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[Draugoth]

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Game Title: Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

Platforms:

• PlayStation 5 (Apr 24, 2025)
• PlayStation 4 (Apr 24, 2025)
• Xbox Series X/S (Apr 24, 2025)
• PC (Apr 24, 2025)

Trailer:

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 79 average - 88% recommended - 34 reviews

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A Gaming Network - Marcel Dee - 9 / 10

A confident, stylish return for one of fighting game history's most iconic franchises. Deep, accessible, and packed with features, City of the Wolves howls with potential.

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But Why Tho? - Charles Hartford - 8 / 10

Despite some hiccups on the presentation side, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves delivers in all the ways that matter most.

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CGMagazine - Zubi Khan - 8 / 10

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves heralds the return of the long-dormant series in 26 years

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Capsule Computers - Travis Bruno - 7 / 10

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a satisfying fighter with a gorgeous art style but odd roster inclusions, bad menus, and a rocky multiplayer launch issue dampen this long awaited return.

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Cerealkillerz - Steve Brieller - German - 7.6 / 10

While the gameplay is fun and engaging, the lack of polish makes Fatal Fury - City of the Wolves a subpar successor to Garou. Odd design choices - like including two real world personalities in the roster - and a single player mode that plays like a list of chores detract from the otherwise great offline and online versus experience.

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Cultured Vultures - Ash Bates - 8 / 10

Intricate mechanics, accessible controls and amazing graphics help make Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves an easy fighting game to recommend.

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Final Weapon - Andrew M. Brown - 4.5 / 5

After 26 years, Fatal Fury is finally back—and City of the Wolves hits! It makes a bold return with deep story content, solid offline/online modes, and ambitious mechanics. While I'm not a fan of how SNK implemented the Smart Style control scheme, and the online experience has some issues, this is undoubtedly SNK's strongest modern fighter yet!

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GAMES.CH - Sven Raabe - German - 83%

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GameLuster - Mateusz Niewierowski - 9 / 10

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves enters the fray with an old-school mentality and youthful energy that can provide the kind of fighting game experience many people are looking for on the current scene.

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Gamepressure - Sebastian Kasparek - 8 / 10

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a very good representative of the genre, but I feel that after a maximum of a few months, I will put it aside. I want something more from a title of this caliber.

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Gamer Social Club - DeMandre Pressley - 9 / 10

Overall, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves has perhaps one of the most enjoyable combat systems I've played in a modern FG and with the blend of strong offensive and defensive options it seems like SNK is really working to create a system that tries to force constant two way interactions. With strong mechanics and a cast that's fun to use all around I do hope the game can really take off and find it's place in the ever growing line up of Strong fighting games in a high point for the genre overall.

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Gamersky - 心灵奇兵 - Chinese - 8.3 / 10

FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves almost perfectly distills the essence of classic SNK fighting philosophy into a modern framework. REV moves, SPG health bars, the Heat system, feints, cancels, multi-line combat-these hallmarks have been faithfully carried forward. However, its high skill ceiling and a streamlined design that paradoxically makes it harder to grasp the core mechanics mean this isn't a game that just anyone can pick up and enjoy effortlessly.

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Gamesource Italia - Steven Carollo - Italian - 8 / 10

While we have a very dry and stripped-down single player mode, we also have a fun and deep 2D fighting game that we really felt was needed. A simplified control scheme is available as a function of a plug-and-play experience for the neophyte. The animations of the 3D models fail to compete with the fluidity and beauty of Street Fighter 6's animations or rival the models of Tekken 8, lending a functional aesthetic to a title that besides inviting guests from the real world, does nothing else to attract new players to it. Nonetheless, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves manages to shine in a jaw-dropping light of its own, and I truly hope it represents a firm reinsertion point in the videogame palimpsest of a saga that had been sorely missed.

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GamingBolt - Ravi Sinha - 7 / 10

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a worthwhile follow-up to Garou with its fighting system and gorgeous visuals, but there are plenty of rough edges to address.

