PlayStation 5 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.