If there’s one genre in 2009 that
has seen a major turnaround, then it would have to be the fighting genre. Once
thought to be dead and no longer relevant, it has seen a renaissance like no
other due to a high number of quality games releasing within the first half of
they year. One only has to look no further than Street Fighter IV and
BlazBlue to notice that the quality has returned and the fans have followed
in stride behind them. Developers and publishers are now ready to take a risk on
the genre and are also unleashing downloadable titles of their precious games
from their beloved libraries such as Garuo: Mark of the Wolves, The
King of Fighters ’98 and Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Just passing the
half-year mark, there are many more titles in the pipeline from the likes of
Tekken 6 to the fan-crazed Dragon Ball Z: Raging Blast.
Now, having said all of that, gamers
would probably think it’s a safe bet to pick up The King of Fighters XII
on the Xbox 360 with the current landscape of the genre. The franchise has been
around for the past 15 years and is among the most popular fighting franchises
ever created. Well, those gamers who thought KoF XII was a safe bet are
going to find a harsh reality when they pop in the game and find a less than
stellar title when compared to it’s predecessors and competitors already in the
genre.
The longevity of the title is 1,000
leagues under the sea – in other words, way below average! There’s very little
replay value when gamers take notice that there’s no new game modes added in
from the arcade version, no unlockable characters, and a lack of a plot or story
to go along with the title. KoF XII is a barebones entry on the Xbox 360
that deserved another few months of development to give players a reason to keep
coming back for more than online play.
Graphically, the game is pixilated
to a fault. Hardcore fans may appreciate the weathered look that is dated for
this current age of games, but even they may find that the visual appeal isn’t
anywhere near the crisp and beautiful look of similar 2D fighter BlazBlue.
The developers did add in a few filters to blur the character models, but this
isn’t enough to classify KoF XII as anything more than a straight-up
port. Beyond that though, SNK Playmore has outdone themselves with their 2D
backgrounds – they are beyond gorgeous! The only fault with the backgrounds is
that there is far too few of them; the developers needed to have more than six
stages represented in the final product. In addition, there are only 22 fighters
included in the game – the lowest amount ever for the series.
At least the console version
receives two exclusive characters in the form of Elizabeth Blanchtorche and
Mature, two female fighters that are noticeably different than one another.
Still, the fact remains, the low pixel count for the character models is dismal
to the point that gamers may not even notice the good-looking art style that is
represented in almost every SNK Playmore fighter. What a sad, sad, day for
veterans to find that the HD evolution hasn’t occurred for The King of
Fighters.
The gameplay isn’t at the level of
adequacy either – it’s below the standards that SNK Playmore usually employs for
their titles. Overall disappointing, KoF XII lacks in many areas where it
should excel in. Even with the 3 vs. 3 system that allows players to choose the
order of their fighters before every match, KoF XII is lacking a field
that should draw a player in and grasp their attention. Sure, the game focuses
on precise timing of attacks and the range at which a player attempts them, but
the gameplay isn’t up to par. Too many times the grabs and throws would miss due
to clipping issues, and more often than not, the game had slowdowns that will
cause grays to sprout up on a player’s head in no time.
The addition of online functionality
is a nice asset to longtime fans wanting to enter brawls with their friends and
family, though KoF XII isn’t going to hold their interest for too long.
The gameplay online isn’t top notch as there were far too many times that lag
hindered my experiences. Even with my 10-meg connection, KoF XII isn’t
best played online as of this moment. Gamers will experience too many
button-smashing foes that will beat their opponents due to the lag and, thus,
the more experienced competitors will head back to their previous fighter to
spend their time with.
Is The King of Fighters XII a
must-have title? That answer is a resounding no; although, longtime fans may
want to give it a rental to see if they can overlook its glaring flaws.
Gameplay: 6.3
KoF XII is nowhere near the upper-echelon of the fighting genre.
Graphics: 6.1
Fanatics may appreciate the 2D approach, but seen on a HD screen, the
characters are overly pixilated.
Sound: 5.5
The standard barebones package for the audio was implemented.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 7.0
Gamers should appreciate the 2D graphics as SNK Playmore continues to stay
as close as to their roots as they possibly can.
Multiplayer: 6.5
From time to time, KoF XII offers a stimulating experience online.
Overall: 6.4
At the price point of $60, The King of Fighters XII is a hard sell to
anyone outside of the fanbase. Renting or borrowing is the best entry point for
the series as a blind purchase may lead to one angry gamer.
