King of Fighters XV

The newest entry in this long-running franchise features new characters and greatly improved visuals for fighting fans. With nearly 39 characters at launch, King of Fighters XV has a massive roster, and all of the characters feel fun and satisfying to play. Returning characters from King of Fighters XIV have had a makeover and look much better for it, while still retaining the style and animations that have made them beloved for decades. While there are fewer new characters than other entries, several characters like Shermie and Chizuru have returned after long absences. The music is excellent, and the game's DJ Station lets players listen to hundreds of tracks from the series long history. The new shatter strike mechanic is simple to execute but adds an extra defensive option to the game that will give players a lot of room to experiment with. As with many King of Fighters titles, it has straightforward options that are easy to pick up and hard to master. The game requires more from the player's dexterity than many other recently released fighting games, but there's still plenty of fun to be had as a new player.

Despite a tutorial breaking down the games mechanics, a universal autocombo for beginners get used to fighting, and a mission mode to learn basic combos, it would've been nice if the game did more to help new players understand how to use the character moves. With the huge number of fighters in the game, figuring out how everything works can be daunting. Similarly, the game's light on single-player content. The story mode is basic, with only a few cutscenes breaking up a string of fights against an AI opponent, and there aren't any other ways to engage with the game outside of training mode and playing other human opponents. Thankfully, the robust online play makes fighting human opponents easier than ever. If you are looking for a new 2D fighting game with tons to explore and aren't scared of the learning curve, King of Fighters XV is an exclting way to spend your time.