Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Reviews
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a worthwhile follow-up to Garou with its fighting system and gorgeous visuals, but there are plenty of rough edges to address.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves kicks off with a promising start, delivering moments that feel like home runs—or slam dunks (thanks to Terry). That said, not every shot lands perfectly, and some areas could be addressed in future installments, depending on the subseries’ longevity. The REV system has ramped up the action significantly, making the two-decade-long wait worthwhile for fans who’ve eagerly anticipated its return.
I'm a lifelong fan of fighting games. I love fighting games and I love this game, but honestly, I hate all of this.
FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves almost perfectly distills the essence of classic SNK fighting philosophy into a modern framework. REV moves, SPG health bars, the Heat system, feints, cancels, multi-line combat-these hallmarks have been faithfully carried forward. However, its high skill ceiling and a streamlined design that paradoxically makes it harder to grasp the core mechanics mean this isn't a game that just anyone can pick up and enjoy effortlessly.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
The modes present are very classic, with the addition of a new more elaborate one that winks at the World Tour mode of Street Fighter 6 , but which does not have the budget to emulate it, becoming in the end a bare-bones version of the latter.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves masterfully revives a classic SNK series. The gameplay is varied and fun, for both casual and hardcore audiences. The single-player content is very good with different modes. The game's only flaws are its unnecessarily confusing interface and the online with many matchmaking issues.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Despite a few missteps, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves remains a solid fighting game and a worthy entry in the series. The fighting system remains good, and the new additions solidify what worked back in Garou: Mark of the Wolves. The various offline modes add lots of material to the game, especially Episodes of South Town, and online play works quite well. The guest characters could've been implemented better, and there are a few presentation-related nitpicks, but overall, fans of SNK fighting games will be pleased with City of the Wolves.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a great addition to the series, with a large cast of fighters and accessible controls that let you pull off big attacks with ease.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves has got that dog (or is it wolf?) in it, bringing depth, originality, and countless ways to throw down in South Town.
A great return to form, with a refreshing battle system and a good roster of characters.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves may not be the most expansive fighter ever made but what's here is undeniably great stuff that any fighting game enthusiast can easily enjoy. The question is: will Hotaru's ferret be available as a stuffie? I sure hope so. 🐺
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a strong fighting game with top-tier gameplay that proves SNK still has elite designers, though technical and content limitations hold it back. It’s a welcome return for Garou, especially in a genre grappling with its identity, even if it doesn’t quite reach the legendary heights of its predecessor.
Review in Italian | Read full review
There’s quite a bit of content, and the gameplay itself is sound enough, but City of Wolves felt less like Fatal Fury and more like a smaller The King of Fighters outing with a different (and by that, I mean smaller) roster. Speaking of roster, the baffling celebrity inclusions didn’t feel entertaining, they felt like a desperate and distraction attempt to draw attention. If I had to choose, I’d certainly suggest picking up KoF XV or even KoF XIV instead; even if City of Wolves is fully functional, with great rollback netcode and decent controls, I feel like SNK’s other outings felt more cohesive and entertaining in comparison.
FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves is the game fans of the franchise have always asked for, delivering phenomenal graphics and soundtrack along with a diverse roster, despite slipping a bit when it comes to its single-player modes. The REV system is the cherry on top, blending offensive and defensive mechanics in a harmony that few modern fighting games have managed to achieve, making the new entry in the Fatal Fury franchise one of the most fun and deep fighting games in recent years.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
"A legendary return with a modern design" Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves represents a historic return for SNK's storied series, blending authenticity with modernity. With innovative gameplay, vibrant graphics, and music that captures the spirit of the series, the game offers a masterpiece worthy of a legend's return after more than two decades. Despite some minor interface flaws and some controversial additions, its combat, story, and technical performance make it one of the best fighting games currently available and a benchmark for the next generation of the genre.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
A solid new entry for the Fatal Fury saga and the contemporary fighting game scene. City of the Wolves features impactful, high-tech gameplay with one of the best visual components SNK has ever had.
Review in Italian | Read full review
FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves marks the dazzling return of the legendary SNK fighting game to the greats of the genre. If the production values are already evident from the title's aesthetic presentation, the depth of the combat system and the exuberant cast are exactly the reasons why all fans of fighting games will love it with vigor. However, we are faced with a product that is contradictory at times: the menus are dated and cumbersome, the modes present could have been more polished, the online is not always stable, and the tutorial is excessively sparse. It is precisely this last aspect that should point us to the title's greatest limitation: its high complexity, the result of a veritable sea of mechanics. With patience and dedication, the new journey to the city of wolves takes on the connotations of a galvanizing if not mystical experience. But the price to pay may not be for everyone.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves doesn't reinvent or subvert expectations, but it certainly lives up to them and is a worthy sequel to Garou.
A triumphant return for Fatal Fury, blending razor-sharp combat with deep mechanics—but held back by baffling guest characters and sparse single-player content. The Rev and S.P.G. systems add thrilling strategic layers, while the netcode delivers silky online play. Yet, the lack of robust tutorials, unbalanced newcomers (looking at you, Ronaldo), and a barebones story mode keep it from greatness.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves isn't just an old franchise coming back, but also a return to form for SNK. While there are some missteps here and there, the core game stands toe-to-toe with some of the best out there.