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Gfinity - Andrés Aquino - 8 / 10

While it misses the mark in its single-player offerings and the online experience is still not up to competitors' standards, City of the Wolves is one of the most mechanically deep and fun fighting games to come out in recent years

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Hey Poor Player - Andrew Thornton - 4 / 5

Still, I don't want to focus too much on the negative. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is already a deep and satisfying fighting game with a ton going for it. I never thought I'd see another Fatal Fury game, and while it hasn't yet surpassed Mark of the Wolves in my heart, I definitely want to keep coming back for more. I just hope those server issues don't continue to be an issue.

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IGN Deutschland - Michael Cherdchupan - German - 8 / 10

The fighting game community is currently plagued by a problem: the game mechanics are being softened to appeal to casual players. But neither pros nor casuals want that. The latter would be more than happy with more solo game modes. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves doesn't offer these in a satisfactory form, but that aside, it feels like an alternative at this point. It is a challenging option that will delight hardcore fans in particular with its high learning curve and in-depth game mechanics. Despite audiovisual restraint and uninspired solo content, the pugilist impresses with great playability and tactical variety. A bold game that deliberately goes against current trends in the genre.

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IGN Korea - Donghun Lee - Korean - 8 / 10

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves marks a poignant pause in a saga that has spanned 34 years, serving as both a celebration and a thoughtful reflection for a storied franchise. Centered around the refined REV system, its combat design strikes a balance between sophistication and thrilling comebacks. Cross-play and rollback netcode meet modern standards, offering a solid experience for today's fighting game audience. Rich character presentation and stylish direction deliver nostalgia for longtime fans while also providing a welcoming entry point for newcomers. However, dated elements in input mechanics and content unlocking systems slightly dampen the experience, and the accessibility of the Smart Style controls falls short of expectations. Rather than a bold new chapter, the game feels more like a respectful look back—an homage to the past and a quiet setup for what may come next.

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Just Play it - Ahmed Nadjib CHAITA - Arabic - 9 / 10

FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves marks an impactful return to the series, alongside new playable characters, fresh gameplay and astounding graphics, engraving it as a fun and exciting experience that we recommend for fighting fans

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Kakuchopurei - Jonathan Toyad - 90 / 100

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is truly the full package for SNK fans and fighting game veterans looking for a new 1v1 fighter that can go toe-to-toe with this generation's Street Fighter 6. The 17-character roster (with 5 more coming) have a ton of variety and expanded moveset for all sorts of playstyles, the game's aesthetics are full of life and uniqueness, the fighting mechanics are a good balance between simple and complex with tons of nuances, and the extra single-player modes will keep you occupied. It is truly a sublime fighting game experience for both newcomers and veterans.

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Loot Level Chill - Sean Smith - 9 / 10

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves could be SNK's best ever all-round fighting game, with a great blend of new mechanics and familiar returning faves.

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MonsterVine - Spencer Legacy - 4 / 5

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a blast to play thanks to its intriguing mechanics and strong presentation. The singleplayer offerings can be a bit repetitive, but fighting feels great and provides plenty of depth to take advantage of. If you've ever wanted to break into Fatal Fury, this is a fantastic choice to start with.

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Noisy Pixel - Jahanzeb Khan - 8.5 / 10

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves marks a triumphant return for SNK's legendary series, blending classic 2D fighting mechanics with bold new systems and a striking urban aesthetic. With a balanced roster, refined combat depth, and full cross-play, it stands tall among modern fighters, though occasional presentation inconsistencies and a shallow RPG mode hold it back from perfection.

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NookGaming - Andrew Camac - 10 / 10

So has SNK learned from their previous games and made Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves a game worthy of the mighty Lone Wolves of Southtown? The answer to that is a resounding yes. In my humble opinion, this is the finest SNK game since King of Fighters XIII and does the legacy of Fatal Fury/Garou proud.

