Fatal
Fury: City of the Wolves ABOUT:
Fatal Fury:
City of the Wolves, titled Garou Densetsu: City of the Wolves
in Japan, is "Legend of is an upcoming sequel to Garou:
Mark of the Wolves planned for release in Early 2025. First
revealed back at EVO 2022, this traditional 2D fighting game using 3D
graphics will be the first new entry in the Fatal
Fury series in over 23 years, with the most recent installment released
in 1999. It is the ninth title in the series and the seventh canonical
installment.
Fatal
Fury: COTW open beta select screen.
Director Yasuyuki Oda mentioned early
on that Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves will have more of an emphasis on story than
other recent SNK 2.5D fighting games such as
The
King of Fighters XV.
City of the Wolves features a new mode called Episodes of South
Town (EOST) — the single-player RPG mode where players embark on a
thrilling journey through the iconic city of South Town, where they engage in
battles against various contenders under diverse fight conditions. This mode
allows players to earn experience points (XP) and other rewards as they level up
their fighters and develop a unique set of skills tailored to their play style.
The narrative is rich with ambition and dreams, as players strive to carve out
their own legend amidst the tumultuous backdrop of South Town’s fighting
scene. As they progress, they uncover deeper connections between characters,
revealing emotional ties and rivalries that enhance the overall storytelling
experience within this immersive RPG framework.
The director mentioned that Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves' visual style
and overlays are
inspired by American comic books like Marvel Comics.
The
Garou gang is making a comeback.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves features two control schemes: Arcade Style (based on
precise, technical inputs) and Smart Style (flashy specials/combos using
directional inputs and single button presses). Similarly to other modern
fighting games, Fatal Fury: COTW will also offer an "Easy
Controls" option.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves introduces the
"REV
System". First up, REV
Arts function like EX Special Moves. REV
Accel offers Special-to-Special Move Cancels, comparable to
Hyperdrive Mode from The King
of Fighters XIII. REV Blow and REV Guard also offer unique
attack and defense options. In
addition to the REV System, City of the Wolves' gameplay is
defined by an impressive number of other mechanics. The S.P.G.
(Selective Potential Gear) meter selection (similar to Garou: Mark of
the Wolves' Tactical Offense Position /
T.O.P. system), Overheating, Just Defense, Hyper
Defense, Braking, Combinations, Feinting, Wild
Punish, Dodge Attacks, Ignition Gear, Redline Gear, and
Hidden Gear.
Old
school Fatal Fury icons are back and hotter than ever.
Newcomers such as Preecha, is the "star pupil" of Joe Higashi. Preecha is
a scientist investigating the wonders and miracles of a fascinating principle
known as ki (spirit energy). While her martial arts talent can't be denied,
that's not to say she's only in it to win it either; indeed, Preecha fights for
academic purposes, not accolades. She hates the pain, but sure is willing to
endure it—as long as it furthers her research into unique and perplexing fight
styles. The other newcomer is "Vox Reaper", a successor to Garou
Mark of the Wolves' badass sub-boss, Grant.
Geese
Tower! Nice looking effects, snk.
Fatal Fury: City of the
Wolves releases on April 24th, 2024 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series
X|S, Steam, and EGS. AnOpen Beta Test took place February 20 (12:00 am PT) through
February 24 (11:59 pm PST) which will give fans on PlayStation 5,
PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Steam a chance to play Fatal Fury: City of
the Wolves early with 8 playable characters. A special promotional
animation by Masami Obari was also created for Fatal Fury: City of the
Wolves. A physical Deluxe
Edition was also announced.
Returning
MOTW stages from a different perspective.
Garou:
Mark of the Wolves has been one of my all-time favorite SNK fighting games since the early 2000s. The 2D masterpiece
being brought into the modern era with SNK's 3D graphics engine leaves somewhat of a
bittersweet taste... since I know deep down SNK's 3D visuals and animations
will never eeeeever live
up to vibrancy and especially fluidity of MOTW's timeless 2D sprites. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. One thing's for
sure—City of the Wolves has big shoes to fill.
I was happy and (not)surprised to see Fatal Fury / Garou return
as a standalone game, following most recent SNK 2.5D fighters such as Samurai
Shodown, SNK Heroines,
and of course KOF14 and KOF15.
Fatal Fury is an iconic arcade-born fighting game franchise that deserves a
comeback all out on its own, for sure!
Early on, I overheard some SNK fans calling this game "KOF with less
characters". Honestly, COTW's mechanics make it feel different
enough to distinguish it from KOF, and hopefully the devs will put more
effort into the characters, visuals, and mechanics thanks to the "smaller"
character roster. That's what should happen, anyway. It's worth
pointing out that we should not only expect the return of MOTW's
original cast (and potentially some of the canceled MOTW2
characters), but the return of many classic Fatal Fury series veterans.
That said, the roster might end up being larger than some are expecting! That's
the good news.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
is slightly more visually and mechanically appealing to me over KOF XV... but still has a
similar "plasticy" vibe and isn't without imperfections. Overall,
animations are decent and entertaining—while having some obvious jank. While fully playable to
me as a proud MOTW Terry main, the game feels slightly "slow" and sluggish (using some characters).
Matchmaking it the beta was rough, but seemed to get better towards the end.
Either way, SNK has time to
tighten things up. One thing. Can they make the walking speed slower?
Because it's not slow enough. I want us to be controlling tanks. (Is this SamSho or Garou?)
Thankfully, characters' special moves themselves have maneuverability options and
help keep things moving and feeling snappy. However, I think SNK can
improve overall responsiveness and speed in future updates.
