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Garou: Mark of the Wolves

One of the finest fighting games ever crafted finally receives the excellent Steam release it deserves. Featuring smoother animation and excellent rollback netcode, the updated Garou: Mark of the Wolves should not be overlooked.
Garou: Mark of the Wolves Game Cover
95%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
replayability
96% User Score Based on 432 reviews
Critic Score 90%Based on 1 reviews

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Garou: Mark of the Wolves Game Cover

About

Garou: Mark of the Wolves is a single player and multiplayer arcade fighting game with a anime theme. It was developed by SNK and was released on November 26, 1999. It received positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Garou: Mark of the Wolves" is an Anime Fighting game featuring stunning game mechanics, fabulous visuals, and an outstanding soundtrack. Play solo, co-op, or competitively with up to 2 players. The story follows Rock, son of the late Geese Howard, who, raised by avenger Terry Bogard, enters a new clash of old and new faces in the fighting tournament scene.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Garou: Mark of the Wolves screenshot
Garou: Mark of the Wolves screenshot
Garou: Mark of the Wolves screenshot
Garou: Mark of the Wolves screenshot
Garou: Mark of the Wolves screenshot
Garou: Mark of the Wolves screenshot
Garou: Mark of the Wolves screenshot
Garou: Mark of the Wolves screenshot
Garou: Mark of the Wolves screenshot
Garou: Mark of the Wolves screenshot
Garou: Mark of the Wolves screenshot
+5
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96%
Audience ScoreBased on 432 reviews
gameplay27 positive mentions
  • Garou: Mark of the Wolves is widely regarded as one of the best fighting games ever made, featuring stunning sprite work and smooth animations.
  • The recent update has introduced excellent rollback netcode, significantly improving online play and making matches feel smooth even at higher pings.
  • The game offers a unique and strategic gameplay experience with mechanics like the T.O.P system and Just Defend, making it accessible yet deep for players.
  • The character roster is relatively small, which may disappoint fans looking for a wider variety of fighters.
  • Some players have reported issues with the AI difficulty and the lack of a robust lobby system for online matches, limiting the multiplayer experience.
  • Despite the improvements, some users still experience occasional frame drops and input lag, which can affect gameplay.
  • gameplay
    48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Garou: Mark of the Wolves" is praised for its smooth mechanics, beautiful sprite work, and engaging new features that enhance the fighting experience. Players appreciate the balance of simplicity and depth, with tactical elements like the "just defend" system and a unique health management mechanic that add strategic layers to matches. Overall, the game is regarded as a standout 2D fighter, offering a rewarding experience for both newcomers and veterans alike.

    • “Lots of new mechanics make the game really fun to dive into.”
    • “The gameplay is really simple compared to every other Fatal Fury or KOF game, but they are able to achieve this in a fun and interesting manner.”
    • “A great, diverse cast of fun characters, with fairly simple to learn, but hard to master mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay is really simplified compared to every other Fatal Fury or KOF game, but they are able to achieve this in a fun and interesting manner.”
    • “The bad: the game really punishes defensive play, especially because the game's only actual defensive mechanics require very high execution to utilize.”
    • “I've been overplaying this game since my youth; the arcade version had everything the home versions offered minus the online multiplayer. It also had a tutorial that the newer ports didn't have; without the tutorial, you wouldn't understand more than half of the gameplay.”
  • graphics
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful, well-crafted sprites and smooth animations, showcasing the developers' passion and pushing the Neo Geo's graphical limits. While the overall aesthetic is considered top-notch, some users noted issues with the menu design and user interface, which detracted from the visual experience. Despite these minor drawbacks, the game's visuals are regarded as exceptional for its age, contributing significantly to its appeal.

