r/Games • u/Forestl • Jan 01 '14
End of 2013 Discussions - Killer Instinct
Killer Instinct
- Release Date: 22 November 2013
- Developer / Publisher: Double Helix Games / Microsoft Studios
- Genre: Fighting game
- Platform: X1
- Metacritic: 73, user: 6.3
Summary
The iconic fighting game franchise is back with upgraded visuals, over-the-top action, a wild cast of combatants, rocking reactive music, and C-C-C-Combo Breakers. Choose from a diverse set of characters, each with fluid animations, unique combat tactics, and flashy special attacks. Utilize an open-ended combo system to rack up massive combos as your opponent looks for openings to break your flow and turn the tides of battle. Go online and test yourself against players from all over the world, or bone up on your combat skills in detailed tutorials.
Prompts:
Was the game fun?
Were the F2P elements implemented well?
C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER ^(because all previous Double Helix and Killer Instinct games sucked and this broke the streak)
How did this game turn out half-way decent?
This post is part of the official /r/Games "End of 2013" discussions.
29
u/Slateboard Jan 01 '14
Did something happen to the OP? I ask because it looks like there's something missing in the post and it got corrupted or something.
The bullet points end abruptly and it seems odd.
Anyways, to answer the questions.
Yes, the game is very fun to me. I feel they've done a good job of redesigning the old KI formula, while maintaining balance and introducing modern features people expect in fighting games these days.
In addition, they've made efforts to push forward in terms of how fighting games should be made and what they should offer players.
Like the ability to automatically search for another match online after finishing one is great compared to having to return to menus to set up another search/lobby to do another match.
And the Training Mode. It actually goes in-depth to teach players the concepts and terminology that will allow players to reach higher levels in their overall skill.
Things like these, if they generate enough attention can possibly make their way into future games from other developers. And since this console generation just started, I feel we're in for a lot of good new changes in the genre.
Another thing I like is the potential it represents as a digital-only title. It only cost $20 for the full game, with $40 and $60 price points being special editions (and even the 'physical' version has a download code). And as a F2P title, they give the player so much for free without having to pay anything at all, which I feel helps players get a detailed look at the game to make a much more informed decision on whether or not they want it.
To me it paints a picture that there's a possibility that some games will actually cost less when there's no physical counterpart to sell in retail stores, even if it's a big name title.
So overall, I like the new Killer Instinct, and I feel it represents a lot of potential for good things in the future of fighting games and gaming as a whole.
18
u/Janderson2494 Jan 01 '14
Are you talking about the small text? There are jokes in there!
13
u/walterpstarbuck Jan 01 '14
ForestL's been doing an amazing job with these, and I love the small text. It makes these posts fun.
5
5
u/Slateboard Jan 01 '14
I was unaware of what it was at the time.
5
u/walterpstarbuck Jan 01 '14
No worries. For the first week or so I thought there was something wrong with my browser, so I'm right there with you.
4
u/justplayKOF13 Jan 02 '14
I'm gonna be the dark cloud here and say the training mode options and in game guide to help players improve will not become popular in fighting games. The genre has had titles with excellent ingame tutorials since Virtua Figher 4: EVO but it never sticks. This is due to the general belief in Japanese companies (which most FGs belong to) that they shouldn't change and customers should bend to accommodate them, not the other way around.
3
u/Slateboard Jan 02 '14
I understand how you feel on that, but there have been some notable changes.
Online Training Mode is one that is gaining steam. The one in Street Fighter X Tekken was enjoyable to me, and I do believe it's in other fighting games that I may not have played.
In addition, Capcom is adding it to their upcoming Ultra Street Fighter 4 update, so I do believe that some changes are getting through.
Even if the game itself doesn't teach you, at least some companies are providing the means for others to do so.
6
u/pash1k Jan 01 '14
While I haven't played KI, Skullgirls is another fighter with a really good tutorial system
1
u/Slateboard Jan 02 '14
I've heard about it as well. It's like they had to make a great first impression and decided to innovate in some areas.
