The King of Fighters XII
The twelfth installment of the famous fighting game series, _The King of
Fighters XII_ , is a massive reinvention of the franchise rebuilt from the
ground up both technically and visually to celebrate the series’ 15th
anniversary. The game features a streamlined battle system and all-new high-
resolution character sprites and backgrounds. Battles are the 3-vs-3 matches
that _KOF_ is known for, though the tag system from the previous game has been
removed. The game features a total of 22 fighters, two of which are exclusive
to the home release, and all of whom are returning combatants from previous
titles. Included are a five-round arcade “time attack” mode, online and local
versus, practice and replay modes, and an unlockable art gallery.
| Game Analysis | KOF XII uses the usual 3-on-3 team system with each fight consisting of up to five rounds. However, the Tactical Shift System from The King of Fighters 2003 has been removed. KOF XII also introduces the "critical counter" system. During a match, a bar beneath the player's vitality will fill. When it is full and a player lands a close strong punch as a counter, the character enters into a critical counter mode where the player has a short amount of time wherein their character can link multiple attacks together. Once the critical counter's time period has expired the player can finish with a special move. The new "Guard Attack" feature allows a fighter to intercept and hit an incoming opponent's strike damage free (even Desperation Moves can be repelled in this fashion). | |
| Optimization Score | 10 | |
