It’s fantastic to see the beloved Fatal Fury series making a return to the spotlight. This iconic SNK fighting game, once a fierce competitor to Street Fighter 2 in the ’90s, has been out of action for over 25 years. During that time, SNK shifted its focus to other franchises like the King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown, both offering unique combat experiences but lacking that direct competition to Street Fighter. Enter Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, which revives the series as a formidable alternative to current heavyweights like Street Fighter 6, sticking close to its roots without unnecessary mechanics like Drive Impacts or complex throw loops. While it might lack some contemporary fighting game features and its interface isn’t the slickest, City of the Wolves delivers where it counts most, feeling like a powerful shot to the senses.
This new entry sticks to the classic four-button configuration—light and heavy punches, light and heavy kicks—with distinct versions depending on whether you’re near or far from your opponent. Proximity determines the power and tactical advantage of your moves. Notably, City of the Wolves forgoes the universal approaches to opponents found in other games—there are no dash-ups or teleports to easily close the gap. This design choice encourages players to engage in strategic mind games, gauging their opponent’s tactics and responding accordingly. It also makes characters with effective movement skills stand out in exciting ways.
One of the fresh mechanics in this title is the Rev Meter, reminiscent of the Drive Meter from Street Fighter 6, but instead of depleting, you build it up. Starting each round at zero, you fill the meter by blocking or executing special Rev techniques, such as EX moves, Rev Guards for chip damage prevention, and Rev Blows with armor properties. Once maxed out, the meter enters an overheating state that gradually counts down, restricting the use of Rev techniques and draining your defense meter each time you block, leaving you vulnerable to free combos.
Managing this meter is a crucial part of your strategy. You can stack EX moves for substantial combos, but that can rapidly increase the meter, risking overheating. It’s a constant juggle—do you gamble on a big combo now or conserve meter for later use in the round?
My only gripe with the Rev Meter lies with Rev Blows. These armored attacks may remind some of Street Fighter’s Drive Impacts, but they aren’t quite the same. They deliver significant blows and are block-safe, though they only chain into combos when your hit catches a counter. Yet, they cost little of your Rev Meter, meaning you can use them liberally unless your opponent can effectively counter them. Unfortunately, City of the Wolves doesn’t clearly explain how to fend off these moves in its tutorials.
To counter Rev Blows, retaliate with your own or wait for SPG mode, offering defense during different health phases. Yet, if your SPG isn’t aligned with your opponent’s timing, you’ll be at a disadvantage until your health wanes.
Overall, City of the Wolves delivers outstanding fighting mechanics. From basic combos linking EX specials to complex sequences driven by finesse, the game offers fantastic flexibility and skill expression. It’s a yin-yang of aggression and cautious defense, reinforced with strategic options to shake up habitual play, like roll escapes and guard cancellations, rewarding precise moves and punishes.
The roster at launch impresses with 17 fighters, both familiar faces and newcomers, each offering unique styles. Among these, Preecha and Vox Reaper shine with their defined fighting traits—Preecha with versatile Muay Thai techniques, and Vox with high-speed, aggressive tactics.
Guest characters Cristiano Ronaldo and Salvatore Ganacci bring mechanical intrigue but feel out of place in Fatal Fury’s universe. Ronaldo’s soccer-infused playstyle offers creative strategy with ball attacks, but his non-integrated story inclusion feels like a miss. Salvatore, with his comedic DJ moves, entertains but similarly lacks contextual fit in the lore-rich backdrop of South Town, making them seem better suited as optional DLC.
City of the Wolves doesn’t skimp on single-player content, featuring traditional Arcade and the more narrative-driven Episodes of South Town, an RPG-like mode with leveling mechanics and unique battle conditions to enhance story immersion. Yet, the game falters in teaching more detailed gameplay systems, missing in-depth tutorials for its advanced strategies.
Online, the game provides the necessary modes and rollback netcode—essential for modern fighting titles. However, there are hiccups, as subpar connectivity can diminish the fighting experience. The user interface, especially in matchmaking, lacks polish, presenting outdated design that doesn’t align with the game’s dynamic in-match aesthetics.
Despite these areas needing work, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves captures the essence of strategic and engaging combat while breathing new life into a cherished series, setting it up for new rivalries in the fighting game arena.