The absurd (and impressive) quantity of system mechanics are immediately intriguing
to a seasoned gray-haired fighting game player such as myself... but I could also see
how this game's mechanics could easily be confusing, intimidating, and ultimately frustrating for
new / casual type fighting game players. That said, the Open Beta's Tutorial mode was a bit
last-gen-feeling and clunky... honestly not one of
the better modern fighting game tutorial modes I've played. (Countdown timers
are a terrible way to practice parrying, for one.)
The REV System gives players nice options to play characters differently.
The S.P.G. system is nostalgic and is a defining mechanic (similar to T.O.P. from
MOTW)... which I enjoyed. Just Defense and Hyper Defense are great, since
I love parrying in fighting games. The weird animations (at
times) makes parrying slightly less enjoyable than in other fighting games, but it's not
bad. At the least, Just Defense might end up being one of my favorite
mechanics carrying over from MOTW. Dodge Attacks are an
innovative new mechanic that have "cool moment" potential (and the
animations are nice)! Other than that, I'm
mostly disappointed with the game's slow-ish speed... until combos start up.
The new auto-combo system is an attractive "easy mode" mechanic
catered to the casual types...
but it's actually a decent and cool-looking system that provides sexy camera angles upon
the final hit. With mix-up options, it even adds some complexity and excitement
to the traditional 2D engine. The
good news is: The classic Garou: MOTW engine feels "alive" in
this game, with old
school combos still existing (and lots of new combo options, of course). The characters themselves and the combo system
mostly feel decent,
both having the potential to carry
this game.
Aesthetically, COTW has a "cartoon" shine that resembles the
colorful 90s sprites and games. The American comics theme is super quirky and
the different graphical filters are neat. While I don't "hate" the
general aesthetic, I don't exactly love it. Some characters look unintentionally younger than their Garou: MOTW counterparts...
some models are a little goofy and out of proportion.
The game nearly has a "chibi" vibe—with some characters appearing a
bit chunky (similar to SamSho 2019). However, some models like B.
Jenet look great!
One thing I love. The hit sparks look great and are "easy on the
eyes" unlike some other "over-the-top" effects we see in modern
fighting games. SNK can make improvements to the visuals before launch, so I'll wait for the final
version to talk more about graphics.
I used to play SNK fighting games much more often in decades past, back when 2D
sprites were the best thing around. In the modern era... I'm spoiled playing 4K Steam games like Street Fighter 6
and TEKKEN 8—both games I'm
still playing daily online—and both are mechanically superior, more
feature-rich, and more fun to play than anything SNK
has put out in quite some time. I already miss the many "quality of
life" features when I'm playing City of the Wolves. I don't expect all fighting game publishers
to fly close to the high quality of Capcom and Namco games, but what will make
someone like me
want to keep playing COTW?
Well, I happen to be an old school Terry main in MOTW. Been
playing this game since like 1999, bro. I was playin' online against the best on Mame / Kaillera
in the early 2000s! That said, the new engine "feels" like my beloved MOTW with plenty of classic combos,
set-ups, cancels, feints, and returning movesets still intact. Classic spacing,
anti-air and fireball games still apply. The returning cast plays like they should, with classic match-ups,
projectile wars, and spacing tech that all feels like the old time (as Kuroko would say).
However, the new air-projectiles and new juggle opportunities give COTW its own
distinguished feel. The moveset updates are significant, adding excitement and
plenty of combo / canceling potential. The canceling in this game
is crazy and should provide fun for players who like to style-on their opponents
with combos! Flaws aside, I think City of the Wolves will still be a "fun" SNK
fighting game regardless of how it looks. Nostalgia glasses can go a long way in
enjoying this game, but hopefully the newcomers and new mechanics will
attract... new players.
At first glance, I didn't really "like" Fatal Fury: COTW's
graphics. Unexpectedly, the more I played—the more I enjoyed the visuals. My
favorite aspects are the smoothly-animated hit sparks—oozing with NeoGeo-era
nostalgia—and the intense close-ups on epic characters' poses during super
moves. (Gameplay-wise, I also enjoy characters' variations of super and special
moves!) The variety of
flashy hit sparks, camera zoom on KO, and cinematic close-ups during super moves
look very impressive in 4K60.
Probably SNK's best 2.5D hit sparks and special move effects to date! The throwbacks
to classic MOTW art during win poses is also a nice touch. Weak parts of
the visuals? Some animations, especially damage and falling animations (needs
more "oomph" ouch factor).
Similarly to Garou: Mark of the Wolves during its time...Fatal
Fury: City of the Wolves
is the most "Street Fighter-feeling game" SNK has ever created.
And ironically one of their best ever. No, the animation and features are (sadly) not
anywhere near the polish of SF6, but hopefully City of the Wolves will end up being
something special. A SpecialFatal Fury. Imagine that!
~TFG WEBMASTER | @Fighters_Gen
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Because it's not slow enough. I want us to be controlling tanks. (Is this SamSho or Garou?)
Thankfully, characters' special moves themselves have maneuverability options and
help keep things moving and feeling snappy. However, I think SNK can
improve overall responsiveness and speed in future updates.
One thing I love. The hit sparks look great and are "easy on the
eyes" unlike some other "over-the-top" effects we see in modern
fighting games. SNK can make improvements to the visuals before launch, so I'll wait for the final
version to talk more about graphics. 
Probably SNK's best 2.5D hit sparks and special move effects to date! The throwbacks
to classic MOTW art during win poses is also a nice touch. Weak parts of
the visuals? Some animations, especially damage and falling animations (needs
more "oomph" ouch factor).
