The King Of Fighters XIV Video Review

We take a look at the PS4 exclusive release from SNK with their latest fighting game in the long running series in our The King Of Fighters XIV video review.

Today we’re taking a look at SNK’s The King of Fighters 14 which releases exclusively on the PS4 and is SNK’s latest in their long standing fighting game franchise which started way back when in 1994 on the Neo Geo system and now ends up as an exclusive for the PS4. What is most noticeable about this version from the others is the transition to fully 3D characters akin to Capcom’s well established Street Fighter series which made the full 3D transition several years ago with Street Fighter IV. This isn’t the first time the KOF series has taken the visuals to 3D as the Maximum Impact games on the PS2 also attempted to do this. However, in this instance, whilst the character models and background details are in 3D the fighting plane remains firmly fixed in 2D so there’s no side stepping in and out of the screen.

To begin, players are presented with a usual assortment of modes with a Story Mode offering 16 teams of three characters per team to choose from (so that’s an impressive 48 characters) with two bonus boss characters to unlock bringing the total to 50. There are some that are absent but most player should be happy with what’s on offer. Whilst it’s useful for the story to choose the respected teams here it’s not a requirement so if you have favourites and want to mix and match then you’re able to do so. The Story mode has you fight 3 vs 3 across 10 stages and features a few cutscenes in-between but doesn’t really follow individual team members or the team itself so each time you play it’s effectively the same. Once beaten, players are then able to view a short ending sequence unique to the team which consists of images and text. It’s certainly not up to par with similar offerings from other fighting games although due to how it’s set up each playthrough might take quite some time.

Players can simply ignore the story and dive into the Local versus against the computer or other human players with the choice of single 1 on 1 fights or the full on 3 vs 3 teams. For beginners there’s a tutorial which shows off the basics and a mission mode for advanced players where a time attack and survival mode is on offer. There’s also a trial section for honing combos and special attacks. The standard training grounds are also available where you can practice those combos until your heart’s content. Lastly there’s an online component where you can take your fighting skills online against the rest of the world (at the time of writing we were unable to try this).

First things first. Visually the game is a massive improvement with some excellent looking character designs and visuals where the 3D works wonders despite the hand draw look of the past having its own charm. The models can’t be faulted at all here and with the animated backgrounds provide a real upgrade from past glories. This is generally a good thing however, there’s little movement off the 2D plane the fighting rests on, which means you’re not getting the full benefits of the 3D characters which is a bit of a shame.

In terms of fluidity of movement, the combat is fast and furious with no hints of slow-down and a buttery smooth operation no matter how hectic the on screen action. SNK has well optimized this game by solely focusing on the one platform and it shows.

The combat itself is easy to pick up and play with similar inputs to Street Fighter although if you’re new and fighting against the computer you’ll probably find the default difficulty a little too forgiving. Once it’s ramped up a little you’ll then witness some more advanced moves which can literally finish you off in seconds should you be on the receiving end of a devastating combo. That’s where heading to the trials section is good place to hone your skills. With such a wide variety of characters on offer it pays to experiment a little and at least become proficient using three or more characters.

Players can obviously sink a whole lot of time in the localized play and never even venture online to get their asses handed to them by someone half way across the globe. In fact, there’s much to do in the local modes provided. As mentioned, there’s the story mode for all 16 teams where unlockable art, items and ending sequences are there for the taking which can then be viewed in the gallery at any time. The Story mode can take the best part of half an hour per team so that’s around 8 hours right there if you want to see all the endings. Obviously fighting human opponents never gets old in local play and if you are starting out there’s simply lots to learn and master as with any fighting game.

KOF 14 is a welcome addition to the fighting game line-up on PS4 and comes as one of the better entries in the long standing series. However, if we are to compare to peers such as Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and the Dead or Alive games then the story mode and overall presentation is a bit lacking to say the least. Everything else though ticks the right boxes and provides hours of play especially if you’re a fan of the series. Whilst perhaps lacking the prominence of other fighting games, KOF 14 is a neat package worth checking out whether you’re a beginner or pro, and hopefully with this game it’s a prelude to greater things to come in the future from SNK who have successfully brought The King Of Fighters franchise into the modern age.

Score 8/10

Written by: Rob Cram

Rob Cram has hundreds of video game reviews, thousands of articles under his belt with years of experience in gaming and tech. He aims to remain fair and free from publisher/developer influence. With his extensive knowledge, feels his gaming opinions are valid and worth sharing. Agreement with his views are entirely optional. He might have a bias towards cyberpunk.