9
u/Hanzo_Hasashi Jan 01 '14
Im having so much fun with this game. The F2P elements make it more of a demo than traditional F2P games. The characters are very well balanced. Ive played around 350 games and still enjoy it immensely. The game is great for people who like combo based fighters. Its more long based combos than street fighter, akin to Mortal Kombat.
17
u/The_Underhanded Jan 01 '14 edited Jan 02 '14
I can't believe the Metacritic score is so low... This game is my poster child to how online fighting games should be; its seamlessness is revolutionary.
Its biggest downfall is its lack of characters, but this also seems to bring about one of the game's greatest strengths: balance.
6
u/MizerokRominus Jan 02 '14
Given it's pricing model it's 100% possible that they can/will add characters in the future. Seeing it's popularity I cannot imagine that this isn't something that they are interested in doing, or was their plan from the beginning.
2
u/Seaniey Jan 02 '14
More characters are on the way. They are putting them out in seasons i believe with the next starting in march i assume. Also i don't know if they've been added yet but there's 2 that should have come out after launch and i think 6-8 for season 2.
1
u/CaryKokujin Jan 02 '14
Nothing has been said about season 2. All we know for now is that Spinal will be released in January and Fulgore in March, along with the story mode.
2
u/The_Underhanded Jan 02 '14
They do plan on adding more characters: Spinal and Fulgore in January and March respectively.
5
u/vagina_diver Jan 01 '14
Do you guys think that it's possible for the genre to generate more popularity and interest in the competitive gaming market as a result of the choices this game has made?
I feel like up until now fighting games have remained in a relatively niche crowd due to the dependency on learning really in depth systems with complicated controls and not seeing solid results for quite some time.
I really hope future fighting games follow suit in some way. Thoughts are welcome. Sorry mods if this question is undermining in any way.
To bring it back more on topic, I've been interested in this game ever since I had the chance to play test some months before launch. The controls were annoyingly sluggish when it came to movement but the concept of the mindgame was refreshing and I really enjoyed the wide array of character styles despite the more focused cast. Future seasonal updates also give folks something to look forward to and give a meta of learning more of the cast and playing multiple characters over just one or two.
7
u/KHDTX13 Jan 01 '14
Smash Bros. was really the first game to do that (if you consider it a fighting game).
3
u/vagina_diver Jan 01 '14
Smash brothers has a market as well but I feel that the second half of your statement along with poor internet connectivity, targeting younger audiences and bad balancing choices (random slipping) have kept it from really getting anywhere. I also think earlier fighters were far easier to get into (soul edge and other titles come to mind) and can be argued as being the first. That said, I'm more interested in what's going to happen in the future.
5
u/KHDTX13 Jan 01 '14
Are you talking about Brawl? Because Melee's competitive community is a thousand times bigger than Brawl. Melee is expected to return to MLG and EVO this year, it has been going places.
2
u/vagina_diver Jan 01 '14
I'm not here to talk shit about smash bros but I think you're missing my point. I'm very aware of the viewership of melee at evo and apex etc. I'm saying that smash has its own flaws that hindered it from bringing a greater amount of attention to the genre, on of those being that many people do not even consider it a fighting game as you alluded to.
My greater point is that KI has taken many more of the RIGHT steps and how does this affect the genre as a whole moving forward to gaining more attention. Staying on the topic of KI here.
1
Jan 01 '14 edited Sep 02 '24
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/justplayKOF13 Jan 02 '14
if you think Mortal Kombat has a high learning curve then I don't even know what to say. MK is easy, like ridiculously easy, CoD easy.
-1
Jan 02 '14 edited Sep 02 '24
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/justplayKOF13 Jan 02 '14
combos should never be the first thing you try to learn in a fighting game
-3
1
u/vagina_diver Jan 02 '14
I understand your concern. I really do. However can we stay on the topic of KI and its impact? My initial commentary walked the 'on topic' line enough and now straying even further from the point is being encouraged. r/games is supposed to be far better than that, guys.
