SNK’s latest fighting game KOF XV is out February 17
It’s been six years since the release of its predecessor, and now KOF XV is out today on PC, PS4/PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. The fifteenth entry of the KOF series, The King of Fighters XV takes place following the events of KOF XIV and features 39 characters at launch, including previous characters, resurrected fighters, and newcomers to the KOF tournament. GGPO rollback netcode is also introduced.
Like many other fighting games, the fundamentals of playing KOF XV is outmaneuvering your opponent while implementing combos but in the KOF 3v3 format. A new mechanic called “Shatter Strike” has debuted which features a guard-point that trades your character’s meter to counter your opponent. When it connects, the player is free to launch another attack. Since there’s no guard-point on startup, it’s a bit difficult to use at first but it’s incredibly valuable once executed.
Veterans to the KOF series will be happy to notice the four-button control scheme has returned, along with timed mechanics like Blow-Back, dashing, evasive roll, hyper-hops, MAX supers, and Climax Supers. While mixing it up with cancels, Super cancels, and Climax cancels, players will experience the sophisticated combat system that utilizes some of the most complex meter usage in recent fighting games.
The 39-character roster in KOV XV is outstanding, with 12 DLC characters to be released throughout 2022, capping the total at 51. Four waves of fighters are set to launch, with Team Garou in March, Team South Town in May, and Teams 3 and 4 during the summer and fall, respectively. Each wave will contain 3 fighters to join The King of Fighters XV.
With GGPO rollback netcode, short for “Good Game Peace Out”, The King of Fighters XV is built to run its online matches at an almost lag-free rate, giving players a smooth and crisp GGPO rollback online experience across Ranked Match, Casual Match, Room Match, and the online training mode. The new Draft VS mode in KOF XV is out of the ordinary but a welcomed feature, disabling players to choose a mirror match with the same characters.
Also included is an in-game gallery filled with voice-lines and cinematics as well as a DJ Station with over 300 popular tracks from the KOF franchise. It’s time to put this game to the test, KOF XV is out worldwide today.