I just saw the news that "The King of Fighters World" is about to be released, and the feeling in my heart is really like soaking wolfberry in old vinegar, sour and refreshing. SNK is a brand. Who of us at this age has not thrown a few steel balls into it in the game arcade? Yagami-an's Aoihana Sanren, Kusanagi-kyo's Orochanagi. At that time, if anyone could clear the level with one coin, the girls in the entire airport would look at you twice. But looking at this game now, oh, it has become a large-scale 3D action MMORPG, and it is also a "free city simulation", just like GTA. I was puzzled. Back then, we were squatting in front of the arcade, the screen was just that big, two people were fighting, the joystick was slapping, and the buttons were clicking. Isn't that more fun than driving around in a virtual city now?
To be honest, the game is getting bigger and bigger, the map has changed from horizontal to panoramic, the characters have changed from pixels to high definition, and the capacity has changed from hundreds of KB to several gigabytes, but why do I feel that it is becoming less and less fun? When I was playing King of Fighters, I couldn't figure out a special move. I could argue with my friends for a long time, then hide under the quilt in the middle of the night to secretly practice the joystick, and then go out to avenge the shame the next day. What now? The game gives you automatic pathfinding, automatic combat, and one-click combos. The UI makes you want to stuff rewards directly into your mouth. It saves you trouble, but what about the sense of accomplishment of figuring out the combo by yourself? No more!
Let's talk about this “King of Fighters World”, the most complete fighter show in the history of KOF? Complete the classic plot? It sounds quite bluffing. But think about it, we liked Yagami back then because he flicked his purple fire and flipped up his hair, which made him worth as much as 2,500,000 yuan. Now you turn the entire fighting arena into an open world and let Yagami walk on the street, chat with NPCs, buy groceries and cook? Isn't that cool guy has become the neighborhood committee boss? 😅
But having said that, times have changed. Children today have never seen the atmosphere in arcades where people are crowded, the smell of cigarettes is mixed with sweat, and whoever wins is treated to a soda drink. They have mobile phones and tablets since they were born. The game screen looks like a movie, but when playing it, it always feels like it lacks a bit of soul. This "King of Fighters World" wants to build a "big KOF world with high degree of freedom". The concept is good, but I am afraid that it will become the kind of "electronic work card" with a big map, many tasks, and going online every day is like clocking in at work. I think back then we were playing with "technology", but now we are playing with "daily life". Can it be the same?
But in the final analysis, SNK is worthy of praise for its ability to make The King of Fighters into an RPG and its courage to break out of the old box of fighting. After all, at that time, we all dreamed of getting into the arcade screen and living in the same city as the characters of KOF. Now that it is true, I started to pretend to be big but empty again. Maybe it's not that the game has gotten worse, it's that my old bones have been spoiled by those games that are small, rough, but pure and shining.
Okay, no more nagging, I will most likely try this game. It's not for Free City, nor for all the fighters. I just want to see if Iori Yagami, who once made me almost break my joystick, can still let me regain some of the enthusiasm I had when I stayed up late and practiced tricks in this "new world". Even just a little bit? 🤔