A CASE OF TOO MANY COOKS

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is SNK dusting off one of their oldest fighting franchises, giving it a new coat of paint and a combat system that tries to toe the line between old-school depth and modern flash.

- BY ZELDA LEE

It's a fighter that feels torn between multiple identities: nostalgic throwback, competitive experiment, and something vaguely resembling a cultural vehicle. Unfortunately, it doesn't always come together cleanly. Now, City of the Wolves isn't just another The King of Fighters clone. The moment I started messing around with the new REV system, it was clear that SNK was trying to do something different.

You're free to execute high-level moves like Rev Arts and Rev Blows as long as you manage the REV Meter responsibly. Overuse it, and you'll overheat, locking yourself out of these powerful tools. Worse, you'll also open yourself up to punishment. It forces you to think about flow in a different way, and I respect that. It's an actual mechanic with risk and consequence baked into its DNA. While it’s a great infusion of strategy, it makes the game less welcoming for new players. Even with the help of the builtin Smart Style control (which automates combos and specials), the barrier to entry is still steep.

You'll be learning mechanics, game pacing, character-specific gimmicks, and the interface that feels oddly sparse.