Two days later than initially planned, SNK has officially unveiled The King of Fighters XV and it will be arriving later this year. At the same time, they also revealed The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match is coming to the PlayStation 4.
The King of Fighters XV has been known about since SNK mentioned the title during an IPO investor relations conference two years ago. Other than the title, the publisher had managed the game under wraps until today. Creative Director Eisuke Ogura confirmed the game will keep “the series’ staple of being fast paced while adding elements to make it more exciting”. Both the graphics and sound will be improved from The King of Fighters XIV, suggesting the game will be heading to PlayStation 5, although platforms are yet to be confirmed. More information is promised for next week.
In the same video stream, the team also revealed The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match for PlayStation 4. The game is an updated version of the same title that appeared on PlayStation 2 in Japan in 2009, as well as Steam and Xbox Live Arcade. With 66 fighters, the game has the largest character roster in the franchise’s history; this includes the combatant Nameless, who is exclusive to game.
There will be “plenty” of new and returning moves to try out, such as the MAX 2 moves, and players can link their special moves together through the MAX MODE system. The title also promises improved fighting strategies, a rebalanced game system, and the graphics and background music have been rearranged.
Online ranked matches and player matches will be improved thanks to the team’s rollback net code that aims to reduce lag. The offline modes include Challenge Mode where players must clear all 50 missions at once. Practice Mode will let players try out new combos before taking on their opponents. Finally, Endless Mode is a fight for survival with players seeing how long they can last in the arena.
Those looking for a King of Fighters fix in the meantime can instead go for The King of Fighters XIV Ultimate Edition. This new version of the title includes all DLC characters and costumes, as well as 10 original PS4 themes. The game is available now in Europe and Japan, although North American players will have to wait until January 20th.
