Over 20 years ago, SNK blew the world away with Garou: Mark of the Wolves. Since then, Fatal Fury has become a relic of the past, loved only by those with wrinkles on their face and a place for gaming classics in their hearts. That flickering ember remains dormant no longer with Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, a grand resurgence with more money thrown at it than the next unsustainable AI start-up. But does City of the Wolves have what it takes to carve a home for itself in a market dominated by Street Fighter, Tekken, and more? Judged on what I’ve played, I’d say it’s got a damn good shot at doing so.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves reviewDeveloper: SNK CorporationPublisher: SNK CorporationPlatform: Played on PC (Steam)Availability: Out 24th April on PC (Steam), Xbox Series X/S (Game Pass), PS5\PS4
A sequel 26 years in the making, City of the Wolves comes from SNK, a company as familiar with stellar fighting game development as it is with throwing blonde blokes off towers. It’s a 2v2 fighter that revisits many of the company’s most iconic and adored characters, aging them up and revitalising the cast for a new audience. It’s a big event for old school fighting game fans, with all the joy and fanfare of a childhood friend kicking off an old mates group chat. It is, as such, without a doubt one of the most exciting fighting game releases this year.
It’s making an explosive landing onto the modern gaming landscape, too. You get all you’d expect from a standard fighting game package: an arcade mode, online lobbies, combo trials, a detailed tutorial. On top of that you get a dedicated story mode called Episodes of South Town, which takes you through a fresh narrative for all the characters, a heavy haul of unlockable art, and even an extensive jukebox. It’s a game overflowing with content, the real deal in terms of value for money as far as fighting games go.
Episodes of South Town is a nice place to start, as it’ll be the first stop for many new players. Discussions around what makes a solid single-player mode in fighting games is a long-lasting and tiring discourse. Frankly, while this may not have the cinematic appeal of a Mortal Kombat release, it’s a great way of telling a new story in the world of Fatal Fury while also teaching newbies the basics. Packed with quality art and battle modifiers, you proceed through the city, taking on fights and learning more about the character you select. It’s also a wonderful way of slowly teaching players how the inner workings of City of the Wolves function. Proceeding through this mode, you unlock more universal mechanics that slowly ease you into what is a fairly complex fighter.
Your reward for completing this mode can be found across various collection tabs packed with art, little lore tidbits, and music. In fact, there’s a whole catalogue filled with decades of Fatal Fury soundtracks, bringing you right back to the sounds of years past. In terms of extra goodies you unlock, it feels like a treasure trove for fans of the series. You can even create custom colour schemes for your favourite character. Now, this isn’t a full-on costume and apparel system like you see in games like Tekken 8 or Street Fighter 6, but it’s still a nice touch that adds that little bit of personal expression, and it makes all the difference.