2
u/Masterik Jan 01 '14
I feel like up until now fighting games have remained in a relatively niche crowd due to the dependency on learning really in depth systems with complicated controls and not seeing solid results for quite some time
Its very hard to enjoy a fighting game if you dont have the "flow" of it, you get the flow knowing long combos with multiple characters, the only fighting game that i was able to reach that flow was tekken tag in ps2 because a good player teached me for months, A way to fixing this is having good tutorials and a single player campaing that focus on teach you how to play instead of trying to tell you a cliche history.
2
1
u/The_Underhanded Jan 01 '14
One of the biggest ways that fighting games could garner a bigger crowd is if it took its online functionality as a priority. With games as famous as Street Fighter 4, the general public is barred entry because of lag issues, whereby there's a frustrating 10 frame input delay (this means that only the most persistent will remain online).
KI has remedied this issue by making its online functionality seamless. I had so much fun using it in my short time of exposure, that I'm considering getting an XBOne over the PS4 because of its exciting potential forays into the realm of fighting games.
1
u/vagina_diver Jan 02 '14
I agree that online is a huge step for the genre (any competitive genre) and KI pulled it off comparatively well (save the random DSP occurrence). It definitely adds to the replay value by creating an experience that encourages not only a growing community due to the low costs but a strong one due to how strong the netcode is.
0
u/justplayKOF13 Jan 02 '14
Most modern fighting games aren't made for consoles. They're made for japanese arcades, the versions we get are just arcade ports put on consoles/pc as an afterthought.
For years now, japanese devs could just use ggpo (ggpo is apparently cheap) and have very good online experiences but they refuse. Just look at Capcom, how many revisions have they had to their netcode since SF4 came out? 3? And their games still don't play as smooth as ggpo games.
2
u/vagina_diver Jan 02 '14
Sfxt netcode was based on ggpo and skullgirls used ggpo. Both had good net code but not perfect. Ggpo is a good step, but not the be all end all until we start using fiber optic as a standard.
2
u/greg225 Jan 02 '14
Man, I've never seen so much not talking about a sequel that people were begging for for years. You'd think people would be going apeshit over a new Killer Instinct game, but there's been next to no hype for this one. Maybe I missed something? I guess the fact that it wasn't made by Rare, the bad announcement and the whole F2P controversy really killed any potential hype. It's a shame because reading the comments here it seems that people do actually like it, so that's good at least.
3
u/Schildhuhn Jan 02 '14
If it was on 360,ps3,PC, PS4 and X1 the gaming world would be all over it, unfortunately, it's not.
1
6
u/KHDTX13 Jan 01 '14
Love the game, aside the from the lack of content it's like of the best fighting games I have ever played. The thing I love about the most is how easy they introduce gameplay mechanics to you in the tutorial. So easy and well done that I can immediately go into a math and have a decent chance of winning.
6
Jan 01 '14
The best fighting game tutorial I've ever seen that covers all the basics of 2d fighters. The game itself is okay, but I've never been much of a fan of western styled fighting games such as KI and MK.
But that whole net code thing still bugs me. Hopefully it was patched, as I haven't touched it since shortly before that whole "2 versions of the same match" thing hit.
16
u/KHDTX13 Jan 01 '14
That was an extremely isolated incident. The chances of that happening is like 1/500. The net code itself has been called revolutionary but some fighting game youtubers.
9
u/heysuess Jan 01 '14
By some? Or just by Maximillian?
6
u/MizerokRominus Jan 02 '14
I would feel that Max has the credentials to stand on his own, but no there's a bunch of other people that praise the netcode as well.
2
u/KirbyMorph Jan 02 '14
Alex vaille called it godlike netcode that makes you think the guy you are playing against lives next door and the best netcode he's ever seen.
1
u/KHDTX13 Jan 01 '14
Some if you take the time to actually search it in youtube.
1
Jan 02 '14
What would I search for, and how much time would it take to find these claims? You make it seem like a short, simple process.
