Fatal Fury: City Of The Wolves review – Street Fighter’s greatest rival returns

Terry Bogard and the gang are again as SNK revive the enduring Fatal Fury sequence for a brand new 2D fighter that seeks to problem Capcom’s Street Fighter 6.

As a brand new technology of consoles approaches it’s fascinating to suppose what their technical enhancements would possibly imply for varied genres. That’s assuming the subsequent gen Xbox and PlayStation 6 are extra highly effective and don’t as an alternative give attention to a brand new transportable design, as appears doable from recent rumours. Whatever occurs although, it’s in all probability a very good wager that it gained’t matter to combating video games.

The Fatal Fury sequence dates again to 1991 and was created by the unique director of Street Fighter, Takashi Nishiyama, as a response to Street Fighter 2, which he wasn’t concerned with. The authentic was very effectively regarded, however as a result of it was a Neo Geo sport it ended up being a lot much less well-known. Subsequent video games did make it onto different codecs, however the sequence might be finest identified in the present day due to the cameo of frontman Terry Bogard in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

For such an extended working sequence there have been surprisingly few entries over time, however 1999’s Garou: Mark Of The Wolves (the franchise’s Japanese identify is Garō Densetsu, which means Hungry Wolf Legend) is extensively thought to be the most effective 2D combating video games of all time and an in depth rival to modern Street Fighter 3. The subtitle to this belated sequel is clearly meant to be paying homage to that and the most effective factor we are able to say about it, is that it doesn’t betray that legacy.

Although it was launched just a few months after Street Fighter 2, the unique Fatal Fury was nonetheless remarkably much like Capcom’s sport – regardless of Street Fighter 1 being very a lot a diamond within the tough. Right from the beginning, Fatal Fury had a larger emphasis on storytelling, with the travails of its most important characters persevering with by way of not simply the sequels however sister sequence Art Of Fighting and crossover franchise King Of Fighters.

You don’t have to know any background lore to get pleasure from City Of The Wolves however even the Arcade mode has a correct story, of types. It’s not precisely The Last Of Us, however every character is given clear motivation and targets and, not like most Capcom video games, a non-joke ending. There’s additionally a job-taking part in type single-participant mode known as Episodes of South Town, the place you decide battles from a map and achieve expertise with every combat, that ups your stats and unlocks new talents.

It nonetheless lives within the shadow of Soulcalibur 2’s iconic single-participant mode, full with sometimes irritating limitations on what strikes you should use in every battle, however it’s an affordable effort for what’s clearly a reasonably low price range sport, even when it pales subsequent to Street Fighter 6’s World Tour mode. If you’re into SNK lore although it’s an absolute treasure trove, nearly turning into a visible novel at occasions.

Unlike with Street Fighter 2, SNK could have been effectively conscious of Street Fighter 6 whereas making this and there are definitely many similarities. City Of The Wolves has a Rev Meter which works very equally to Street Fighter 6’s Drive Gauge, besides you’re constructing it up throughout a combat moderately than beginning with it full.

Just as with the Drive Gauge, this provides you entry to particular talents, and extra highly effective blocks and assaults. However, if the meter overheats you’ll be able to’t use any Rev strikes and your guard gauge will drop each time you block, till it’s utterly damaged – which is the sport’s approach of encouraging you to make use of the Rev Meter and never simply let it go to waste.

This additionally units up a neat threat vs. reward mechanic, the place a very highly effective combo can overheat you and go away you susceptible instantly afterwards. A key approach to keep away from this, different than simply being cautious, is your SPG (selective potential gear), which prompts when your well being bar is at a sure level – as chosen by you earlier than a match. For so long as your well being bar is within the chosen zone you’re significantly extra highly effective and may make full use of issues like Rev Blows – the sport’s reply to Street Fighter 6’s Drive Impacts.

If your eyes are already beginning to glaze over in any respect that trivia, we’re afraid to say that City Of The Wolves’ tutorials aren’t the most effective and don’t even point out a number of the extra superior strategies. Or in the event that they do you’re solely proven how they work and never what they’re used for, tactically talking.

This is a really technical fighter and whilst you can have enjoyable with it from the beginning it’s not likely the sport we’d advise to anybody beginning out within the style – which isn’t a grievance, only a warning.

The sport’s roster has all of the anticipated sequence regulars, together with Terry, Mai, Hokutomaru, and Rock Howard. There are 4 new characters, with Muay Thai auctioneer Preecha being a very good all-rounder for newbie gamers and Vox Reaper a extra technical fighter centered on pace.

Those are very welcome additions however the different two are bizarre actual-world celebrities, within the type of DJ Salvatore Ganacci and Cristiano Ronaldo. Yes, that Cristiano Ronaldo. They each really feel precisely as gimmicky as they sound and under no circumstances retaining with Fatal Fury’s basic aesthetic. Ronaldo’s use of a soccer is humorous for a bit, and Salvatore’s strikes are all based mostly round reference to his music movies, however that every one will get outdated in a short time.

Salvatore is clearly meant as a Dan from Street Fighter type joke character and but Ronaldo is barely any higher and, tellingly, isn’t even a part of the Arcade mode.

If that’s what’s wanted to offer Fatal Fury some additional visibility although it’s a small value to pay, in what’s a really effectively-rounded and pleasurable 2D fighter. In phrases of on-line it does have rollback netcode and whereas we’ll must see how this works publish-launch the largest downside in the mean time is merely the sluggish and ugly menu system.

It’s 1 / 4 of a century since Mark Of The Wolves and the video games trade has modified enormously since then. SNK themselves went bust in 2001 and this new incarnation is owned by a Saudi Arabian organisation; that explains the 2 undesirable new visitor characters, each of whom have ties to the nation, however you’d by no means guess in any other case, based mostly on City Of The Wolves’ gameplay.

It’s not doing something new, however then few combating video games ever do and even with the plain steals from Street Fighter 6 it is a distinctive and enjoyably advanced fighter, that ought to guarantee a really wholesome future for the franchise going ahead.

Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
Price: £49.99
Publisher: SNK
Developer: KOF Studio
Release Date: twenty fourth April 2025
Age Rating: 18

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