: The characters you place as point, center, and anchor can drastically affect the flow of a match.

Another big part of KoF is its movement. While not quite as freeform as games like Guilty Gear, KoF still offers a lot of mobility options, like briefly-invincible dodge-rolls and quick-hop jumps, that give it a distinct feel and push the gameplay in a more offense-oriented direction.

Accompanying these movement options are an array of normal and special moves unique to each character, along with cast-wide tools like a guard cancel dodge/counterattack, blowback attacks, the power-boosting MAX Mode, and a newly introduced “Shatter Strike,” a unique combination defensive/offensive counterattack that can also be used as a combo starter.

Controls are smooth and fluid, and learning how movement and attacks flow into each other is a fun and rewarding part of fighting.

But perhaps KoF’s biggest appeal is its large roster of slickly designed and immediately memorable characters. King of Fighters XV doesn’t have the biggest playable roster in the series, but it’s still pretty packed, with 39 new and returning cast members out of the box.

Every character has a unique look and playstyle that makes them stand out, such as the easy-to-grasp gameplay and rough charms of Fatal Fury veteran and recent Smash Bros. guest Terry Bogard, the sultry suplexes and fast-moving grappling attacks of the long-absent Shermie, and the special-move strings and aerial attacks of new main rival character Isla.

Even if your favorite didn’t make the roster, there are still plenty of new and old characters to spend time learning and building teams around.

Is KOF XV a team game?

In terms of the game system, KOF XV continues with the iconic 3 on 3 team-based fighting structure, while also incorporating new systems to make the game feel fresh and snappy. What we have is something both fans of the previous game and new players to the series alike are sure to enjoy.

The King of Fighters XV Launches Today for Xbox Series X|S

Six years have passed since KOF XIV hit the scene and finally, its sequel is here. We poured our all into making King of Fighters XV the absolute best in the series, and we hope that it has a healthy and robust launch. KOF XV will feature 39 fighters at launch, comprised of previous heroes of other KOFs, resurrected characters, and fresh faces new to the tournament. For fans of the series, KOF XV will be the stuff dreams are made of!

King of Fighters 15 review roundup

Great netcode, strong gameplay, subpar single player content

It was over three years ago that we first heard of SNK’s plans for a King of Fighters 15, but here after multiple delays thanks to the pesky pandemic, the latest and quite possibly greatest franchise entry is here.

We’ve scoured the internet to find out what reviewers are saying about the new KOF, and it seems gamers are widely happy with what it has to offer. While KOF15 seems to check most of the most important fighting game boxes, it does seem to miss the mark for many when it comes to single player content.

We’ll kick things off by sharing the Metacritic scores where KOF15 got an 80/100 for its Metascore and an 8.3/10 for its User score. The former the amalgamation of 30 critics scores, of which a whopping 27 were positive, three were mixed, and none were negative.

As we look through these reviews we see that netcode, an aspect of fighting game experience that recently shot to the top of priority lists, is consistently strong. Those who want to take the battle online and grind can do so with a decent connection, and that’s an absolute must here in 2022.

We also notice repeated praise at the fact that KOF15 doesn’t try to evolve gameplay too far from what established fans know and love. That’s not to say that there aren’t new mechanics and some refinements, but the fact that SNK doesn’t try to fix what’s not broken comes across as a noteworthy positive for multiple reviewers.

• IGN – 8/10

“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.”

• GameSpot – 7/10

“KOF 15 is undeniably a solid package, offering a lot of character variety and gameplay modes for your money. Perhaps the biggest knock against it, then, is that there isn’t anything particularly new or revolutionary about the fighting itself.”

• Shack News – 8/10

“[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 KOF15 feel like one of the strongest entries in the franchise yet.”

• VG247 – 5/5 stars

“By staying true to that identity as an arcade fighter and focusing on what it is 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.”

• Hardcore Gamer – 3.5/5

“Overall this seems like a game that would be good for die hard fighting fans who love playing against other people, but not recommended for anyone looking for a substantial single player experience.”

• Screen Rant – 4.5/5

“While the single-player offerings are decidedly paltry, the game’s tweaked and revised mechanics along with its superbly gratifying presentation deliver in spades with an impressive roster that will only get stronger over time with at least 12 characters coming to the title as DLC.”

How much will KOF XV cost?

U.S : $59.99

The King of Fighters XV Launch Trailer

Will KOF15 be on Steam?

King of Fighters XV will be coming out on February 17, 2022 on PC (Steam or Microsoft store), PlayStation4, PlayStation5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The upcoming title will be the first KOF game to use Unreal Engine 4. This game engine can help support better graphics and smoother performance.

KOF XV will offer crossplatform play between the PS4 and PS5.

KOF XV focuses on Shun’ei and Isla, fighters on rival teams who both harbor mysterious supernatural powers that resemble the abilities of Verse, the antagonist in KOF XIV. In the predecessor, Verse brought forth much mayhem to the tournaments, reviving dead fighters and destroying the KOF arena. In the latest King of Fighters, Chizuru Kagura senses something is interfering with the seal of Orochi, a snake demon. She enlists the help of fighters Kyo Kusanagi and Ioi Yagami to investigate these unusual happenings.

The fighting system in KOF XV involves team-on-team combat with three members apiece. Each team consists of three roles—Point, Middle, and Anchor. Players can adjust their role assignments in the middle of fights to glean a strategic advantage over opponents. Hitting the Rush button, first introduced in KOF 14, can also help newer players with performing combos and special moves. The game also has several online modes, such as Ranked and Casual Matches.

How many characters are in KOF XV?

These are all the returning characters in KOF 15 so far. The King of Fighters XV’s cast features many returning fan favorite characters. The game’s roster will include 39 characters at launch, 34 of whom have been revealed so far. Two DLC packs have also been confirmed, each including on team of three characters.

Is King of Fighters hard?

KOF is a lot faster than many fighting games and the input window is more strict so it requires a preciser execution. Also it requires a good notion of spacing because it is not a game where you will be standing for too long. Some mechanics like short hops could also be difficult for beginners

Is there geese in KOF15?

While we don’t get to see them in action yet, SNK did still show off a bit of the new designs Geese Howard, Billy Kane and Ryuji Yamazaki will be bringing to the table as the second round of DLC to hit KOF15.