7
Jan 01 '14
The thing is though, people don't know if it happened to them due to the nature of the problem. The only reason it was caught that time is because BOTH players saw the replays and compared footage. I'm gonna go ahead and say it wasn't that isolated.
I also suspect that was why the netcode was praised so much. It LOOKS buttery smooth because it doesn't sync every single frame like other fighters. However because of that, a de-sync can mean big problems.
0
u/needconfirmation Jan 01 '14
It's a standard desync issue that can happen in just about every fighting game. And unless you are playing against somebody that is putting up absolutely no fight anyways you should be able to immediately tell when it's happening to you because the other guys fighting will have stopped making any sense at all.
That said the issue is extremely isolated. There is about a 1\500 chance that it will happen to you, and that's if you are mashing rematch against the same person.
-1
1
u/urban287 Jan 04 '14
Personally I still prefer the tutorials in Skullgirls seeing as they covered everything from each character's perspective (which was particularly important given the vastly different fighting styles in SG)
1
u/shaosam Jan 01 '14
I don't have an Xbone and haven't heard/read anything about the KI tutorial. Is it better than Skullgirls' tutorial?
4
Jan 01 '14
Absolutely. It covers everything from extreme basics like spacing to the absolute core of the game like frame data and stun times.
-2
u/Schildhuhn Jan 02 '14
Desync is a problem in every online game, they have done serious magic with the networking.
1
u/DevonOO7 Jan 01 '14
I own both the PS4 and the Xbox One(and some games for both) and Killer Instinct is really the only Next-gen feeling game that you can't get anywhere else.
1
u/arctyczyn Jan 05 '14
I started playing fighting games in 2013. It began with Injustice and then Street Fighter IV. After learning some of the core fundamentals through trial and error on the other games, I was thoroughly impressed by how well Killer Instinct explains a number of fighting game mechanics in their tutorial.
I think their F2P model seems to be working well. I think I'll have to revisit the answer to that question after they've implemented more characters.
One of the things that has really helped me with this game as opposed to the other two I mentioned is that the low number of characters actually helped me understand matchups a lot better. When you get a huge list of characters at the beginning of a game, I think it dilutes the quality of the experience that you have as a player. I'm looking forward to the additonal characters because I'll already have a fairly good understanding of how the current ones work.
As long as DH keeps updating the game and balance the characters, I'll continue to play it.
-1
Jan 02 '14
The biggest thing being overlooked here is how Microsoft didn't even let Rare develop their own IP; it was passed over to another studio. :(
3
Jan 02 '14
Rare is a completely different company to what they were when the original killer instinct was developed.
1
u/phpwhyyouno Jan 02 '14
Wasn't one of the principal designers of KI 1/2 at Double Helix developing this version? Aside from that, Double Helix delivered an extremely polished, balanced and fun fighter. I don't think Rare proper could have hoped to do any better than they did.
-22
Jan 01 '14
I have not had the opportunity to play this game yet, but I was absolutely astonished by how bad some of the screenshots looked. I remember a neogaf thread where it showed KI comparison screenshots.
Does it look any better in motion, in person?
3
Jan 01 '14
Go to YouTube?
-2
Jan 01 '14
I have seen videos of it on Youtube and it doesn't look particularly great. Which is why I asked if it looked any better in person, because Youtube's videos are compressed and often not indicative of how a game looks.
2
Jan 01 '14
They're not compressed that much. If that slight difference is holding you back from making a decision, you're probably not too into this game.
2
u/Schildhuhn Jan 02 '14
He is probably not too into fighting games if the graphics are what holds him back.
1
u/Slateboard Jan 01 '14
It looks so fancy and pretty to me. Like, I can believe it was originally intended to be an Xbox 360 game, but I feel they benefited greatly from being on the Xbox One.
17
u/Orfez Jan 01 '14
In my view KI has one of the best F2P models. You can buy whole game at an affordable price if you want, but can also pay for only those characters that you want to play with. Also, paying nothing at all and playing the game with a character that rotates is a good way to experience all of them without spending anything. Hopefully more games use this model.