Killer Instinct (6)

When Killer Instinct was announced last year at the Microsoft E3 press conference, the crowd in attendance went ultra-nuts. This was a fighting game franchise that was more revered than the Pope, despite there only being two core games released since 1994. Two decades later, and the game is back for another round of high-energy combos and ultra finishers. And this Killer Instinct may just be the purest fighting game on the market today.

Taking a few ideas from the Street Fighter 4 handbook, Killer Instinct operates on a 2.5D fighting system. It’s still strictly 2D in it’s execution, but with some of that 3D flare that you’d expect from newer brawler games. What sets Killer Instinct apart from other games in the genre however, is that delicious combo system. Easy to learn, difficult to master, the system allows players to open up opponents with a specific set of moves, and then follow through with number-crunching combos within a small window if attack that limits these moves from being spammed into infinity and beyond.

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It;s the heart and soul of Killer Instinct, and filled with all manner of intricacies based on the strength of the combo being used. That’s thanks to the combo breaker mechanic, which allows players to break free of a vicious attack chain by timing said strikes with by pressing a combination of either the light, medium or heavy attacks to do so. Get it wrong however, and you’ll be blocked from countering and have to suffer the full brunt of a combo.

From there, it gets even more detailed, as players can also counter a counter, thus creating one of the deepest meta-games in the genre. Shadow attacks allow for special moves to be modified to deal extra damage, the titular “Killer Instinct” can be awakened to buff your fighter and once certain conditions are met you can finish a match with an Ultra combo while the announcer in the background gleefully shouts about your fighting prowess as if he was the bastard son of WWE commentator Jim Ross.

Killer Instinct (4)

It is essentially a fantastically solid and balanced fighting system, that original developer Rare would be proud of. There was a lot of concern when Double Helix was announced as the developer of the new Killer Instinct. Fortunately, those concerns have been addressed with tight and responsive gameplay that makes Killer Instinct feel like a pedigreed breed apart from other competitors.

If the system itself sounds daunting, don’t fret. Killer Instinct has a dojo that’ll teach you all the basics, as well as the more experienced moves that will make a man out of your thumbs. It’s quite simply one of the very best tutorial systems around, and it’s something that other games could actually benefit from by copying the comprehensive nature of this mode.

So what’s the catch then?

Killer Instinct (5)

By now, you’re more than familiar that Killer Instinct is a free-to-play game, one wherein you purchase fighters individually or through a season pass. On paper, this might sound terrible. In reality, it isn’t at all really. The initial offering of Killer Instinct that can be tried out, throws the entire game in plus Jago for players to use. From there, players can experience the bulk of the game through regular fights, survival mode, practice and online.

If you like what you see, pony up some cash and buy one of the other seven available fighters from the first season roster. That includes old favourites such as Sabrewulf, Fulgore,Orchid,Glacier,Spinal,Thunder and newcomer Sadira. Each character brings their own set of skills to the table, and while small in number, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more balanced roster in other games outside of yet another re-release of Street Fighter 4.

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The drawback of all this however, is that Killer Instinct is a bare-bones experience for those of you who prefer a bit more meat to the single-player side of these games. There’s about enough exposition to get you going, with most of the unlockable content reserved for character customisation options that can be bought with points earned in the game.

Killer Instinct is instead a game that is purely focused on the online scene, something which it does excel at thanks to a very stable net code where disconnects were a rare occurrence. You can stick to offline and work your way through arcade mode, as well as survival, but online is where it’s at. More robust lobbies and other match-making tournament options for future seasons would make for a better online experience, but at least the game is stable enough to make this mode work well.

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That being said, at least Killer Instinct has an attractive enough price point to match the content. Fighters can be bought for $5 a piece, while the Ultra season pass will ring in at around $40. Or you can skip digital and go for a retail physical copy which will set you back around R299 after launch. And for a new-gen game, that’s not bad at all when it includes various little nods to the Killer Instinct community as well hidden inside of it.

Killer Instinct (8)

 

Last Updated: October 9, 2014

Killer Instinct
Flashy, brutal and deeper than you'd expect. Killer Instinct is back baby.
8.0
Killer Instinct was reviewed on Xbox One
73 / 100

29 Comments

  1. C C C C C Combo breaker!!! Download D L C to continue C C C Combo.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      October 9, 2014 at 15:42

      Bwhahahaha, I’m so glad you’re back.

