The King of Fighters XIV Reviews
Whatever the reason The King of Fighters XIV feels like it lacks some of the magic of the earlier games. It's a game that really wants to be the "king of fighters" itself, but has forgotten that means having some fun along the way.
In Summary, if you are looking for a fighting game on PS4 this year, pick it up as it's good fun even though complicated in places. The graphics are a generation behind, however, this doesn't really effect the gameplay at all. If you are looking for a story mode, I would avoid King of Fighters XIV as it's too shallow to be worth £50 unless you have played the previous games.
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.
If you aren't a diehard fighting game/KoF fan, rent it or wait for a price drop. Fighting game/KoF fans? Go crazy. You'll enjoy it.
The famous fighting saga comes back with a renewed aspect and brings back the gameplay mechanics that made these games great. The King of Fighters XIV is a very entertaining game for the fans of the genre, even though the graphics could run better on the PlayStation 4.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Even though The King of Fighters XIV has less than stellar graphics and an empty promise of being more accessible, it's still chock full of fantastic fighting that fans will love every second of.
While offering only discrete graphics and gameplay still be refined, The King of Fighters XIV is an excellent starting point for the rebirth of the brand. Content-rich, affordable and fun, the last SNK title is still far from its former glory, but the basis laid are so solid to ensure more than a hope for the future of the series.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The King of Fighters XIV may not impress you with its visuals, but the accessible-yet-complex mechanics make it a well-executed fighter worth your time.
It's perhaps disingenuous to claim that King of Fighters XIV marks a glorious return to form akin to that of Street Fighter IV, because the more recent 2D instalments in SNK's franchise have been excellent examples of technical fighting brilliance. What the fourteenth entry in this esteemed franchise does is lay down the foundations for future sequels which will – thanks to the relentless march of technology – use 3D models instead of handdrawn sprites. While King of Fighters XIV looks positively shabby when placed alongside Street Fighter V, it arguably offers more depth and variety. The three-person mechanic encourages players to master more than one fighter, and the cast – while perhaps not as instantly-recognisable as the likes of Ryu, Chun-Li, and Blanka – has something for every type of player.Ironically, the biggest sticking point with King of Fighters XIV is the one aspect designed to make it more appealing to outsiders; the new "Rush" mode allows even complete newbies to look like combo-crunching experts, but it's likely to divide opinion with serious players who prefer to rely on their own skill and knowledge when it comes to unlocking the game's most potent moves. Even so, this single concession to a mainstream audience is easy to forgive when taken as part of a package which rewards methodical, technical play in a way that no other fighting game does.
King of Fighters XIV falls somewhere between XII and XIII. It's not exactly bare-bones and the roster is mighty, but the gaudy presentation and by-the-book story is distracting, and takes away a lot of the uniqueness of the series.
The King of Fighters XIV is a fully featured fighting game. It still feels like its classic predecessors, but it has been updated in some important areas to feel like a modern take. Its roster is both a celebration of the series that also signifies that this is a new step forward. I’m excited to see KoF back in the spotlight, and I hope to see SNK continue building on this great installment.
King of Fighters XIV has some rough edges, but is outstanding overall.
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.
With 50 fighters (17 of whom are all-new), 19 stages, and a host of gameplay modes, SNK is coming out swinging with King of Fighters XIV. The roster is diverse and interesting and the game is easy to get into. The game could definitely use a boost in the visual department, as the art style can come across as safe and bland, but the game itself is solid. As the beginning for a whole new era of SNK, King of Fighters XIV is a win.
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.
If you’re a fan of King of Fighters then King of Fighters XIV is a welcome new addition to the family. It’s a great fighting game that players of other fighting games can respect and get into quite easily.
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.
A fighting game that packs a punch and is worthy of the series’ name. Once you see past some questionable animations you’ll find countless hours of fun mixing and matching teams on and offline.
Whether or not you dig its new look, KOF 14 offers everything you could want in a fighting game: refined gameplay, a bevy of appealing characters, and accessibility that gives way to complex depth.
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.