Rather than spending time building modes and developing narrative (something the recent Injustice and Persona 4: Arena both did in completely different and yet equally remarkable ways), they're concentrating on getting the core right with the promise that it will be expanded over time. There's not a lot to the game to start with, a fact that reveals an awful lot about the developer's ambition. Killer Instinct's return to the scene couldn't be more perfectly timed, I suggest just as the kings of the genre are duking it out, a new challenger appears.* Since then, however, the combo concept has been embraced by games like Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, and - more recently - Injustice. So while popular with fans, it never really captivated hardcore fighting game enthusiasts. All of this was commentated by some unknown guy with a dramatic voice, creating loads of excitement for anyone who happened by.Īll that said, however, it was generally looked down on by tournament or otherwise serious players due to a number of fairly crippling balance issues, bugs, and general lack of focus on things that the scene revolves around. A skilled player could execute a near-endless stream of attacks, all of which were linked together and very difficult for an opponent to break out of.Ī skilled player, on the other hand, could terminate a combo early by carefully timing a "combo breaker" move, turning the tide and often exposing their opponent to great risk through a reversal combo. Killer Instinct was a real crowd-pleaser in the arcades, thanks to its ludicrously over-the-top combos. I'll talk a little bit about number two, but mostly that's Matthew's department. Masterfully executing the ultimate tournament-worthy fighting game.Keeping the energy and feel of the original.Even so, it's clear from the outset that the developers were keen on doing two things with the game: While everything about the game is new, Ken Lobb - one of the people behind the original Killer Instinct - is heavily involved in the reboot, which helps explain (at least in part) how it could feel so immediately similar. My first impressions of the Xbox One Killer Instinct were based on dated memories, then, but they were still immediately favorable. So, my thoughts first, before we hand over to Matthew for the next part of our ultra-combo* review.ĭespite my (previously admitted) fanboy obsession with the title, it's actually been quite a while since I played a game in the series. He's also new to Killer Instinct, so he'll keep my enthusiasm for the brand in check with his detailed analysis of the mechanics. He is, in other words, far better at fighting games than I am. A veteran fighting game fan and attendee of actual tournaments (as well as avid online observer of such things), Matthew's work includes Aotearoa Fight Club - an article about the tournie scene in New Zealand, and how you can get involved. To ensure that our coverage is well-rounded, then, I've also roped in the expertise of Matthew Codd. To this day, I'm frequently reminded of my faux pas at team gatherings, but what can I say? I'm a big-time Killer Instinct fanboy not only do I own every home version of the game ever released - for every platform it ever came out on - but I also own an actual arcade cabinet with Killer Instinct 2 installed in it. Much to my eternal shame, and despite prepping members of the team by saying "hooping and hollering during E3 press conferences is not acceptable", I may have cheered just a little bit when Microsoft finally announced that there would, in fact, be another Killer Instinct game.
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