The King of Fighters XIV Reviews
Visual inconsistency aside, the newest entry in the King of Fighters proves to be one of its best. The gameplay and mechanics are as solid as ever and there's plenty for newcomers and old guard alike to enjoy.
The first game in this series since 2010 offers a no-frills story mode that echoes the arcade experience.
SNK's first mainline 3D King of Fighters title boasts an impressive roster, technical gameplay, and enough content to keep you brawling for a very long time.
King of Fighters XIV is very much a new KOF game. It retains all of the hallmarks of the series, from the beautiful backgrounds and giant roster to the challenging combos and large amount to learn. If you’re into the genre and are looking for something that will reward you for putting in time, then SNK’s reputation for building fighting games that allow for that should speak for itself.
A fresh direction for the series that acknowledges the characters that made it what it is, while adding enough new characters to make this entry worth playing.
All in all, KOF XIV is a great addition to the franchise that launches with a full feature set unlike its more popular rival Street Fighter V. It doesn’t look as fancy as Street Fighter V and some veterans might feel that it doesn’t add anything revolutionary to the mix. Its fundamentals, however, are rock solid and the classic KOF style and humor shines. If you’re looking for a fully-fleshed arcade fighting game experience from home, you can’t do wrong in picking up this one.
Don't get thrown off by the new visual style — The King of Fighters XIV still offers solid fighting action for veterans and newcomers alike, and the slate of 19 new characters is a real treat.
At its worst, The King of Fighters XIV feels like a game of missed opportunities loaded to the brim with potential and at its best, an incredibly well-built fighter that is sure to please longtime fans of the series and veteran fighting game players alike. Even though the game feels bogged down by a poorly constructed story, weak character models, and a slightly off putting over-pandering to new players, there is still so much about KOF XIV that feels genuine and unique.
The fourteenth episode of King of Fighters is a fighting game that goes straight to the point. It doesen't get lost in useless graphical showoff, and gives back to the fans the good old combat system, flawless and huge.
Review in Italian | Read full review
King of Fighters XIV brings one of the genre's longest running franchises to the current generation with mixed results visually. The gameplay is deep should players want to explore it and friendly to newcomers just jumping on with the series. The soundtrack is fantastic and the net code is far improved over its predecessor. We have a winner folks.
While The King of Fighters XIV isn't as flashy or good looking as other recently released fighters, it is jam packed with content by comparison having 50 characters playable on the disc.
The King of Fighters XIV does everything right, in a time where just so much is going wrong with Fighting Games. Where e-Sports are at an unparalleled popularity level and the most popular game caved into the e-Sports distribution model, it’s pretty amazing to see a fighting game that is complete on day one.
King of Fighters remains what it has always been with its latest entry: a niche fighter with a great cast, an unforgiving learning curve, and a lot of heart anchored by an incredible fighting engine. It’s not for everyone; no game is. But if you’re willing to dedicate yourself to it, and learn it, it’s a tournament worth entering and a fight worth fighting, all these years later.
A strong release for 2D fighting fans and an overall successful return for one of the genre's most legendary franchises.
KOF 14 stays true to the KOF formula, but the move from hand-drawn sprites to 3D character models won’t appease everyone. There is the occasional stiff looking animation, but the gameplay and pacing is currently unmatched in any other fighting game series. With a plethora of single-player and multiplayer (both offline and online) KOF 14 is the most content complete fighting game on the market.
A more than viable alternative to Street Fighter V, King of Fighters XIV offers up a refined combat system, an incredibly deep and responsive mechanical experience and a huge roster of characters, each with their own subtle martial arts discipline and varied approaches to fighting.
Though its visuals still betray the legacy of SNK’s rich and gorgeous 2D sprite work, The King of Fighters XIV revives the glory of the franchise where it counts most: gameplay and core mechanics. This will hopefully be the first step in a better future for the series, but even this unpolished first entry is worth the time for longtime fans and newcomers alike.
All the depth of 2D King of Fighters, none of the beauty.
A solid and welcome return
This truly is The King of the fighting genre in almost every way