Another decade has come and gone, and with it, a decade of great fighting games. The 2010’s had so many great fighting games, with bold new ideas and new spins on the genre, that to name just one as the greatest is difficult, but there is one that stands out above all others. There is one game that did for fighting games in the 2010’s what Street Fighter IV did in the 2000’s. This game not only set a new standard for fighting games, but also for game music and visuals, and that is Killer Instinct 2013.
Killer Instinct’s modern incarnation is everything a fighter made today needs to be. Yes, there was some controversy about the launch and how the game was initially priced, but more content was quickly added, and the launch method turned out to be very consumer friendly. In addition, the full version of the game has amazing online play, plenty for single players, and enough content to keep you coming back for more. The developers took the games that came before, and built on what made them work, to create a game that exemplifies the best of the best. From the music, to the animation to the intense combat, Killer Instinct is the complete package.
One reason Killer Instinct stands out to me, is the tutorial. Killer Instinct’s tutorial is perhaps the greatest tutorial in a fighting game ever, with the only contender being Guilty Gear Revelator, and even that doesn’t surpass KI. The tutorial will teach you not just how to play the game, but also how to play any fighting game. There is the saying “easy to learn but difficult to master” but KI goes above and beyond to ensure that everyone playing will have the resources to become a master.
Then we have the characters, with the classic characters all back and given new redesigns that improve on many flaws. TJ Combo is a much more interesting character now, and Thunder is no longer an offensive stereotype, and Kim Wu has a neat update to make her fit into the new story better. Some like Cinder have new personalities that help them stand out in a good way, and some like Eyedol have been given redesigns to give them more of their own identity rather than just being a reference to something else from pop culture. The new characters like Hisako and Mira show that the game could easily add new characters that can stand well with the originals., and the game even references the comics with how certain characters like Eagle were handled. Add in the guest characters, and you have a game that goes above and beyond what is expected of a fighter.
KI’s amazing visuals were matches only by the excellent music by people like Mick Gordon, who gave us some of the most memorable tune in gaming. But the music also goes a step further by interacting with the gameplay and including changes to factor in striking an opponent. This was well beyond what was being done before, since while music has always been such a big part of fighting games, KI was the game that truly made it a part of the fight itself. For a game that was written off as a Street Fighter IV wannabe at launch, KI proved itself in terms of visuals and audio very quickly.
Lastly I must also mention the gameplay, as that is where the game shines brightest. The game has an amazing netcode that allowed flawless online play and made this a favourite for me. The fighting here was heads and shoulders above what I was seeing in Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, and I saw a real attempt to add more innovation. The game built on the combat from previous entries and brought new ideas like combo breaking a combo breaker for example. The story was done differently but handled well, and I found myself realizing that Killer Instinct 2013, despite its lackluster launch, ended up as the greatest fighting game of the modern era so far. I do not know when it will be surpassed but for now, KI reigns as king.