To be honest, as an old guy who has played many KOF mobile games since the Saipan era, I was quite excited to see SNK finally make The King of Fighters into an MMORPG. I've played a lot of fighting mobile games and MMO mobile games over the years, and I'm not going to brag about it. The operation of King of Fighters World has injected some new vitality into this old IP, but it also has a lot of flaws.
Let's talk about the advantages first. The city made with a full 3D engine really has a feeling, which is much better than those MMOs where you can only defeat monsters in a small map. The design of Free City Simulation is a bit interesting. You can go shopping, take photos, take the subway, and even open a small shop to sell things. Unlike other similar games where you just complete tasks and copy copies every day to catch up on progress. This slow-paced immersion reminds me of the feeling I had when playing GTA mobile games in my early years. Moreover, the fighter system is very complete, including old characters such as Kyo Kusanagi, Yagami, and Mai Shiranui. The plot also fills in some of the pitfalls of the KOF series, which is quite collectible for old fans.
Let's talk about the shortcomings. First of all, when I played similar MMOs before, such as "Onmyoji" and "Honkai Impact 3", the combat system was much less impactful. The King of Fighters World is said to be an MMO, but fighting is basically about standing still and using skills. It doesn't have the thrill of combos like playing KOF fighting in the past. Officials say that the focus is shifting to "free cities", but the content of this city is actually a bit empty now, with little NPC interaction, and many buildings that can only be seen but not entered. Compared with the high-freedom world of "Genshin Impact", the gap is still obvious. In addition, the operation is not very friendly to novices, and the perspective control is a bit dizzy. I am a 30-year-old veteran player, but I got used to it for several days.
Compared with other MMOs adapted from fighting IPs, such as the online game versions of "Journey to the West: Return of the Great Sage" and "Legend of Sword and Fairy", King of Fighters World has done more careful work in restoring the IP, but the gameplay innovation is not enough. The free mode is quite conscientious. There is no card draw to force krypton, which is better than many similar games.
Overall, if you are a long-time KOF fan and want to play for the feelings and collecting characters, this game is worth playing. But if you are looking for hardcore fighting or a top-notch open world, you may be disappointed. Not bragging, I can only give it 7 points for the current version. Let's see if subsequent updates can make up for the content. I hope SNK will not disappoint the expectations of old players😌