Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves – My Personal Review (Full Breakdown)

After more than 25 years of silence, SNK has finally revived one of its most iconic fighting franchises: Fatal Fury. 

As someone who has been playing fighting games since the 90s, seeing Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves launch in 2025 was both nostalgic and exciting. 

This new entry aims to modernize the classic Fatal Fury experience while offering an alternative to giants like Street Fighter 6. 

In this personal review, I break down everything, from the combat system to the roster, visuals, modes, and what I think makes this game stand out.

What Is Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves?

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a 2.5D fighting game developed by SNK, serving as the long-awaited sequel to Garou: Mark of the Wolves. 

The game returns players to South Town with updated mechanics, a revamped visual style, and a deep, competitive combat system.

If you’re wondering what is Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, think of it as a modernized SNK fighter that still respects its roots:

• Four-button layout (LP, HP, LK, HK)

• Close and far normals

• No universal forward-dash engagement tools

• High emphasis on neutral, footsies, and player decision-making

This positions the game as a more deliberate, risk-based alternative to the explosive rushdown style of many modern fighters.

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Gameplay & Fighting System: Depth Without Overcomplication

The first thing that stands out is the fighting flow. Unlike Street Fighter 6, City of the Wolves avoids "neutral skip" mechanics, meaning you cannot mindlessly dash in or armor-dash your way to pressure. Every approach has risk.

The Rev System

The new Rev Meter is the heart of the gameplay:

• Builds up by blocking or using special Rev techniques

• At 100%, you Overheat

• Overheat disables all Rev techniques

• Guard gauge becomes vulnerable while overheated

This makes meter management a constant mental battle. Do you cash out with EX moves for big damage? Or play it safe to avoid overheating mid-round?

Rev Blows – Powerful, but controversial

Rev Blows are armored, strong, and safe on block. They work like Street Fighter’s Drive Impacts, but only give combos on counter-hit. 

The drawback is that Rev Blows can only be used during SPG (Selective Potential Gear), which activates based on where you choose your power spike (early/mid/late HP bar).

This creates interesting mind games but can feel unfair at lower skill levels when one player has access and the other does not.

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Roster & Characters

At launch, 17 characters are available. Classic favorites like:

• Terry Bogard

• B. Jenet

• Tizoc

• Hokutomaru

And four newcomers add fresh playstyles.

The biggest surprise (and controversy):

• Cristiano Ronaldo

• DJ Salvatore Ganacci

Mechanically, these guest characters are surprisingly fun. Ronaldo uses a soccer-ball setplay mechanic, while Ganacci is a weird but hilarious heavy hitter. 

But stylistically, they feel out of place in the Fatal Fury universe, lacking narrative integration and aesthetic cohesion.

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Arcade, Episodes of South Town & Single-player Experience

The Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves arcade game mode brings back classic SNK storytelling—short but meaningful, with rival fights and endings.

The standout single-player mode is Episodes of South Town, a light RPG-inspired journey where you:

• Explore areas

• Level up characters

• Unlock skills

• Fight one-round skirmishes with unique conditions

It's more substantial than most modern fighting game story modes, even if some challenges (like the 1/66 one-hit-kill stage) can feel cheap.

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Visuals & Presentation: A Beautiful Return to South Town

City of the Wolves looks incredible. The 2.5D models blend smooth animations with comic-style flair. Stages are lively and full of character, from theme parks to back alleys, each with animated backgrounds that never distract.

Time-of-day shifts between rounds add cinematic flair.

However, the menu UI is shockingly bland, with room-match menus resembling spreadsheets. It’s an odd contrast to the in-game visual polish.

Online Mode: Rollback Netcode With Some Caveats

Yes, the game has rollback netcode. Is it perfect? No.

Stable matches feel great, but bad connections turn sluggish quickly. Inputs occasionally drop, and long delays make some matches borderline unplayable.

The online features include:

• Ranked

• Casual

• Room battles

• Replay theater (lacking search filters)

Solid, functional, but not industry leading.

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Conclusion

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a triumphant return for a franchise many thought would never reawaken. Its combat is deliberate, strategic, and rewarding. Its visuals are gorgeous, and its roster, guest characters aside, is diverse and fun.

While some features lag behind modern standards (tutorials, UI, online polish), the core experience is strong enough to stand among the best fighting games of this generation. 

Whether you’re a long-time SNK fan or a newcomer looking for a Street Fighter alternative, this game is absolutely worth playing.

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FAQ

What is Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves?

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is a 2.5D fighting game developed by SNK and released in 2025. It serves as a modern sequel to Garou: Mark of the Wolves, continuing the legacy of the Fatal Fury franchise. 

Is Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves easy for beginners to learn?

The game is moderately beginner-friendly. It retains a four-button layout and straightforward special-move inputs, making it approachable. However, its emphasis on footsies, spacing, and meter management means new players will need time to adapt. Unlike other modern fighters, it offers fewer “auto-engage” mechanics, so beginners must learn neutral fundamentals to succeed.

How does the Rev Meter system work in the game?

The Rev Meter governs enhanced techniques like EX moves, Impact Cancels, and Rev Blows.
Here’s how it works:

• The Rev Meter builds when you block attacks or use Rev techniques.

• At 100%, you enter Overheat, temporarily disabling all Rev abilities.

• While overheated, your Guard Gauge depletes quickly if you keep blocking.

• If it empties, your guard breaks, leaving you vulnerable to big combos.

This system forces players to make careful decisions about resource use—balancing offense, defense, and meter conservation.

Are Cristiano Ronaldo and Salvatore Ganacci really in the game?

Yes, both Cristiano Ronaldo and Salvatore Ganacci are official guest characters in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. They have full movesets, voice lines, animations, and mechanical gimmicks tailored to the game. 

While mechanically fun, their presence has been debated by fans because their personalities do not naturally fit the Fatal Fury universe.

Does Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves support cross-play online?

Yes. The game includes full cross-play support, allowing players across multiple platforms to fight each other online. This ensures a larger matchmaking pool and faster queue times, especially in ranked and casual modes.

Is this game good for competitive players?

Absolutely. City of the Wolves offers:

• Deep neutral-based combat

• Resource-heavy decision-making

• Unique character variety

• Strong mechanical identity

• Rollback netcode for online consistency

Its emphasis on fundamentals rather than “shortcut” mechanics makes it appealing to competitive players who prefer deliberate, skill-based fighting systems.