Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves heralds the return of the long-dormant series after 26 years — and thankfully does so in a game that can stand toe-to-toe with its contemporaries. For the uninitiated, the Fatal Fury series is one of SNK’s oldest franchises. It eventually gave way to titles like The King of Fighters, with the latter initially appearing as part of an early Fatal Fury game.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves continues the trend of combining elements from SNK’s storied fighting game history, while also promising to include upcoming Capcom characters in its initial season pass roster, such as Ken Masters and Chun-Li.
On a more topical note, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves will launch with a base roster of 17 characters, including King of Fighters headliners such as Mai Shiranui and Terry Bogard (who recently appeared as guest characters in Street Fighter 6). Stranger inclusions are also expected, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Salvatore Ganacci reportedly joining the cast. For most players, rest assured that series staples both look and feel great, thanks in part to Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves’ reliance on a comic book–inspired, cel-shaded aesthetic.
“Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves truly shines with its nuanced approach to fighting game mechanics.”
On the topic of aesthetics, this latest entry into the Fatal Fury series forgoes the use of 2D sprite-based graphics, instead opting to go all-in on 3D graphics, giving the overall presentation a rocking personality and punch of colour reminiscent of Marvel vs. Capcom and even the popular mod for MVC Infinite by Maximilian Dood. That might sound like a slight at SNK, but it is anything but, as both titles do an excellent job of bridging the gap between 2D and 3D graphics.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves truly shines with its nuanced approach to fighting game mechanics. The latest entry in the series features an evolution of classic Fatal Fury systems, including the SPG, or Selective Potential Gear meter, which can be set in one of three positions based on the player’s health pool. This triggers powerful augments, along with new mechanics such as the REV System.
Knowing when to rely on the SPG meter to boost your REV skills, which further augment standard and special attacks, adds a layer of complexity to the already rich gameplay present in the title. Unlike other modern or classic fighting games, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves’ approach to a four-button fighter goes a step further by introducing additional variables not typical of the genre, such as variances in jumping and attacks that change depending on the proximity of your opponent. These factors may deter newer fighting game fans, but will definitely appeal to hardcore SNK players looking for something with a little extra nuance.
Outside of the initial roster of 17 playable characters, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves features 19 unique stages, ranging from dojos to moving trains, tropical getaways and other familiar and new locations to brawl in. Shifting gears back to the character roster, City of the Wolves—despite its somewhat modest selection of 17 characters—offers a variety of unique fighting styles and gimmicks that help keep things feeling fresh. From Hokutomaru’s agile, ninja-like abilities to classic standbys such as Terry with his quarter-circle inputs, to Tizoc and his lucha libre–inspired wrestling move set, there is a lot of variety for players to explore and get acquainted with.
“Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a solid return to form for the series.”
In terms of gameplay modes, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves includes the standard set of Arcade, Versus and Online modes, along with a somewhat truncated story mode called Episodes of South Town. This map-based mode allows players to take on CPU-controlled opponents that gradually increase in difficulty. Episodes of South Town features RPG-lite mechanics, such as levelling up your character by fighting optional targets, which in turn grant additional health, special attacks and other modifiers, making it possible to defeat bosses before moving on.
Compared to the robust story mode in a game like Street Fighter 6, Episodes of South Town is a step below Capcom’s offering. Ultimately, though, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is about the gameplay, and in that regard, City of the Wolves excels. Playing through Episodes of South Town with different characters unlocks bonuses such as concept art and colour variants, which are a nice touch. Still, it is somewhat disappointing that alternate costumes are largely absent, particularly the classic outfits for some of the legacy characters (aside from Terry’s, which appears to be tied to a day-one DLC or pre-order incentive).
When it comes down to it, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a solid return to form for the series—one that brings old-school chops with modern video game flair, making it a must-play for hardcore fighting game fanatics.