    • “Everything this game has going for it is the graphics and the beautifully crafted/animated sprites.”
    • “The game pushed the graphical limits of the Neo Geo with gorgeous 2D animation, and the gameplay feels tight and fluid.”
    • “Amazing graphics and gameplay considering it's a 21-year-old game now.”
    • “The menu artworks are bad at times and the UI quite repulsive but simple.”
    • “Audio delay, input lag, ungodly amount of frameskip with no option to turn it off, ugly as hell menus ruin the aesthetic.”
    • “It is an emulator playing the Neo Geo ROM, with a graphical interface that seemed a little 'rushed'... and the game plays slowly, with a little lag and not too responsive.”
  • music
    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is consistently praised for its beauty and variety, enhancing the overall experience with a funky and engaging soundtrack. Reviewers highlight the high-quality compositions that complement the stunning sprite work and gameplay, making it a standout feature of the title. Overall, the soundtrack is regarded as one of the best aspects, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “Amazing sprites, amazing roster, amazing soundtrack, amazing netcode and amazing gameplay.”
    • “Garou: Mark of the Wolves has amazing art, top-notch music, killer animations, and a diverse yet accessible cast.”
    • “And what SNK does best in its music is to give you a very good variety of different music to listen to.”
    • “From its gameplay to its roster, to its soundtrack, to its sprite work.”
    • “The game's soundtrack and characters rock.”
    • “This goes along with the typically high-quality sprite work and music you can expect from late 90s SNK.”
  • story
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is engaging and builds on the previous game, featuring rich lore and character backstories that enhance the gameplay experience. While the story mode presents a significant challenge, players appreciate the depth and variety of character interactions, though some express disappointment that the narrative may not continue further. Overall, the story adds a compelling layer to the game, making it enjoyable for those who delve into its details.

    • “The story for this game is really enjoyable too, with fun lore to discover with each character that you can explore.”
    • “As every good game, it requires a rich story, which indeed Garou has.”
    • “You will get a variety of characters to play with, each one having a particular 'final' bout against their enemy in the game, featuring a special pre-fight speech that reveals insights into the story and the characters' reasons for being there and fighting!”
    • “Sad that the story will never continue.”
    • “The AI in the story is near impossible.”
    • “An arcade story mode.”
  • optimization
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed feedback; while many players report smooth performance and effective matchmaking thanks to the updated netcode, some users have encountered occasional sound and performance issues. A call for further optimization patches suggests that improvements could enhance the experience for all players.

    • “Runs smoothly and the new netcode is really great!”
    • “I bought it after patch 1.0.1 and haven't encountered any performance problems so far.”
    • “I think an optimization patch would really make this a good port.”
    • “If you peruse through all of the reviews, you'll probably come across negative comments about the game's sound, performance, and netcode.”
    • “At this point in time, some users are experiencing peculiar sound and performance hiccups, but I myself have yet to replicate them.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its intentionally poor translations that add a comedic touch, alongside a generally amusing narrative. Players appreciate the blend of humor with the game's impressive animation and combat mechanics, although some technical issues have been noted.

    • “Bonus points for the translation that's terrible, but in a good way that's funny.”
    • “Mark of the Wolves features the best animation, combat, and locations, and even has a nice sense of humor.”
    • “Funny story: I initially had the game on my SSD and it was close to unplayable. I installed it on my HDD and it was better—still frame skips, but at least more playable than before.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, users report a stable experience with no significant sound or emulation glitches, improved rollback netplay, and smooth menu navigation. However, some note that the port relies on a buggy wrapper for the original Neo Geo ROM, which may affect stability for certain users.

    • “The sounds and gameplay are awesome for this port; I haven't spotted any glitches or bugs.”
    • “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or performance issues.”
    • “I've experienced consistent frame rates and no technical hiccups throughout my playthrough.”
    • “It's just the original Neo Geo ROM in a very buggy wrapper to get it to work on PC.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is noted for its visually appealing designs, which range from great aesthetics to quirky and fun styles, contributing to a unique player experience.

    • “The character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to form a genuine connection with each character.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
    • “The backstories and personal growth of the characters add so much depth to the overall narrative.”
  • replayability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is hindered by performance issues, particularly frame skipping, which affects the overall experience. While some players have found ways to improve playability by changing storage options, these technical challenges may deter repeated playthroughs.

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90%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

9h Median play time
9h Average play time
1h Main story
11h Completionist
9-9h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Garou: Mark of the Wolves is a arcade fighting game with anime theme.

Garou: Mark of the Wolves is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, iPhone, Windows and others.

The main story can be completed in around 1 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 11 hours to finish. On average players spend around 9 hours playing Garou: Mark of the Wolves.

Garou: Mark of the Wolves was released on November 26, 1999.

Garou: Mark of the Wolves was developed by SNK.

Garou: Mark of the Wolves has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its replayability.

Garou: Mark of the Wolves is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include GAROU: MARK OF THE WOLVES, THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV, The King of Fighters XIV, Guilty Gear Xrd: Sign, Granblue Fantasy: Versus and others.