Killer Instinct

Editor's Notes

'Killer Instinct Ultra Edition' reviewed. 'Killer Instinct' is available in multiple digital versions. (See the breakdown below)

Introduction

It's been 17 years since 'Killer Instinct 2' and 'Killer Instinct Gold' (N64) roamed their respective arcade and home audiences, and the intervening years have rarely seemed like the right time for the franchise to return. Microsoft's acquisition of the franchise's original developer Rare from Nintendo has kept even a re-release of the games a long shot, even as the entire fighting game scene has undergone a resurgence full of fighting games old and new in tournaments, online, and even the rare arcade. Finally, after multiple recent 360 rumors, Microsoft announced that a new 'Killer Instinct' from a new developer (Double Helix) would be a Xbox One launch title. Not only would the game have a free single character version for all Xbox One owners to play, but the original arcade 'Killer Instinct' would be included at the $40 level. And so it seems that the fighter that made combos and the word "ultra" video game parlance, is back.

The Game Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

Make no mistake, 'Killer Instinct' is almost one of the most difficult titles to review in recent console history. Unless you've been rocking an emulator, a SNES, N64, or vintage arcade cabinet, this new 'Killer Instinct' will either be your first taste of the franchise or your first in a long time.

Likewise, the Jago only version is free, and many Gold members got the six character (with two more unreleased) Combo Breaker version free from Microsoft. The reviewed Ultra Version contains two versions of the original arcade game, with a handful of little bonuses, but even the $60 Pin Ultimate Version features only a six character, six stage fighter at its core. It's the scarcity of content that prevents the game from becoming truly tough to review, as an hour with game (mostly in the training mode) can easily render every bit of content repetitive.

The game has A.I. fighters to fight against, but lacks even a simple Arcade progression mode, though it may come later. That means, you can play online, locally, against a single AI, in Survival mode, or in the Dojo, which seems to be lifted straight out of 'Street Fighter IV.' When you set aside the content versus dollars spent consideration, the similarities to 'Street Fighter IV' are so pronounced that it's entirely fair to think that the Xbox One has at launch a near perfect six fighter stand-in for the recent installments of Capcom's genre-leading franchise.

The old 'Killer Instinct' was always somewhat imitative of 'Street Fighter 2,' especially as a six button 2D fighter, but it's combo system was so revolutionary along with some other distinctions that the game found its own niche. In short, playing the original 'Killer Instinct' was all about successive combos, successive rounds, and pulling off the elusive Ultra Combo, making the game in ways more like 'Mortal Kombat.'

Fast forward, and while those aspects remain important, the addition of several 'Street Fighter' staples like throws, close attacks, EX style moves and Supers, which all very much within the 'Street Fighter IV' move set, can make the six 'Killer Instinct' characters, (Jago, Orchid, Sadira, Glacius, Sabrewulf, and Chief Thunder,) seem like they just wandered in from a future Capcom expansion.'

Even so, the combo/combo breaker system is, along with a few other nuances, enough to make some classic and current 'Street Fighter' techniques an ill-advised approach to a 'Killer Instinct' match.

Having something that delivers like 'Street Fighter IV' on the Xbox One at launch is a real plus for fighting fans, and the possibilities that future updates may deliver are exciting. At the same time though, in its current state, the repetitive tendency of a fighting game, where everyone plays just a few characters is sewn into the experience. While it's easy enough to unlock all six stages, that's the end as far as I'm concerned with seeing some fresh content when playing versus. At the $40 level, the game has a handful of per character accessories, but most them have to be unlocked and then purchased (a two-step process). Completing challenges to unlock specific items, and then buying those items using accumulated KP is a process which represents a lot of grinding to get the equivalent of hats and badges (character wardrobe and titles), and suggests a scrapped (or possible future) microtransaction system.

With the exception of the brutally powerful Chief Thunder (who seems entirely over-powered), the roster and fighting system make for great matches. The six that are there are some nicely varied, if unoriginal, fighters. The game plays slower than the 'Killer Instinct' of old but again, this follows the 'Street Fighter IV' blueprint. Give me another half dozen or so fighters and a fightstick, and this 'Killer Instinct' could easily serve as the de facto Xbox One fighter or for years to come, or at least a viable alternative to the inevitable series of games from Capcom.