2017 is shaping up to be a very strong year for the fighting game genre. With big time developers like Capcom and Nether Realm back in the mix, fighting game fans will have quite many different flavors of games to choose from. Here are the top five fighting games we here at The Game Fanatics are looking forward to playing this year.
Top 5 Fighting Games We’re Looking Forward to Playing in 2017
Injustice 2
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: May 16, 2017
American developer Nether Realm Studios is back again with the latest entry into their DC Superhero series Injustice. This time around Nether Realm has worked to preserve old gameplay while bringing more new mechanics to the table with a few snippets taken from their flagship title Mortal Kombat X.
One of the biggest additions to Injustice 2 is the ability to level up and customize your character with new gear you can earn through playing through a variety of game modes. In addition to aesthetic changes, the gear system also gives your character different attributes. Some gear will grant a variety of buffs from speed ups to damage boosts. While the customization of gear is a fantastic idea, avid tournament players have expressed concern that this could potentially harm the competitive scene. NetherRealm has already taken this into account and are considering a “Tournament Mode” of sorts, to ensure all characters are equally balanced for competitive play.
Online will feature a GGPO-like netcode that is featured in Mortal Kombat XL so players can look forward to a similar smooth online experience. The devs have also expressed the idea of removing the gear system similar to the “Tournament Mode” for online ranked matches. This works great for the competitive player looking to practice in a competitive environment without the worry of running into a higher leveled opponent or being at a live tournament.
The single player story content from NetherRealm will no doubt be an awesome ride. If you’ve played the previous title you will find a very deep and engaging story similar to before. With Injustice 2 picking up where the last game left off, we can expect yet another awesome ride into the Injustice universe.
Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: Late 2017
One of Capcom’s most anticipated titles is back in the fray for a late 2017 release, and this time fans have a lot to look forward to. Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite is going back to its roots as a Vs series title in being a 2v2 tag game with no assists. One of Capcom’s biggest design philosophies behind this change is to make the game more accessible to newer players to the series.
The 2v2 combat will feature a tag system that allows players to continue their combos after tagging, allowing for players to be extremely creative in this regard. Based on this it seems very clear that the developers want to emphasize the importance of both characters working as a team. Not a bad design choice as it lets players focus more on the pure 1v1 at hand with no assists.
Aside from the game being 2v2, it does introduce a new mechanic to the game with the Infinity Stones. This mechanic was seen before in Capcom’s Marvel Super Heroes with its Infinity Gems back in the mid 90’s. The Infinity Gems in that title were used on the fly and had various effects such as speed ups and defense boosts. These power ups could change the tide of battle in various ways in an instant. Nonetheless, how the Infinity Stones are activated in MvC: Infinite is still unknown. One thing is definitely for sure, Marvel Vs Capcom: Infinite is shaping up to be a very strong entry into the Vs series with its return to 2v2 fights, new mechanics and an updated roster.
Street Fighter 5 Season 2
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC
Release Date: 2017
Capcom’s flagship title Street Fighter 5 launched its second season on December 20th of last year with updated character balance, the return of Akuma and five new DLC characters new to the Street Fighter universe. The new balance is a breath of fresh air as some characters got buffed, while others received nerfs and some may have been over buffed. News on the DLC characters has been left only to speculation.
The competitive and casual players response to season 2 has been a fairly mixed bag of reviews based on the current balance changes. Notably, the loss of invincible shoryuken style attacks has been removed, forcing characters like Ryu and Ken to spend an EX bar to reverse the tide of battle when in a sticky situation. However, there are rumors that Capcom may patch the game before the start of the Capcom Pro Tour in March.
If you’re interested in competitive play or simply enjoy watching competition, the Capcom Pro Tour for Street Fighter 5 season 2 will definitely be an exciting series of tournaments. The Pro Tour is a series of grass-roots tournament leading up to the finals in December of this year. It is speculated that it will most likely be held at PlayStation Experience again for the 2017 season.
Tekken 7
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: June 2, 2017
The wait for Tekken 7 is finally coming to an end with the release date scheduled for June 2nd of this year. There are fans that are a little upset due to the release date being extended further but, make no mistake, Namco is taking this release VERY seriously. Several reports have stated that Namco wants to release a finished and polished product which in turn delayed the title’s release. A very awesome tidbit to note in this iteration is the inclusion of Street Fighter‘s Akuma into the Tekken universe!
Namco has yet to disappoint with the single player campaign in the Tekken series, so one can expect a very robust single player experience diving even further into the universe.
For Honor
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: February 14, 2017
Ever wanted to be a Knight from medieval times? How about a Samurai? A Viking perhaps? Well For Honor is most definitely for you! This isn’t your typical fighter with standard things such as special moves and command normals. The combat is extremely tactical to the point that each planning strike is very critical. While maintaining a sense of technicality, For Honor is also very welcoming to new players to this style of combat. Check out our For Honor preview for more information. And look for our review when it drops later this week.
For Honor boasts a very robust multiplayer experience with a variety of modes such as Dominion – 4v4 capture the point, Brawl – 2v2 first to five rounds death match, and Duel – 1v1 first to five rounds. There are several campaigns to play through adding to the replay value of the single player content. An additional nice feature is two player co-op for the campaign mode, so you and a friend can both tackle the intense war style skirmishes. Ubisoft has been making waves with For Honor, the title most definitely stands out among the pack.
In summary, fighting game enthusiasts will have a great year with so many titles. There will be something for everyone. Here’s to a great year for fighting games!
