Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Review

Capcom’s Street Fighter II revolutionized the arcade scene in the 90s, shaping the modern fighting game genre with its competitive 1vs1 gameplay and iconic roster. With the growing popularity of fighting games, SNK took a piece of the pie with its Garou Densetsu/Fatal Fury series.

Fatal Fury carved its success with interesting narratives and memorable characters like Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui. While SNK continued to expand other franchises like The King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown, Fatal Fury’s last mainline installment, Mark of the Wolves (1999), was never followed up despite positive reception and the introduction of fan-favorites such as Rock Howard.

After a 26-year hiatus, Fatal Fury finally makes its long-awaited return with Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. Can this dormant series reclaim its place in today’s saturated fighting game market? The answer is clear—the wolves are back, baring their claws and fangs, and they’ve brought their A-game.

Rev it up!

Being the newest mainline entry after over two decades, SNK had to step it up. In this case, they revved it up, as Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves introduces innovative mechanics that set it apart, anchored by the new Rev system. While some may find bits and pieces of the Rev system reminiscent of other fighting games, the implementation here feels fitting for Fatal Fury’s return.

Just Defense from Mark of the Wolves makes a comeback, offering a defensive technique similar to Street Fighter III’s parries. Instead of advancing, blocking precisely at the moment of impact allows players to recover a sliver of health and perform Guard Cancels. You can also perform a similar move for multi-hit attacks called Hyper Defense. New additions like Dodge Attacks further reward defense, enabling evasive high or low strikes depending on the situation.

The core of this new system is the Rev Meter. On defense, Rev Guard minimizes chip damage and creates more distance, at the cost of filling up the meter. Offensively, Rev Arts are powered-up special moves and chaining them together forms Rev Accel combos, which will also fill up your Rev Meter. You’ll need to manage your meter because overusing Rev moves can lead to Overheating, rendering them temporarily unusable. Fortunately, players can lower their built-up Rev faster by simply moving/dashing towards their opponent, successfully landing attacks, or performing Just/Hyper Defenses.

Another strategic layer comes from the Selective Potential Gear (S.P.G.) system, previously known as Tactical Offensive Position (T.O.P.). Borrowing inspiration from King of Fighters’ Super Desperation Moves, S.P.G. lets players decide when its effects activate— either the early, mid, or late zone in their health bar.

When active, one perk is that it boosts damage like Tekken’s Rage Status. Also, S.P.G. grants access to Rev Blows (a simultaneous attack and auto-guard move) and the powerful Hidden Gear. Ignition Gear and Redline Gear are your Level 1 and 2 Super Moves, respectively, but the strongest one, Hidden Gear, requires both S.P.G. activation and two full power meters.

The choice of S.P.G. placement introduces tactical flexibility, incentivizing players to activate it later in their health bar for slower Rev Meter build-up, earlier for quicker access to powerful advantages, or right in the middle to play it safe. Ultimately, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves empowers players to tailor their strategy and master its mechanics to suit their playstyle.

The new Rev system really changes things up. In contrast to waiting for a meter to fill up before you can act, players can do such powerful moves immediately and must ensure they don’t overdo it. Add the fact that it’s also the player’s choice when they want their S.P.G. to activate, and you’ve got a versatile, fast-paced, high-risk, high-reward system that’s sure to excite.

Wolves on the Hunt

The base roster of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves boasts a diverse set of 17 characters, each with unique fighting styles and personalities, including Mark of the Wolves’ previous boss Kain R. Heinlein. Terry Bogard and Rock Howard return among others, alongside Mai Shiranui, and joined by new fighters who fit nicely into the cast. The variety strikes a good balance, and with the upcoming DLC featuring iconic guests such as Ken Masters and Chun-Li from Street Fighter 6, the lineup looks promising.

Fighters offer distinct movement and combat styles: Billy Kane excels in long-range attacks with his staff, while newcomer Preecha delivers swift Muay Thai strikes at short to mid-range. Heavyweights like Tizoc sacrifice speed and reach for devastating wrestling moves. Variety is good coming into launch, including some surprising additions like soccer sensation Cristiano Ronaldo and DJ/Record Producer Salvatore Ganacci, and it can only improve as more fighters join the roster.

Nostalgia is also a considerable factor, as some characters pay homage to SNK classics— one returning fighter, Marco Rodrigues, uses Art of Fighting’s Kyokugen Karate, and another veteran, Hokutomaru, channels Andy Bogard’s Koppouken techniques. Terry Bogard and his protégé Rock embody versatile, all-around fighters with projectiles and anti-airs.

Most importantly, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves’ cast feels fun to learn. The movelists are not overwhelming, and the techniques are not too many to make it too intimidating to memorize everything. Additionally, the game simplifies entry for casual players with Smart Style, which eliminates motion inputs for easier controls. This approach sacrifices complex combos found in normal gameplay but ensures accessibility for newcomers while retaining a satisfying learning curve for seasoned fans.

