Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

Release Date: October 15, 2024

Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC

I’m by no means an old-school Fatal Fury head or a fighting game aficionado but I liked what I played of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. Like, a lot. It’s definitely not as approachable as Street Fighter 6, but it certainly feels like that’s where part of SNK’s attention is in brining the direct sequel to 1999’s Garou: Mark of the Wolves into the world of 3D animations. There’s even a new simpler control scheme you can select that makes pulling off super moves a lot easier, even if some of the full-gage attacks are still locked behind some intricate manual button presses.

A lot of the tactics revolve around cancelable “Rev” moves and defensive advances that make City of the Wolves reward skilled and cautious play. Mostly I just had a ton of fun beating up on CPU opponents as Preecha, a brand-new addition to the SNK roster and a Muay Thai fighter who brings a bubblier energy to the brooding dude-fest. Everyone should have “their” fighting game and I think I’m not determined to make Fatal Fury mine. — Ethan