Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Is A Scrubby Game… But It Can Be Fixed

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As a gamer diving into “Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves,” I’ve been enjoying the intricate balance between offense and defense that makes this game a blast to master. Yet, I can’t help but feel a bit underwhelmed, as the game still seems a tad basic or unpolished, often referred to as “scrubby.” But here’s an idea for improvement: maybe tweaking the mechanics slightly could bring out its hidden depth and make it even more enjoyable!

Back on April 24th, COTW saw its official launch. In my assessment, I deemed it as one of the most entertaining fighters I’ve experienced in a while. Yet, there was a particular feature I flagged as potentially stirring up some debate: the REV Blow mechanism.

REV Blow is an effective defensive technique (which can also be utilized strategically in combos) that activates when your Super Power Gauge is active. It absorbs numerous attacks from opponents and retaliates with a strong counterattack. Depending on the character, it may even lead to a full combo sequence if successful.

There are uncommon methods to counter REV Blow, however, they tend to be costly or specific. You could employ Gears (Supers), grab opponents if they’re within reach, or execute a Dodge attack (REV Guard + Heavy Punch) if you’re swift enough, though this isn’t straightforward. Alternatively, you can retaliate with a REV Blow, but only if you have your own S.P.G bar charged as well.

It’s clear that you’re recognizing the problems, isn’t it? While there may be no realistic way to challenge REV Blow under your current circumstances, it’s undeniably a frustrating aspect to handle.

When your opponent deploys the S.P.G bar, you must adjust your offensive strategy immediately. Any aggressive moves could lead to severe retaliation. Not even defensive maneuvers like “Just Defend” work against it. Even attempting to counter with anti-air attacks becomes a risky move because there’s an air REV Blow specifically designed to thwart that approach.

In comparison to Street Fighter 6’s Drive Impact, REV Blow seems a bit overpowering. Here’s why: Drive Impact can be used by both players whenever they have enough Drive Gauge. If you find yourself frequently in burnout, it suggests that your resource management might need improvement. Typically, you get into such situations due to poor decisions on your part, and the likelihood of being cornered with Drive Impact is justified.

In a game featuring REV Blow, your adversary could begin with the Super Power Gauge (S.P.G) filled on a small section of their health bar at the outset of a match, while you decide to preserve it for the later stages and use it as a mechanism to stage a comeback.

What can we do to solve this issue? To me, a straightforward approach would be to provide REV Blow with a specific amount of defense. Currently, normal attacks or special moves don’t affect REV Blow, regardless of how many times you attack it. Giving it a fixed amount of armor will make it more manageable without requiring S.P.G or lightning-fast reflexes.

Modifying REV Blow in such a way that it can be blocked after absorbing no more than three hits could help reduce its spam potential and provide a fairer challenge for both novice and experienced players. Due to the swiftness with which a player must respond with an appropriate counter, even seasoned gamers may find themselves taken aback. This change would still allow it to function effectively against slower special moves.

Reducing its defensive utility might not be a significant issue given the offensive and combo applications of REV Blow. Many characters can exploit these features, so SKN could maintain those aspects while making the mechanic feel less problematic in other scenarios.

In other words, SNK, I’m making a request. Could you adjust the power level of REV Blow, and perhaps make Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves less challenging for beginners? This way, it would be more enjoyable for a wider range of players.

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2025-04-28 19:42