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.

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"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.

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Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 433 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
56 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
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
65 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
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
76 % positive mentions
6 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
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
31 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
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
43 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
29 % negative mentions
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
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
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
100 % positive mentions
-67 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
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
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
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
0 % positive mentions
100 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
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.