It only takes one game to get me on board when it comes to new gaming hardware, one game that has me readying my wallet for punishment, and one game gave me that special feeling at Microsoft’s E3 press conference in 2013. I’ve long been a fan of Rare’s Killer Instinct and hearing the big arcade voice booming about the franchise’s return on Xbox One gave me goose bumps. Suddenly I felt more inclined to jump in.
Despite the fantastic, bombastic reveal, Killer Instinct comes to Xbox One as a free-to-play game where you’re free to pay for what you want or buy a Combo Breaker pack which bundles characters, stages, and more. With these two models in place, can Killer Instinct still hit the fighting genre with an Ultra Combo?
Even if you’re not a fan of the series, you shouldn’t hesitate to download the game on your Xbox One as every Xbox Live Gold member can play online as Jago for free. Jago is joined by Sabrewulf, Orchid, Glacius, Thunder, and new fighter Sadira. You’ll get all of these as well as Spinal and Fulgore if you buy the bundle pack, but you might find good reason for the pay-what-you-will structure in this early line up. I’ll probably never play with Sadira, for example, and that cuts a few bucks from this revival’s asking price. While I can’t say that this business model is best for a fighter where characters need to remain balanced and fair, it makes it easier to add Killer Instinct to every Xbox One owner’s hard drive, creating a healthy player base.
Truly, unless you’re going to take your favorite fighter online, you might not want to bother with Killer Instinct at all. The game itself is rather threadbare whether you pay or not, with no single-player story to speak of. Meaningful interactions between Killer Instinct characters have always been fleeting, but single player content is a new staple of fighting games despite this title’s method of delivery. Being so focused on online combat further impressed me with the notion that the game’s new business model speaks to the nature of fighters in the age of online consoles.
Instead of buying the combo pack, just pay for one character you know you’ll love. Check out YouTube videos and learn a few combos. Try to learn as much as you can about the one character you buy in order to maximize your online dominance. You’ll get a lot of entertainment out of Sabrewulf or Orchid when you can make them move as you want and beat down foes at the peak of their ability. If you like to play the latest Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat games online, ask yourself how many characters you really use, and then try your hand at Rare’s brand of combo chaining and countering.
Killer Instinct‘s controls are tight, the graphics look explosive and shiny, and the soundtrack blasts heavy tunes into every bout. Nostalgia gets played hard, though longtime fans might be disappointed by the move to 3D modeling. The animated backgrounds and sprites of old had lots of charm and looked dramatic and dark, while this modern Killer Instinct looks just like many other graphically intense games on Xbox One. Lots of particles and effects fly making big combos even more breathtaking.
If I were to review the $40 Combo Breaker Pack Microsoft provided us with, I’d rate Killer Instinct‘s return lower for lacking so many staples of the genre in the modern age. I’d love to take Orchid’s hot pants through a lengthy story mode or learn the ins and outs of Jago’s moveset in detailed training missions, but none of that is available. Thankfully, I’d rather look at Microsoft’s reboot from a casual consumer perspective. It’s completely free-to-play if you happen to like Jago, and only a few bucks more if you want to choose another to spend time with. In that regard, it’s a very affordable title that can give you hours of solid entertainment
Downloading Killer Instinct at Xbox One’s launch could turn you into a tournament-ready fighter. You could take your free-to-play Jago skills to big-time fighting tournament Evo if you’re truly dedicated. Spending what you want on the characters you’ll use most makes a lot of sense with Killer Instinct‘s focus on online multiplayer, but be prepared to wait if you hope a classic character makes a dramatic return. With a model based on reacting to consumers, it could take Microsoft and Double Helix a long time to finish the fight.
Daniel Bischoff is a contributor for CraveOnline. You can also find him on GameRevolution.com and follow him on Twitter @Game_Revolution.
Review copy provided by publisher. Game is exclusive to Xbox One.