It looks amazing, the new systems feel completely natural, it has an excellent flow to the matches, the roster is well balanced, and the free Season 1 DLC featuring Chun-Li and Ken Masters from Street Fighter are just a nice sweetener for that. The game just feels so good to play and string moves together that I can just see people getting hooked by it. As a fighter, it feels like the perfect combo of modern gaming and arcade gaming.

For a casual gamer, I still believe there is a healthy amount of content here to grip and perhaps be your gateway game into the genre. This is the highest bar and likely the best game to convert anyone over to the series. The admittedly somewhat confusing marketing will undoubtedly create some curiosity in some gamers interested in its real life guest characters, but I expect them to stay for not only the best alternative to Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8 and Mortal Kombat 1, but for the game that has the best chance of winning the bout and becoming King of the Mountain.

Click to expand...

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One More Game - Ricki Buzon - 9 / 10

After so long, Fatal Fury makes a long-awaited triumphant return. For fans, this is a dream fulfilled as Mark of the Wolves left many stories unfinished when it launched back in 1999. The series seamlessly adapts to modern times with City of the Wolves, introducing unique mechanics that promise to deliver intense experiences for solo and competitive players.

The game also feels like a heartfelt tribute to SNK enthusiasts, packed with familiar elements that long-time fans of the company's other fighting franchises, particularly Art of Fighting, will recognize. Fatal Fury's deep lore continues to shine as the story progresses, leaving room to explore South Town and beyond.

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Push Square - Sammy Barker - 7 / 10

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves won't blow you away like Street Fighter 6 or Tekken 8, but as a more rudimentary fighter, it's got guile. Its layered fighting system and vibrant, well-animated characters make for an entertaining overall package that's been 26 years in the making.While the gimmicky guest fighters feel out of place and the supposed RPG-inspired single player mode is insultingly basic, if you're looking for a fine alternative to the more established fighters already on the market, this is more than up to the task.

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Saudi Gamer - Arabic - 9 / 10

A great return to form, with a refreshing battle system and a good roster of characters.

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Shacknews - TJ Denzer - 8 / 10

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Smash Jump - Jeremy Lowe - 9 / 10

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a superb game. It's got great gameplay, a plethora of content, and a unique art style that ties the game together. It does have its issues, most notably its roster, which really holds the game back. That being said, the game does a great job of bringing Fatal Fury into the modern day and is a great evolution of the franchise. If you're a big fan of the Fatal Fury series or fighting games in general, this game is definitely recommended.

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Spaziogames - Italian - 7.8 / 10

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TechRaptor - Luis Joshua Gutierrez - 8 / 10

If you're looking for a fun new fighting game to play in 2025, then Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a great contender. There's a little bit of everything for players in the genre, and it does a great job of teaching newcomers the basics. The Rev system helps it stand out from others in the space. But at the same time, it does have some core issues that mainly stem from specific guest fighters being in it and the story mode.

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The Outerhaven Productions - Kevin Kelly - 4 / 5

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves kicks off with a promising start, delivering moments that feel like home runs—or slam dunks (thanks to Terry). That said, not every shot lands perfectly, and some areas could be addressed in future installments, depending on the subseries' longevity. The REV system has ramped up the action significantly, making the two-decade-long wait worthwhile for fans who've eagerly anticipated its return.

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TheSixthAxis - Miguel Moran - 6 / 10

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves struggles not only to understand what it wants to be, but which audience it wants to be for. While the game can be a sweat-inducing treat at its highest level of play, casual gamers might not get a lot out of it and the bevy of distracting guest characters and stage song composers in the game make it hard to see the title for its own merits.

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Xbox Achievements - Richard Walker - 80%

As a kid who grew up in the 1990s, coveting what was, at the time, a prohibitively expensive Neo Geo console on which to play conversions of SNK'...

 

[kevboard]

there is literally nothing more irrelevant than mainstream review sites reviewing fighting games.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

there is literally nothing more irrelevant than mainstream review sites reviewing fighting games.

Lol, I'd tend to agree. I guess I'm kinda curious about overall polish, but it's not like IGN's going to tell us something we don't already know, especially in a technical genre.

