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The king of fighters xv publishers5/6/2023 For anyone (like me) who likes to dabble with Survival and Time Attack upon dispensing with the story, their omission is both disappointing and baffling. Outside of Story and Versus, Mission mode is now reserved solely for character Trials, presenting you with a series of challenging combos to string together. Versus covers local 3v3 team battles as well as Single 1v1 bouts, each with normal or tournament options, so you've a more than adequate selection of offline stuff to enjoy with friends. Core Story, Versus, Training, and Online modes are all accounted for, but head into the 'Mission' menu, and you may be taken aback by the absence of Time Attack and Survival (perhaps SNK decided player numbers in previous games didn't warrant their inclusion). It's this latter point where KOF XV falls short, however, missing fundamental modes you'd normally expect to not only find in KOF, but in any fighting game worth its salt. If you're already familiar with the KOF series, then you'll know what to expect from the fifteenth mainline entry – a glut of characters, mostly old favourites, some completely new robust fighting systems and, usually, a slew of modes. And while that might sound like some sort of cheap 'get out of jail free' card to pull, it isn't always – you can't simply spam Rush moves and expect to get away with it. Super Special moves and Climax Super Special Finishers (with more powerful EX versions available by activating the new MAX Mode gauge) also enable you to turn the tables on a rival or polish them off in spectacular style, while KOF XIV's Rush Combos return, enabling anyone to pull off an impressive flurry of strikes and a finisher with jabs of a single button. Quarter-circle inputs with the d-pad (or analogue stick, if you must) unleash special moves (much as you'd expect), but combined with a Blowback input busts out a new Shatter Strike - a risk/reward move that eats part of your super meter, but grants some of it back if you successfully land it. Cancels and other advanced moves are also present for the more seasoned player to master, and they're covered in the tutorials, if you're eager to learn. Hold both heavy strike buttons and you can perform a handy Blowback attack, knocking your opponent to the other side of the screen, giving you some breathing room when you're cornered. Push the same buttons together as you're about to hit the floor during a fall animation, and you'll immediately spring right back up to your feet. There's a light and heavy punch, and a light and heavy kick, assigned to each of the face buttons, and pushing the light punch and kick buttons together with forward or back held down enables you to execute a handy evasive manoeuvre. Picking up the basics is simple enough, even if you've never touched a KOF game before. Like most fighting games, you can mash buttons and eke out a win, but to really master The King of Fighters XV, you'll need to practice and hone your skills – the mark of any really good versus fighter. The core nuts and bolts of KOF XV's fighting mechanics are exemplary – like previous recent entries, it's a fighting game that's accessible, but ludicrously deep and technical, demanding you get to know its various intricacies via the tutorial, before you even think about diving in.
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