Welcome Back to South Town

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves offers a familiar yet variety-filled set of game modes, catering to both single-player enjoyers and competitive players. For competitive gamers, you have VS. modes—available offline and online—with customizable gameplay mechanics in the offline Special Versus mode, such as permanent S.P.G. activation or instant K.O. Super Moves reminiscent of Guilty Gear’s Destroy Moves.

As a nostalgic nod to long-time fans, one stage uniquely features multi-plane fighting, allowing players to jump between two planes like in classic Fatal Fury games. While only one stage offers this feature, it adds variety and a touch of nostalgia, and we’d like to see this make more of an impact on the game in future updates.

For single-player content, Arcade Mode pits players against seven CPU opponents, including a rival and a final boss. Seven feels like the right amount of fights without it being a drag while offering unique character cutscenes as a reward, which can be viewed in the game’s Gallery Mode upon completion. Some fighters’ stories even continue from the events of Mark of the Wolves, making it a treat for series veterans who have been following these narratives for a long time.

Meanwhile, the Episode of South Town (EOST) mode delivers RPG-style gameplay, where characters explore South Town with narratives distinct from the Arcade mode. These stories range from lighthearted to bizarre and provide incentives to use different characters, such as Dong Hwan simply going on a food trip or Preecha trying to deal with a more supernatural problem.

EOST keeps things simple as you move a cursor around town and win fights with various winning conditions. The RPG element comes in as each win gives you experience points to level up your stats. In addition, skills can also be earned and equipped that can offer you buffs like added health or negating punch damage, but increasing kick damage, for example.

This mode rewards players with artworks, movies, and character interactions accessible via Gallery Mode and the Showcase option in EOST. Nostalgic extras include a minigame from Art of Fighting, a Jukebox featuring soundtracks from Fatal Fury and other SNK titles, and even an album of some tracks from guest fighter Salvatore Ganacci among others.

However, drawbacks include the aforementioned mundane storylines which may not be for everyone and luck-based battle conditions, which may frustrate players expecting skill-based victories, such as one where your opponent has a skill where you can only deal damage in a 1/66 chance.

Look Good, Fight Good

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves makes an impressive return with stunning visuals that stand out amidst the current selection of fighting game titles. Unlike the 3D models seen in Street Fighter VI, the game employs a more 2D-inspired anime-like aesthetic that enhances its distinct style.

The visual and particle effects are equally impressive because they also offer a good read on what’s happening on the screen. Green auras signal Rev Blows, red glows indicate Rev Meter overheating, and successful Just Defense moves are accompanied by unobtrusive barriers and on-screen text. The vibrant and functional visuals ensure players are well-informed during matches.

The character designs are another highlight, blending classic and modern styles like Terry Bogard, retaining his more mature but stylish appearance from Mark of the Wolves. New fighters like Preecha with her Muay Thai-inspired look and the menacing Vox Reaper add diversity, while other returning characters, such as Billy Kane and his new glasses, feature updated designs. Mai Shiranui’s biker outfit offers a striking departure from her traditional ninja attire, making her appearance eye-catching but still amazing.

Aside from visuals, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves also excels in the audio department. The English and Japanese voice casts deliver strong performances, bringing characters to life during fights and story moments. The soundtrack strikes a balance between old and new tracks, including contributions from guest fighter Salvatore Ganacci, adding flair to the proceedings. Attacks in the game deliver some hard, satisfying sounds, too, so when you see somebody get hit hard, you’ll hear it loud and clear.

Guest characters Ronaldo and Salvatore may seem like weird choices, but unconventional guest appearances weren’t new in fighting games, like Norimaro from Capcom’s vs. Series or Darth Vader in Soul Calibur, making these inclusions slightly forgivable. However, I can imagine fans won’t be too pleased, especially when they could have been other well-known series characters like Alba Meira from Maximum Impact or even someone from SNK’s underrated weapon-based fighter, The Last Blade.

An unexpected limitation is Ronaldo’s restricted availability in game modes; despite significant pre-release hype, he cannot be selected in Arcade or EOST. Salvatore, on the other hand, can be chosen in all modes, which is quite a head-scratching moment. While SNK addressed this and assured that he would be available in said modes soon, it doesn’t change the fact that City of Wolves will launch with such restrictions, given the hype behind Ronaldo.

Verdict: Buy it!

After so long, Fatal Fury makes a long-awaited triumphant return. For fans, this is a dream fulfilled as Mark of the Wolves left many stories unfinished when it launched back in 1999. The series seamlessly adapts to modern times with City of the Wolves, introducing unique mechanics that promise to deliver intense experiences for solo and competitive players.

The game also feels like a heartfelt tribute to SNK enthusiasts, packed with familiar elements that long-time fans of the company’s other fighting franchises, particularly Art of Fighting, will recognize. Fatal Fury’s deep lore continues to shine as the story progresses, leaving room to explore South Town and beyond.

Despite minor setbacks, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a highly celebrated return as it proudly reclaims its position alongside giants like Street Fighter and Tekken, reinforcing its status as an iconic part of fighting game history.

*Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves was reviewed on a PS5 with a review code provided by the publisher.