Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves review for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
Platform: PC
Also On: PS5, Xbox Series X
Publisher: SNK
Developer: SNK
Medium: Digital, Physical
Players: 1-2
Online: Yes
ESRB: T
The last “mainline” Fatal Fury game was released in 1999 in the form of Garou: Mark of the Wolves. The title marked a steep departure for the series, eschewing most of its original cast aside from Terry Bogard, introducing us to a new wave of fighters looking to find their place in Second Southtown. One such is Rock Howard, the orphan son of series antagonist Geese Howard and in one of the most ironic twists in media, the ward of Terry Bogard. Canonically Rock joins the final boss of Garou, Kain R. Heinlein at the conclusion of the game because he has a lead on the whereabouts of Rock’s Mother…who happens to be his sister. Fans of the franchise have been dealing with his cliffhanger for over two decades. We have learned a sequel was in development, but was canceled…however in 2023 we had a glimmer of hope as Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves was announced at EVO 2022.
Once again another tournament has been announced with the Legacy of Geese Howard up for grabs…for Fatal Fury fans, the physical items are the Jin Scrolls, a crucial plot device from Fatal Fury 3. A majority of the Garou cast return in the latest entry with the most notable no shows (for now…) being Freeman, Kim Jae Hoon and Grant, however we also see members of the Fatal Fury cast return such as Mai, Billy Cane. SNK has stated in interviews that they hope to bring back pretty much every character from the series…so it’s just a matter of time and support. However the biggest controversy when it comes to the game’s cast is the inclusion of DJ Salvatore Ganacci and Soccer Megastar Cristiano Ronaldo. The community raised concerns that SNK’s Saudi ownership has in fact made mandates on creative decisions. Thankfully as more gameplay was shown, the public opinion on Ganacci turned and while there are still rumblings regarding Ronaldo’s inclusion.
Garou has always felt like SNK’s answer to Street Fighter 3, where the status quo was upended with a fresh one and City of the Wolves feels like Street Fighter 4…where the developers pick up the things that were thrown around after the previous shakeup. City of the Wolves’ story almost felt too safe, everything gets tied up with a neat little bow and there seems to be no setup for the next chapter. It almost feels like SNK saying, there’s not going to be a new entry anytime soon, but in this day and age where fighting games will get development support for at least 2 or 3 years, perhaps we’ll get more than just new characters as the years pass and the story can be expanded via DLC.
Gameplay wise, City of the Wolves takes the foundation that Garou has left and built upon it. The T.O.P. (Tactical Offense Position) system which was introduced in Garou returns and is rebranded as the S.P.G. (Selective Potential Gear). The system also links to a new mechanic introduced in the game. The Rev system enables new offensive and defensive capabilities…at a cost. As you use Rev actions, your Rev bar builds and when it tops out you will be put in a burnout state where you can’t use any of your Rev actions and you are more susceptible to being stunned. It’s a risk/reward system which can put you in the driver’s seat of a fight if used judiciously.
Despite the new mechanics described in the previous paragraph, the game isn’t exactly obtuse and unfriendly to new players. Special move inputs never get too needlessly complex, usually involving quarter circles with only one or two characters having more complex inputs. I will have to say the game’s trials mode is a bit lacking in that each character will only have 8 trials, 5 for the Arcade Style and 3 for the Smart Style, the beginner friendly control scheme the game has incorporated. However if you want to spend ample time getting acquainted with a character, you can always take them on in the Episodes of South Town mode (EOST).
This RPG-ish mode will have you taking on a slightly more expanded story outside of the game’s base narrative. Where you will explore the city and get into fights under various conditions to strengthen your character to complete their goals. EOST can skew a player’s expectations if they are not careful as you can build up character where matches can be extremely lopsided. However the mode does have match types which feel extremely out of place, where luck is more important than skill and to that I’m referring to the “Robust Roulette” fight modifier. Personally I think this mode is a fine addition for those who aren’t quite ready to swim with the sharks online and the collectibles that are unlocked certainly expands the world of Fatal Fury as we get additional insight on the characters. I will note a minor miss is your inability to utilize this leveled up character in other modes. I am aware these characters will break the balance of the game, but it would be nice to take the fruits of your labor and see if your character can stand toe to toe with someone else’s EOST creation.
Was Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves worth the nearly two and a half decade wait? Absolutely! Despite the wild ride the game has promotionally (The uproar over the “real people” inclusion as playable characters, then having said real person, Salvatore Ganacci show up to open this year’s WrestleMania), the game is certainly one which will stand the test of time. My only hope is that the support is there which will help SNK further bolster the roster and features so that the streets of South Town will never be too quiet. I mean after all, we still don’t know what Cristiano Ronaldo would do with the Jin scrolls…
Note: SNK provided us with a Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves code for review purposes.
Score: 9
