Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Review – A Legendary Fighter Makes Its Long-Awaited Return

A cornerstone of the fighting game genre, Fatal Fury helped shape many of the games that followed in its footsteps. After a 26-year hiatus, SNK's legendary fighters are back to reclaim their place among the genre's elite. Armed with an enhanced combat system and a stylish visual overhaul, the big question is whether this revival can live up to the franchise's legacy or fade into obscurity in the genre it helped create.

Stepping Into the Arena

Jumping into Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves feels both fresh and familiar.

Iconic fighters return alongside several newcomers and even a few special guest characters, creating a diverse and memorable roster. Every fighter has a distinct personality, reflected not only in their appearance but also in their fighting style.

From Rock Howard's brooding biker aesthetic to Preecha, the energetic Muay Thai scientist, the cast is packed with character. While each fighter has unique techniques, the game's core mechanics remain universal enough to help newcomers quickly understand the fundamentals.

The REV System – The Heart of Combat

The REV System sits at the center of City of the Wolves’ combat, offering both offensive and defensive options. REV Blow allows players to absorb an incoming attack and immediately retaliate with a powerful strike, making it perfect for extending combos and shifting momentum. REV Arts serve as enhanced special moves, while REV Accel unleashes devastating combo strings capable of dealing massive damage. Defensively, the system offers Just Defense and Hyper Defense, rewarding perfectly timed blocks by restoring a portion of health. REV Guard prevents chip damage while creating breathing room against aggressive opponents. Of course, there's a catch. Overusing REV techniques causes your REV Meter to overheat, temporarily locking out these powerful abilities. To recover quickly, players need to stay aggressive and maintain pressure, adding another strategic layer to every fight.

S.P.G. – The Comeback Mechanic

Complementing the REV System is Selective Potential Gear, or S.P.G. Before each match, players choose when this mechanic activates—at the beginning of the fight, halfway through, or only when they're close to defeat. Once active, S.P.G. grants significant advantages and can completely turn the tide of battle. Beneath the REV Meter sits another gauge dedicated to cinematic super attacks. While these flashy moves are exciting, they pale in comparison to the spectacular Hidden Gear attacks, which require both a full super meter and an active S.P.G. state. Learning when to use these abilities becomes a crucial part of high-level strategy.

Accessible Yet Deep

Despite sounding complicated, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is surprisingly approachable. SNK includes an excellent tutorial mode alongside character-specific missions designed to teach advanced combos and strategies. Survival and Time Attack modes offer additional ways to practice. Perhaps the biggest improvement is the inclusion of simplified controls. Like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8, City of the Wolves allows newcomers to perform flashy moves with easier inputs while preserving traditional controls for experienced players. The result is a healthy balance between accessibility and depth. The game also experiments with multi-layered arenas, allowing fighters to move into background planes and attack from different perspectives. Although this feature isn't fully explored yet, it's refreshing to see SNK willing to experiment.

Game Modes and Online Play

Arcade Mode follows the traditional fighting game formula, guiding players through the roster with animated story sequences. A new mode called Episodes of South Town mixes fighting game action with light RPG mechanics. Players explore a map, battle opponents, level up their character, and tackle encounters involving multiple enemies. While the concept is enjoyable, it eventually becomes repetitive. For any modern fighting game, however, online play is where success is determined.

Fortunately, SNK delivers. Instead of relying on elaborate 3D social hubs, City of the Wolves focuses on functionality. Cross-platform multiplayer, rollback netcode, Casual Matches, Ranked Matches, and customizable Room Matches all work together to provide a smooth online experience. Players can create rooms with multiple stations, set custom rules, add spectators, and even invite coaches. One particularly clever addition is Clone Mode. The game analyzes your playstyle and creates an AI version of your fighter, allowing other players—or even yourself—to practice against your habits without entering online competition. It's an excellent training tool.

Visuals and Presentation

Garou: Mark of the Wolves remains one of the most beautiful 2D fighting games ever created. Rather than trying to replace it, City of the Wolves establishes its own visual identity. Its cel-shaded art style resembles a living comic book, with colorful characters, vibrant stages, and spectacular lighting and particle effects. The result feels both modern and nostalgic at the same time, paying tribute to the franchise's history while moving it forward.

Final Verdict

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves was absolutely worth the wait. Every major mechanic feels carefully designed, creating a fighting game that rewards strategy, precision, and mastery. Although its single-player offerings aren't particularly groundbreaking, SNK has delivered a fighter that celebrates the series’ legacy while confidently embracing the future. The REV and S.P.G. systems add meaningful depth, the roster is packed with personality, and the online features provide everything modern fighting game fans could ask for. After more than two decades away, Fatal Fury doesn't simply return. It reminds everyone why it became a legend in the first place.