      Reply

    • Cadis Etrama Di Umar

      October 9, 2014 at 15:49

      LOLOLOLOL

      Reply

    • FoxOneZA

      October 9, 2014 at 17:06

      Sadly, this game sidestepped that bit:P

      Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      October 10, 2014 at 13:45

      C C C C C C COMBO BONER BREAKER!!!!

      Reply

  2. oVg Definitive and Remastered

    October 9, 2014 at 15:40

    If there is one thing that I want back from the 90s, that is MODELD Characters based on actual models.
    Mortal Kombat 1 was the only game to use real life scans making it the most gruesome MK entry.

    Anybody remember PRIMAL RAGE? I also think Killer Instinct used stop motion frame by frame scans.

    Its time they started innovating again instead of all this FPS bollocks.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      October 9, 2014 at 15:42

      I think the first game was Pit Fighter to use that.

      Reply

      • oVg Definitive and Remastered

        October 9, 2014 at 15:45

        RARE was good at it. Even Donkey Kong on the SNES looked fantastic.

        Reply

      • oVg Definitive and Remastered

        October 9, 2014 at 15:55

        You know your shit. This was like AVATAR for its time even if one move like a kick only had 3 frames.

        Then the FMV period started and Wing Commander started hiring fantastic Hollywood actors. I also enjoyed the FMV X-FILES point and click game even if it came on 8 discs.

        Reply

        • Johan du Preez

          October 9, 2014 at 16:07

          Damn that X-files game was fun I totally forgot about it I still have the original somewhere.

          Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          October 9, 2014 at 16:22

          Played Pit Fighter on a 286 back in the day 😀

          Reply

  3. Hammersteyn

    October 9, 2014 at 15:43

    I’m very surprised that Capcom never thought of selling a fighting game in bits and pieces first.

    Reply

    • oVg Definitive and Remastered

      October 9, 2014 at 15:48

      Selling you those bits and pieces that you can only unlock by paying more is their thing.
      BUT as long as gamers own those bits and pieces that are taking up half the $60 disc seems to be OK for most gamers.

      Reply

    • Cadis Etrama Di Umar

      October 9, 2014 at 15:55

      Nope, Capcom prefers releasing a full game more than once at the same price.

      Reply

      • oVg Definitive and Remastered

        October 9, 2014 at 15:55

        With an extra word added to the title like ALPHA SUPER BETA TURBO INTERNATIONAL.

        Reply

        • Cadis Etrama Di Umar

          October 9, 2014 at 16:13

          Wonder when they gonna run out of names. Soon we’ll just get Ver 2.0, ver 3.0, ver 3.1

          Reply

  4. oVg Definitive and Remastered

    October 9, 2014 at 15:44

    90s RARE Character designers.

    Reply

  5. oVg Definitive and Remastered

    October 9, 2014 at 15:44

    00’s RARE Character designers.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      October 9, 2014 at 15:46

      XD

      Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      October 10, 2014 at 13:47

      How the mighty have fallen. Here’s to the memory of RARE, and my happy memories of the GameCube and N64. Thanks Microsoft!

      Reply

  6. Aries

    October 9, 2014 at 15:59

    They must make a King of Fighters again, prefer that with Iori, that was my game esp the 2001 version

    Reply

    • Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim

      October 9, 2014 at 16:05

      King of Fighter XIII was released in 2010, and it’s fucking excellent. Available on steam, too.

      Reply

      • Aries

        October 9, 2014 at 16:10

        No console, dont really like steam UI, but will check it out

        Reply

        • CAE9872

          October 9, 2014 at 16:43

          It is available for PS3 and 360 – and both on stores I think as its going to be difficult to buy in store now.

          Reply

          • Aries

            October 9, 2014 at 18:04

            Pity, wont be buying another game on my ps3 again

  7. CAE9872

    October 9, 2014 at 16:44

    I having been eyeing this up everytime I boot up the One…downloaded the game just havent done much else with respect the rest of the fighters, etc…

    Reply

    • FoxOneZA

      October 9, 2014 at 17:08

      The art to this game is learning to break combos. The rest just flows.

      Reply

  8. CypherGate

    October 10, 2014 at 10:34

    The font you guys are using makes the article seem soooooo…. busy.

    Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      October 10, 2014 at 13:47

      I have to agree. Please change the font, it’s hard on my eyes. :/

      Reply

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