The King of Fighters XV Critic Reviews

Pack your bags for South Town - KOF is back. The deep and stylish gameplay that put the series on the map is back and better than ever, and the inclusion of rollback netcode ensures this dream match never ends.

The King of Fighters XV is a knockout entry in SNK's flagship fighting game series. Smartly building upon the foundation of its predecessor, it ups the ante in subtle yet meaningful ways that should satisfy even the most discerning fans of the franchise.

The King of Fighters XV is as good as it gets and feels like a complete package even at launch. Sure, it may not reinvent the wheel for the genre, but it perfects its unique gameplay formula and easily offers the best character roster the series has ever seen. With robust online options, deep gameplay systems, and stellar and stylistic presentation featuring unforgettable music, this is one fighting game that will be in regular rotation on any gaming platform. What was once innovative in 1994 succeeds at feeling just as new and exciting in 2022.

King of Fighters XV is a delight. It feels like a new dawn for a legendary series, and I am genuinely excited to try out some of the future DLC characters that are on their way over the course of the year.

It may be more initially intimidating to genre newcomers than, say, Guilty Gear Strive or Dragon Ball FighterZ, but being fun to pick up yet challenging to master is the hallmark of any great fighting game. It’s part of the appeal, even, and when you take the consistently deep gameplay of KOF and combine it with greatly improved graphical presentation, solid rollback netcode, and mechanical changes that allow for more player freedom, you get something that truly does “shatter all expectations” as the tagline implies.

While the single-player offerings are decidedly paltry, the game's tweaked and revised mechanics along with its superbly gratifying presentation deliver in spades with an impressive roster that will only get stronger over time with at least 12 characters coming to the title as DLC. It is then that the lack of single-player content stings ever so slightly more, but with the incredibly smooth online experience offered by the title's rollback netcode, players will find plenty of reasons to return again and again.

Living up to its title, King of Fighters XV is a fantastic slice of 3D fighting action. Don’t worry if you’re not a long-time fan, there’s enough to get you started here. A massive cast of brawlers, plenty of styles to choose from, and a host of fighting modes make this worthy of fighting fan’s collection.

King of Fighters XV delivers an excellent fighting game that will appeal to beginners and pros alike. Instantly accessible, the training tools will allow players to go as deep as they like on learning mechanics. Beautiful and deliriously fun - if every game in the series has been as good as this one, I've been missing out.

KOF XV is an excellent game for fans of the series as it offers great visuals and a deeper fighting system. However, it will hardly win the hearts of newcomers because of its steep learning curve.

It's a clear improvement from KOF XIV. This installment establishes itself as one of the most complete, accessible fighting games, without sacrificing its essence.

SNK has finally delivered another King Of Fighters worthy of the modern era. Not only have they rectified past errors, they have refined the experience to be the most functional and accessible that King Of Fighters has been for years. With a polished graphical presentation, generous amount of content, and online play that works at the standard required, fans of the series can be very happy with this offering. In many ways, King Of Fighters XV is merely a tidier version of its predecessor, and whilst there's nothing wrong with that, you could still argue the series still has some ground to make up in the fighting scene. However, it is certainly a big step in the right direction, and a great Fighter for fans to sink their teeth into.

This new entry is not an attempt to revolutionize the series, but to improve it, and it does succeed at that.

The King of Fighters XV is the greatest release in the series rich history. With its fluid and deep combat, veterans can compete in thrilling and intense battles. However, SNK has also included numerous elements that make the game accessible to support newcomers to the franchise. Whilst there aren’t many unlockables, the game shines in the arena, making this a necessity for fans of the genre.

The King of Fighters XV is a fantastic new entry in SNK's beloved series that builds on XIV with some excellent gameplay, great visuals, superb music, and robust online. It is however let down by the offline modes.

Taking up the basics of the KOF XIV game system (which was a superb mix of the best 2D episodes), KOF XV never disappoints in terms of gameplay, with a depth rarely equaled. You obviously have to like the offensive game (quite the opposite of Street Fighter) and like this great mobility as well, which makes everything go very quickly.

The King of Fighters XV improves on what was presented in its predecessor, especially the graphics and the online netcode. However, the absence of some classic fighters is notable. And mechanically speaking, don't expect anything too different from KOF XIV.

KOF XV is a heck of a fighting game that spans a massive, rich history. Personally, I would have loved a bigger focus on local play, and less-to-no focus on online multiplayer, but I get that it’s 2022 and fighting games can’t survive that way. As is, the local, offline offerings are pretty slim; fun, and serviceable, but pretty slim. Netcode and presentation are solid. I thought the graphical choices SNK went with for KOF XV were great. All-in-all, there’s a lot to like about this release. I’m not sure what SNK plans for paid DLC, but suspect there will be more than thirty-nine fighters in the roster when it’s all said and done. At release, KOF XV is technically sound on all fronts and fun to play. It’s great to see this series still getting serious attention from SNK, and hopefully the fighting community will be moved to support this classic franchise.

It makes me feel like I never left KOF behind, to begin with. I am ready to start my journey in fighting games once again and live to fight another day.

The King of Fighters XV is a deep and articulated fighting game that requires time and dedication to be mastered but that can provide great satisfaction. The roster is rich and varied and the technical sector is rather pleasant: we are facing one of the best exponents of the genre currently available on the market.

It’s not perfect, it’s not easy to learn, and there are some characters missing that I feel are must-haves. However, a solid visual redesign, good netcode, original and returning music, a great collection of fighting mechanics, and a wide offering of tutorial and training tools make King of Fighters XV feel like one of the strongest entries in the franchise yet.