Buy Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves on PlayStation Store. The celebrated fighting series returns with a striking new art style, returning favorites, new faces and a deep battle system.
The game features a colorful, cell-shaded art style reminiscent of classic 2D fighters, making it visually appealing.
Gameplay is tight and rewarding, with a good balance of offensive and defensive mechanics that allow for skill expression.
The inclusion of a color edit mode and a jukebox with music from previous Fatal Fury games adds depth and personalization to the experience.
The user interface is clunky and outdated, making navigation frustrating for players.
The initial character roster is considered small and includes controversial guest characters that some players dislike.
Single-player content, particularly the 'Episodes of South Town' mode, is seen as repetitive and lacking depth.
gameplay
284 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
53%
1%
The gameplay of this fighting game has been widely praised for its depth and accessibility, blending modern mechanics with classic elements to create a rewarding experience for both newcomers and veterans. Players appreciate the tight controls, diverse character roster, and the balance between offensive and defensive strategies, although some have noted the need for improved tutorials and online matchmaking. Overall, the game is seen as a standout in the genre, offering a vibrant aesthetic and engaging mechanics that encourage skill expression and mastery.
“The gameplay feels tight and rewarding.”
“There is a ton of combo expression, and if you learn to engage with all the mechanics, you can pull off some of the most satisfying combos I've ever experienced in a fighting game.”
“The mechanics are simple to understand but go very deep.”
“Slapping a fresh coat of paint on mechanics that peaked years ago doesn’t make it feel like now — it makes it feel like 2015 all over again.”
“This gameplay is not worth it for $60.”
“Base gameplay from Mark of the Wolves has been nerfed into the ground; the control scheme is a disaster beyond belief for a series that used to be so simple and easy to pick up and play.”
music
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
49%
4%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, featuring a robust jukebox that includes nearly all tracks from the Fatal Fury series and collaborations with well-known DJs, enhancing the overall experience. While many players praise the soundtrack as "amazing" and "top-tier," some express mixed feelings about specific tracks, particularly in the character select screen. Overall, the sound design and music contribute significantly to the game's vibrant atmosphere, despite some critiques regarding the lack of dynamic music options during gameplay.
“The soundtrack and sound effects are incredible.”
“The quality of the rips is also astounding; hearing the Mark of the Wolves soundtrack at high fidelity is an absolute joy.”
“The music is godlike, they even give us the one from live performance!”
“Apart from that, the story is very forgettable, the stages are soulless and the music is bland - meaning, it doesn't vibe well with the action.”
“Nothing has impact, move executions changed for no reason, move properties trash, can't link weak supers directly, interface godawful, intro movie has garbage guest character, music terrible, everything feels spongy.”
“The art style is not great, the marketing is bewildering, the story is uninspired, the music is all over the place in terms of quality, it lacks content, the English voice acting is inconsistent and the creative direction is so bizarre.”
graphics
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
41%
5%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning art style, vibrant character designs, and a unique blend of 3D models with a hand-drawn aesthetic. Many players appreciate the visual improvements over previous titles, noting that the graphics are clear, well-optimized, and contribute to an engaging gameplay experience. While some critiques mention that the animation could be better, the overall consensus is that the graphics are a standout feature, with many rating them highly.
“The graphics are dope, the character design is cool, and I'm just glad I got to live long enough to see a new Fatal Fury game be created.”
“I'm really enjoying the graphics and art style—SNK has definitely upped their game compared to KOF XV!”
“The game's art style is absolutely beautiful and will likely age really well.”
“Mixed: graphics and animation are not the best, guard cancel execution is very difficult (as it should be?)”
“The art style is not great, the marketing is bewildering, the story is uninspired, the music is all over the place in terms of quality, it lacks content, the English voice acting is inconsistent, and the creative direction is so bizarre.”
“Graphics and art style are well done, but in the end that comes down to taste, as always.”
story
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
62%
8%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it forgettable and uninspired, often comparing it unfavorably to other fighting games like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. While some appreciate the character interactions and arcade mode, the overall presentation, including art style and voice acting, is seen as lacking, leading to a perception that the story mode is not worth the investment. Overall, it appears that the story fails to engage players deeply, with many preferring the gameplay over narrative content.
“I find the arcade mode and story mode to be fun and give good character interactions.”
“Single player review: I recently messed around with the single player, like survival and main story mode, and I have to say, I found the offline content better than any Street Fighter game. Everything is designed to jump in and play; I feel like this would be an amazing comfort game for someone out there who loves to mash buttons but doesn't feel comfortable competing online.”
“I care about the game's story, and I care about the game's graphics and music.”
“Apart from that, the story is very forgettable, the stages are soulless and the music is bland - meaning, it doesn't vibe well with the action.”
“The story mode feels like Street Fighter Alpha 3's world tour but with less RPG elements, and the chat boxes and still frames just make it feel like a rushed concept.”
“The art style is not great, the marketing is bewildering, the story is uninspired, the music is all over the place in terms of quality, it lacks content, the English voice acting is inconsistent, and the creative direction is so bizarre.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
Overall, the game is reported to be well-optimized, with users experiencing no significant performance issues. The visuals are praised for their comic-styled presentation, and while the gameplay is accessible for casual players, there is ample depth for competitive gamers, suggesting a strong potential for further optimization in future updates.
“So far, well optimized, looks beautiful, so hopefully, it will continue to hold this in every update.”
“Haven't noticed any performance issues on my end, but that could easily be case by case.”
“A wonderful comic-styled visual presentation, gameplay with a comfortably simple core that can be enjoyed by beginners or casuals alike, but with a high room for optimization and depth to also appeal to the most dedicated and competitive players.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that while the game offers straightforward mechanics that can be enjoyed without extensive grinding, much of the content feels artificially extended through repetitive tasks. The grinding aspect is seen as a double-edged sword, providing a way to engage with the game but also stretching limited content over a longer playtime.
“5 minutes of content stretched out through grinding.”
“The basics of the game are very straightforward; you can totally enjoy it without grinding for the advanced stuff.”
“Get grinding 🔥👊🏻 oh and an addition of Mr. Karate in any form, even older Ryo would be appreciated 👺”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
While the reviews highlight the impressive graphics and character design of the game, they do not provide specific insights into character development or growth within the narrative. Overall, the focus remains on the visual appeal rather than the depth or evolution of the characters themselves.
“I know art styles are subjective, but I really like the look of this game and the character designs.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The game offers a decent replayable single-player mode, though players express a desire for additional playable elements, such as nightmare geese and fallen rock, to enhance the replayability experience.
“+ decent replayable single player mode”
“It would be great if nightmare geese and fallen rock were playable characters.”
“The single-player mode has decent replayability.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with users describing it as a "crazy and buggy mess," indicating significant issues that affect gameplay.