Though I'm thoroughly uninterested after the guest character reveals, so I'll be watching this one from the sidelines.

 

[anthony2690]

Lol, I'd tend to agree. I guess I'm kinda curious about overall polish, but it's not like IGN's going to tell us something we don't already know, especially in a technical genre.

Though I'm thoroughly uninterested after the guest character reveals, so I'll be watching this one from the sidelines.

I know everyone likes to dump on ign and rightfully so, but the person they tend to have reviewing and playing fighting games is genuinely actually competent at them in more recent times.

(What's a surprise as you watch other reviewers/YouTubers and a lot of them look like they've never played a fighting game before in comparison)
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Anyway, sadly as I went physical I have to wait till the 24th for my copy to arrive, genuinely really enjoyed the second beta a lot!



Highlight for me from the second beta

 

[near]

Adding Ronaldo and that other guy into this game is embarrassing. It should be a non-issue, but I can't help but be bothered by it.

 

[SomeGit]

You can't play with Ronaldo in arcade mode, literally unplayable.

 

[Hypereides]

Adding Ronaldo and that other guy into this game is embarrassing. It should be a non-issue, but I can't help but be bothered by it.

It definitely stands out in a curious way. I would've been "okay" with one odd real life cameo, but 2 just makes me wonder what else they have in mind. It looks out of place in Fatal fury.

 

[anthony2690]

Adding Ronaldo and that other guy into this game is embarrassing. It should be a non-issue, but I can't help but be bothered by it.

I am treating Salvatore as a joke character and pretending snk are giving us season 1 with the game as an apology

Ronaldo gameplay wise actually looks pretty decent, a friend was was posting some combos etc he has with him in a local fgc discord

 

[SkylineRKR]

The IGN review isn't as bad as you might expect.

I saw Max streaming. Salvatore looks terrible in motion. He fits the bill as a joke character of sorts. He is goofy AF.

Ronaldo.. dunno. Strange he doesn't have a storymode.

 

[Spukc]

SIUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

 

[kunonabi]

The IGN review isn't as bad as you might expect.

I saw Max streaming. Salvatore looks terrible in motion. He fits the bill as a joke character of sorts. He is goofy AF.

Ronaldo.. dunno. Strange he doesn't have a storymode.

It's looking like he was originally supposed to be a DLC character with Mr. Big in the base roster instead.

 

[Darsxx82]

Imput lag test in different platafforms

 

[Celcius]

Adding Ronaldo and that other guy into this game is embarrassing. It should be a non-issue, but I can't help but be bothered by it.

Same, putting real people in the game was such a dumb decision.
I was already going to skip this one just because the fast paced gameplay just doesn't seem for me but I hope if this bombs then they get the message and don't pull this again. Totally kills the immersion imho.

 

[Rocco Schiavone]

Imput lag test in different platafforms

Highest Inputlag on PS5 pro?? What is this shit??

My Deluxe Edition for PS5(Pro) is on the way.

 

[Spukc]

Dude

Highest Inputlag on PS5 pro?? What is this shit??

My Deluxe Edition for PS5(Pro) is on the way.

cancel it lol

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

Highest Inputlag on PS5 pro?? What is this shit??

My Deluxe Edition for PS5(Pro) is on the way.

Wtf man ...not only that but it isn't Pro enhanced. The thing that bothers me the most is the 30 fps backgrounds. Watch, people on PC will rightfully complain and the devs will issue a fix within a couple weeks making background elements animate at 60 fps but the consoles and especially the Pro (which should be able to do 60 fps even if the base consoles can't), however, consoles won't get patched.

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

Adding Ronaldo and that other guy into this game is embarrassing. It should be a non-issue, but I can't help but be bothered by it.

Same..."Salvatores" moveset also looks like shit

 

[SABRE220]

Highest Inputlag on PS5 pro?? What is this shit??

My Deluxe Edition for PS5(Pro) is on the way.

Im assuming thats latency and lower is better because otherwise makes no sense.