The King of Fighters XV (anyone ever think that these companies use Roman numerals not only because it looks fancy, but to mask how absurdly long these franchises have been going on for?) is due out later this month on basically every platform under the sun, sans Switch. Fans of the storied fighting game series will find much to enjoy in the fifteenth instalment, including some stuff that somehow wasn’t covered the first fourteen goes around. GGPO rollback networking backs the online play for the first time, and a host of tweaks to the combo system promise to make the combat, movement and general kisser-bashing feel fresh. On top of this, the narrative follows on directly from the last title, so folks who are keeping pace with the story are basically obliged to pick this up. What a clever marketing technique.
If all that wasn’t incentive enough, though, legendary developers SNK have just dangled a new virtual carrot for those on the fence. As SiliconEra reports, six new DLC characters, arriving a short while after the game hits storefronts both physical and virtual on the 17th, have been unveiled. The first three, Rock Howard, Gato, and B. Jenet, come in guns blazing (arms blazing?) in March, and the latter group, Geese Howard, Billy Kane, and Ryuji Yamazaki, will follow suit in May. As is seemingly tradition for fighting game DLC content, however, this won’t be the end. A further six characters are scheduled to drop by the end of 2022, bulking out the roster quite a bit.
What’s special about these fighters is that, like most of the other contenders in the KOF ring, they actually debuted elsewhere – in the Fatal Fury franchise. Thus, they bring a bit of crossover panache to the game. So says the report: “Team Garou is comprised of characters that made their debut in the Fatal Fury franchise, specifically Garou: Mark of the Wolves in 1999. Team South Town consists of the main antagonists and criminals of the South Town underworld featured prominently in the same series.”
To top things off, SNK have uploaded a trailer showcasing these new arrivals, which you can peruse below:
These characters should make a fine addition to an experience that already boasts an impressive cast, including returning faces like Elizabeth, Ash Crimson and Kukri. These are starting to sound like thrash metal albums.
Will you be picking up King of Fighters XV? Do you have history with the series? Let us know!
Via, SiliconEra.
